Tom Walsh produces season-best throw in Diamond League event in Rome
'Sealed in' Seal gets rescued from Napier road
A video has surfaced of a seal getting caught in a net after getting stuck on a Napier road in 2024. Video / DOC
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Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
A Pacific Call To Action On World Environment And Oceans Day
06 June 2025 As we mark World Environment Day on 5 June and World Oceans Day on 8 June, Pacific Island nations are sounding the alarm. This year's World Environment Day theme, 'Ending Plastic Pollution', is a timely and urgent call to action - our region, home to one of the largest ocean territories on Earth, is on the frontlines of a crisis we didn't cause - plastic pollution. Yet we are also at the forefront of pioneering solutions. Plastic waste is choking our oceans, harming biodiversity, contaminating food chains, and undermining livelihoods. In the Pacific, where the ocean is both a source of sustenance and spiritual identity, the cost is deeply personal. In his remarks at the ministerial breakfast of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution in Colombia in 2024, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the urgency of the crisis: 'Each year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tons of plastic. Half of it is designed for single-use purposes – used once and tossed away. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish. And so, it is clear that we need action, and fortunately, people are now demanding it.' UNDP Pacific Office: Leading the Charge The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji has long recognised the scale of this challenge and is actively supporting Pacific Island nations in their efforts to reduce plastic waste and transition towards a circular economy. Through regional partnerships and community-led innovation, UNDP is helping to build systems that not only manage waste but prevent it at the source. In Fiji, with local innovators, we are are turning the tide. A trash boom system, launched in 2024 and manufactured locally by BioEnergy Insight Pacific, now traps plastic waste in urban waterways before it reaches fragile coastal ecosystems. Early trials intercepted over hundreds of kilograms of plastic in just six weeks, proving that small-scale innovation can deliver scalable results. To mark World Environment and Oceans Day this year, Fiji's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change conducted a clean-up campaign along the Suva Foreshore and Nukubuco Sandbank where 1.5 tonnes of rubbish was collected. In Tonga, the Ridge to Reef (R2R) initiative takes a holistic approach to protecting marine ecosystems by addressing pollution at its source - from land to sea. By integrating sustainable land use, watershed management, and coastal conservation, the project not only strengthens biodiversity but also helps reduce the flow of plastics and other waste into the ocean. This is how Pacific nations are linking climate resilience, food security, and environmental protection into one unified response. In Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, new laws and community-run recycling enterprises are cutting waste and generating income for women and youth. These aren't just pilot projects – they are proof points that locally driven solutions work. From Policy to Practice UNDP's work extends beyond clean-up campaigns. It supports governments in developing and enforcing legislation that bans or restricts single-use plastics, promotes extended producer responsibility, and encourages the adoption of sustainable alternatives. These efforts are creating a ripple effect of change that aligns with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. By working closely with local leaders, youth groups, and women's organisations, UNDP ensures that solutions are locally driven and culturally grounded. Protecting Oceans, Preserving Futures Plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue – it is a development issue. It affects fisheries, tourism, and public health. It threatens the Pacific's over US$3.2 billion fisheries sector, US$3.8 billion tourism industry, and human health. Microplastics have already been found in over 80 percent of fish species tested in some Pacific waters, raising serious concerns about food security. That is why UNDP's work on plastic pollution is integrated with broader efforts on climate resilience, marine biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods. Initiatives such as ridge-to-reef conservation programmes and the Blue Economy Accelerator Lab are helping Pacific nations protect their natural capital while building economic resilience. Looking Ahead: A Pacific Vision for a Plastic-Free Future As the world rallies to end plastic pollution, the Pacific is not merely a victim – it is a leader. The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji is committed to scaling up support for innovative, inclusive, and impactful solutions. This includes expanding access to climate and environmental finance, supporting regional cooperation, and investing in circular economy models that turn waste into opportunity. Future efforts will also focus on strengthening data systems to track plastic flows, supporting local enterprises that produce biodegradable alternatives, and fostering South-South cooperation to share best practices across island nations. UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji has pledged to set its own ambitious plastics reduction targets. By aligning its operations with the Pacific's sustainability goals, UNDP aims to contribute meaningful progress to the fight against plastic pollution. A Shared Responsibility As the world negotiates a Global Plastics Treaty, Pacific voices must be central. We are not passive bystanders - we are active leaders in rethinking how the world produces, consumes, and disposes of plastic. This World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, the Pacific calls on the global community to act with urgency and unity. Governments, industries, and citizens all have a role to play.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Stigmatised For Being Deaf: Zénabou's Story
7 June 2025 'I always had the painful experience of seeing the other children go to school with their rucksacks,' says 14-year-old Zénabou. 'It was tormenting because even though I was burning with a desire to find out what happened in the schools where these children went every morning, I realised very early on that it was a system that wasn't made for me because I was different.' For many children with disabilities, the doors to education have remained firmly shut, leaving them with few opportunities and little hope for the future. Yet, in the Central African Republic (CAR) today, children like Zénabou are finally receiving the adapted support and educational opportunities that they deserve thanks to a new inclusive education pilot initiative. The programme is providing essential resources like learning materials, mobility aids, and specialized classes to learn Braille and sign language; creating a network of community support for families; and integrating children with disabilities into local schools. A Door Opens Zénabou sits at the desk in her classroom, workbook in front of her, and surrounded by classmates. She smiles as she watches her teacher write something on the blackboard. It might look like an ordinary scene to someone passing by but to the fourteen-year-old and other children with disabilities like her, this is an extraordinary moment. Before she enrolled in classes, Zénabou would stay at home most of the day, helping her mom with household chores. Her hours were filled with washing dishes, cleaning clothes and fetching water for her family. 'Going to school was something I'd never hoped for,' she signs. 'The day I went to school for the first time, I suddenly realised that I wasn't the only one in this situation. Seeing more than 30 deaf people in the same place was astonishing!' Through a multi-year investment, specialised classes for deaf and visually impaired children are held in Bambari, CAR, within ordinary primary schools. There, children like Zénabou who have often never even stepped foot in school are taught to read, write and count, and learn Braille or sign language. These crucial skills unlock a world of learning for them. Before attending school, Zénabou could barely communicate with those around her. Her parents saw few opportunities for her future. Illiterate themselves, they wanted more for their daughter, but considering her disability, they had no hope. But everything changed when she was given the access, resources and support to learn. 'My daughter Zénabou is now able to assert herself as a person, despite the communication barriers caused by the fact that she is deaf,' says Zénabou's Father. 'I'm now optimistic about Zénabou's future and I know she's going to succeed!' Education Crisis in CAR The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. Conflict, displacement and instability are undermining efforts for peaceful development, putting children and adolescents at serious risk. Years of violence have contributed to the breakdown of what were already limited services. Access to healthcare, livelihood opportunities and education is very limited or non-existent in large parts of the country. The country's education system is grappling with significant challenges, particularly for children with disabilities. Prolonged conflicts have devastated the educational infrastructure, leaving a million children and adolescents out of school. This crisis disproportionately affects children with disabilities, who face compounded barriers to education due to stigma surrounding disabilities and limited access to specialized support. Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts to rebuild educational infrastructure, promote inclusive teaching practices, and combat societal stigma to ensure that all children have access to an inclusive, quality education. Inclusive education in the Central African Republic Working with organizations that represent persons with disabilities is key to ensuring their participation in decision-making, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It has also been recognized to be necessary for social change, to promote autonomy and to ensure the empowerment of persons with disabilities. This groundbreaking initiative is funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations It is supported by the UN children's agency UNICEF, partners like Humanity and Inclusion and national organizations, including the Centre d'Alphabétisation et de Formation en Braille pour les Aveugles en Centrafrique' and the Association Nationale des Déficients Auditifs de Centrafrique.
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Call for govt action to prevent repeat of warship internet outages
Internet experts say the government must do more to avoid internet outages, after a warship knocked out services to Taranaki and Marlborough. Interference from an Australian warship's navigation radar caused internet and radio services to fail in those regions on Wednesday. The 230-metre HMAS Canberra was sailing through Cook Strait when its systems disrupted 5 GHz wireless access points. The chief executive of the Telecommunications Users Association, Craig Young, said it showed the vulnerability in the country's network. "It was fixed quite quickly once they figured out what was going on," he said. ADVERTISEMENT "But it does show that we do have a weakness in the current way that radio spectrum, this is what's used for broadband and regional New Zealand, can be overridden by a stronger signal in an area where this frequency can be used by other users." Young said that in New Zealand, like anywhere in the world, radio frequencies were used for delivering all sorts of services, including mobile and broadband. "And what happened was, in this case, a radio signal that was stronger than the one that was being used to provide broadband was interrupting the broadband," Young said. "It was the ship with the radar and they were using the same frequency, unaware that in New Zealand that frequency was used for delivering broadband to users." He said rural and regional areas were particularly vulnerable and actions from the government were needed to avoid disruptions from happening in future. "We need a better way to allocate certain parts of the spectrum to people like these broadband providers so they don't get interrupted." Sam James, a technical manager at TPNET, which provides broadband services across the Tasman and Marlborough areas, said his services were affected on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT "This kind of event is rare, and to be fair, no one really did anything wrong. The equipment behaved exactly as it's designed to — it's just that a visiting warship doesn't normally show up in the spectrum plan," he said. "Once the source was identified, we understand the ship adjusted frequencies to reduce disruption, and things settled down pretty quickly. "That said, the incident does highlight how fragile rural networks can be when built entirely on a shared or congested spectrum." James said Australia and the US were opening up new spectrum bands like 3 GHz and 6 GHz to give regional providers more room to build high-capacity, resilient links. "But here in New Zealand, those same bands remain mostly off-limits or underutilised — even though the gear is available and the need is growing." A serious conversation was needed about "spectrum access, infrastructure resilience, and making sure critical services aren't just one radar sweep away from a dropout", James said. Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ he would be "discussing the matter with officials". ADVERTISEMENT
