A patient receiving medical care. Photo: UnSplash/ Stephen Andrews
Vanuatu - health
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have signed an agreement to address Vanuatu's shortage of medical workers.
Solomon Star reported a cohort of Solomon Islands nurses and doctors are set to head to Vanuatu as a result.
The memorandum of understanding comes as Vanuatu's health sector faces significant gaps, including 400 nurse vacancies and a shortage of 50 doctors, exacerbated by the deregistration of the country's nursing college.
Solomon Islands - marine
Solomon Islands police are warning boat owners to check their vessels' seaworthiness, after 28 passengers were rescued from a sinking ferry.
Thirteen crew and 14 pasengers, including a child, were on board when the ship began sinking between Guadalcanal and Florida Islands on Sunday.
A statement from the Tulagi police in the central division said four of them, including a child, received hospital checks but were later discharged.
The supervising provinicial police commander Inspector George Mouli told RNZ Pacific the Adi Wai Tui, operated by Douglas Logistics, left Honiara in high seas.
Inspector Mouli said the vessel started to sink about an hour into the journey after hitting steep waves.
"I think it's reminding people, especially the operators, to make sure their vessels or boats are seaworthy before they can use it for public transport," he said.
He also said operators should check sea conditions before departing.
Pacific - mining
A company involved in deep sea mining in the high seas has produced commercial-scale calcine, which is needed to produce valuable metals.
The Metals Company made the calcine by proccessing a 2000-tonne sample of seafloor polymetallic nodules.
A spokesperson for the company said the next phase is smelting calcine into high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silcate for batteries.
The Metals Company CEO last month said he plans to apply for a deep sea mining license in the coming months, and commercial mining in the Clarion Clipperton Zone could start in 2026.
Samoa - tourism
The latest tourism figues for Samoa show a substantial uptick in international arrivals and visitor numbers.
The Samoa Observer reported more than 24,000 international arrivals were recorded for July, up seven and a half percent on the same month the year before.
This surge has been flagged as a positive shift in tourism activity and economic momentum for Samoa's hospitality sector.
In July 2024, Samoa welcomed a total of 24,596 international arrivals.
This figure represents an 11.1 percent increase over the 22,134 arrivals recorded in June 2024.
Vanuatu/Papua New Guinea - meeting
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has held bilateral trade talks with Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai in Port Moresby.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Pope's visit.
The National reported among the topics discussed were PNG's trade assistance to Vanuatu and infrastructure development, with focus on the Kumul Highway initiative in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital.
Salwai expressed his appreciation for the meeting, and affirmed Vanuatu's willingness to strengthen relations with Papua New Guinea.
Marape said his government was delighted to engage in cordial relations with the government Vanuatu.
"Between the two nations who are part of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, we have enjoyed a close friendship, based on mutual trust and respect since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1980."