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Vanuatu - airline
A delegation from the German aviation investment company Panaf is in Vanuatu to conduct physical due diligence on Air Vanuatu.
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Lands Rick Tchamako Mahe confirmed this in Luganville, Santo.
He said the government is considering all proposals from interested parties but will remain the majority shareholder in AV-3, the newly established parent company of Air Vanuatu, holding 51 percent of the shares.
Interested parties will be allocated a portion of the 49 percent stake in AV-3, following recommendations from consultancy firm Ernst & Young.
The government shareholders will deliberate and make a decision on all proposals soon.
Fiji - disaster
Fiji's Disaster Management Minister says the government is working to address flooding after heavy rain affected the central division at the weekend.
The Fiji government said that families at River Road in Narere and Sawan, Naitasiri, who were impacted by the landslide and flooding, were visited by Minister Sakiasi Ditoka.
He said the government will be working with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders to see what they can do to address the problem of flooding.
He said that while a long-term solution is needed, they will explore actions that can be taken in the meantime.
Samoa - CHOGM
Market vendors at Fugalei in Samoa are claiming sales dropped during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) last week.
The Samoa Observer reported that most vendors had expected a boom in sales.
Frankie Supermarket told the Sunday Samoan that there was no difference in sales during the CHOGM week.
A saleswoman of a well-known clothing outlet even went as far as to say sales were slow during the week.
She said the government should have set up a venue for the local businesses to set up their stalls to showcase the products to the delegates.
Samoa - finance
The World Bank has approved a US$21 million grant for Samoa's finance sector.
The Resilience and Development project aims to provide easier access to financial services for 8500 individuals and businesses.
It will enable 100,000 people to verify their identification digitally during the life of the project.
Remittances are a major source of income in Samoa, and the Bank said reducing the cost of sending and receiving them will therefore directly benefit thousands of Samoans.
World Bank Country Manager for the South Pacific Stefano Mocci said this will enhance the delivery of services and Samoa's capacity in the financial sector, promoting a more robust, accessible, and equitable financial system.
Papau New Guinea - anniversary
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame could visit PNG next year during the country's 50th independence anniversary.
The Post-Courier reports that PNG is also expected to send a delegation to Rwanda before then to seek opportunities of investment and trade.
Prime Minister James Marape sadi that he had a bilateral meeting with Kagame on the sidelines of CHOGM in Samoa.
Marape noted that PNG and Rwanda have engaged on several occasions at the multilateral level, but no concrete agreements have been progressed yet bilaterally.
Kagame has been Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth Secretariat for the last two years.
New Zealand/Pacific - labour
New Zealand's Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner is frustrated by the lack of progress made by the government to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers in Aotearoa.
Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo claims that the recently announced changes to the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa reduced support for migrant workers experiencing exploitation, while doing nothing to reduce the risk of it happening.
She said that more needs to be done to protect the human rights of people who work in New Zealand businesses in exchange for a pathway to improve their lives.
Fiji - rugby
Fijian Rugby player Aliti Namoce, who admitted to supplying cocaine and ketamine in Sydney's CBD is stranded in the Pacific Islands after her visa to return to Australia was refused.
On Monday local time, the court was told Namoce was granted a variation to her bail conditions so she could travel to compete with the Fijian said but has since been refused entry back intothe country.
Local media reported that guilty pleas have been entered on the 26-year-old.
The case has been adjourned for two weeks.
The police prosecutor said there was no information before the court to suggest why Namoce has not been granted a visa to re-enter Australia, and she was at risk of breaching her bail if she remained stranded.
Solomon Islands - visit
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele says his visit to Indonesia has opened a new door of "rare" international relationship between Honiara and Jakarta.
The Solomon Star reported that Manele attended the inauguration of Indonesia's new President Prabowo Subianto and met with him after.
Manele said he believes this relationship will translate into economic benefits for Solomon Islands in the next few years.
Pacific - remittances
The head of Bank South Pacific Financial Group (BSP) says the south Pacific's heavy reliance on remittances and commodity exports leaves economies vulnerable to external shocks, such as exchange rate fluctuations and rising public debt.
The National reported that BSP chief executive Mark Robinson gave a keynote address at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Samoa last week.
He said that environmental degradation and climate change also pose significant threats to the region's economic stability.
Robinson said that both small businesses and individuals benefit from greater access to finance, which enables local development, improves women's prosperity, and bolstering resilience against climate change impacts.