Suva port call "normal" for French surveillance ship
A French military surveillance vessel docked in Suva to allow almost 100 crew members "to recover after sea time".
The French frigate Vendemiaire's operations officer Lieutenant Cyrille said the port call last week was a routine exercise for various French navy ships that are in New Calendonia.
picture id="4NCY7E2_image_crop_78999" crop="16x10" layout="full"]
Responding to RNZ Pacific on whether the visit to Suva was an attempt to increase France's military visibility in the region, Cyrille says France is naturally geographically and militarily present in the Pacific.
Cyrille said port calls and local cooperation with like-minded countries and partners in the South Pacific are "normal" for the Vendemiaire.
"France's aim is of course to be pushing forward balance. It is not about power. It's about pressing forward a way of getting things balanced without having to get to tension to get to it.
"So this is really the french approach. We really want people to start working together rather than stressing against one another," Cyrille said.
Fritch and Brown meet in Papeete
The French Polynesian President Edouard Fritch and the Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown have met in Papeete to discuss post-covid travel and other issues.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown (left) with French Polynesia President Edouard Fritch Photo: French Polynesian government
The meeting focused on many sectors including international travel, cruise ship tourism and the cultural inclusion of Rarotongans in Polynesian cultural events.
The French Polynesian president's website says the former New Zealand Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, was also at the meeting to discuss a block on goods at two New Zealand ports.
General Secretary of the Pacific Island Forum, Henry Puna, was also in attendance.
The meeting concluded with discussions for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in July.
More funds for Nauru port
The Asian Development Bank has granted more money for a port development in Nauru.
The Nauru Government is wanting to establish the country's first actual port - for the past 100 years it has had to rely on a small boat harbour.
The work is estimated to cost US$80 million with the bulk of the funding from the Asian Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund and the Australian Government.
Four travellers from Hawaii isolate in Pago Pago
Four travellers from Honolulu to Pago Pago last Thursday tested positive for Covid-19 and were placed in isolation at the American Samoa Health Department's facility in Tafuna.
Seven others, close contacts, have also been isolated.
The remaining 241 passengers tested negative and were directed to home "self monitoring", with daily check-ins on the government's TalofaPass websystem for five days.
As of May 13, the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in American Samoa remains at 30 and the cumulative total is just over 5,900.
Case against Vanuatu top official to be reheard
The case of Vanuatu's former Public Service Commission Secretary General, Jean-Yves Bibi, which was dismissed in January, has been remitted to the Supreme Court for a re-hearing.
In its final decision, the Appeal Court said Bibi's appeal is allowed and the judgment of the Supreme Court is set aside.
The Supreme Court judgment had dismissed his claim for unjustified termination of his employment.
Bibi then lodged an appeal against the judgment.
On Christmas Eve 2020, he was suspended on full pay after a cleaner at the commission claimed she saw Bibi and a manager engaged in what was described as unacceptable behaviour.
Covid tracing app for Tonga
Tonga now has it's own covid tracing app.
The Minister of Health, Saia Piukala, said the new app 'Tonga 'a Tautolu' would be available to download this week.
Tonga's Ministry of Health reports there are 871 active cases.
There have been 11 Covid deaths since the outbreak started.
Ninety one percent of the population over 12 has been double vaccinated and 58 percent has been boosted.