Voting in Fiji Photo: RNZ / Philippa Tolley
Crisis in Papua district as flood affects health
Health workers have been told to return to a district in West Papua hit by an outbreak of illness that has resulted in fatalities.
Since a tidal flood hit the Waan District in Merauke Regency in mid-January, vomiting and diarrhoea in children have been reported.
The Jubi newspaper says residents of Kladar Village complained about the absence of health workers at the local health centre.
As a result of the tidal floods, residential areas and farmlands belonging to the community are submerged in water.
The head of the Merauke Health Office, Nevile Muskita, admits that most of the health workers were in Merauke City when stomach flu started to occur in Waan.
"I have ordered health workers to immediately return to Waan and work immediately. I also called the head of the Waan Health Center yesterday and found out that he was in Merauke City as well. I asked him to go to Waan tomorrow," said Nevile.
Local government elections in Fiji to return
Fiji will have municipal council elections again, for the first time since 2014.
Prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka said cabinet had already approved the establishment of a working group that will be chaired by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government permanent secretary.
He said the working group will make recommendations including municipal boundaries, demarcation of wards for each municipality, number of councillors, and necessary amendments to existing legislation.
High inflation rates in American Samoa
Inflation in American Samoa peaked at 13.5 percent in the third quarter of the 2021-22 financial year, according to the Commerce Department's Statistics and Analysis Division.
American Samoa's Chief Statistician, Meleisea Vai Filiga, says although inflation fell in the fourth quarter of last year, the numbers are still high as compared to previous years.
The chief statistician informed senators that towards the end of 2021, the territory saw the cost of living starting to increase and reached 9.7 percent.
By the second quarter of 2022, it jumped to 11.6 percent and peaked in the third quarter at 13.5 percent.
Kingdom joins economic initiative
Tonga has become the sixth country to join Australia's Market Development Facility.
The Australian state-funded economic initiative states its mission is to boost local employment and income opportunities.
Tonga's Minister for Trade Viliami Latu signed the agreement with Australia's High Commissioner to Tonga, Rachael Moore, on Wednesday in Nuku'alofa.
The respective countries said that over $US2 million in investment would be channelled to the Kingdom over the next four years.
Implemented in 2011, Australia's Market Development Facility is active in Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.
Tonga's parliament has opened for 2023
It reconvened with a ceremonial opening.
New member of parliament Johnny Taione has been sworn in.
He is stepping in following the death of Semisi Fakahau last year.
New Zealand's Chief Ombudsman, Judge Peter Boshier, who is currently in Tonga for a four-day visit, was at the opening ceremony.
Stranded passengers back home
Tongan passengers who had been stranded in Christchurch over the weekend, after their flight to Auckland changed course, have all safely returned home.
A local Tongan methodist church provided emergency accommodation for more than 50 of the passengers who had been en-route from Tonga to Auckland last Friday.
Christchurch resident, Sami Paeahelotu, who organised the relief efforts, says the local Tongan community acted quickly to help the passengers.
"Some of them were elderly and children, so I quickly rang my church minister to open up the church because we have the facilities to accommodate, there's a lot of mattresses there."
Hub opens to help flood-affected Pasifika in Auckland
A new hub opened in Māngere is aiming to support Pacific people in South Auckland who have been impacted or displaced by the recent flooding.
The Pacific Response Hub is a joint venture between central and local government agencies and local community providers.
South Seas Healthcare Trust chief executive Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo said it is designed to complement existing emergency support by helping families and individuals who need to start planning for the short to medium term.
He said they are thinking beyond the immediate emergency support to what people will need in the next four to six weeks.
Samoan officials suspended
Two officials in Samoa have been placed on suspension, pending an investigation into the Ministry's Labour Export Programme Division.
The suspensions of the CEO of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour, and the Acting Assistant CEO of the Labour Export Programme, was approved by Cabinet on Monday.
This was confirmed in a statement from the government's press secretariat.
Tokelau links up with NZ educational institute
Tokelau is working towards a partnership with Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), in New Zealand to establish a building course for students on Nukunonu, the largest atoll in Tokelau.
In a statement, the government said EIT would provide course materials and assessments for students to work towards a Level 2 NZ certificate in Building, Construction and Allied Trades Skills, all done on the atoll.
The Tokelau Department of Education is now looking for a tutor to facilitate the programme on the atoll.