Conference of Leaders starts, American Samoa ends covid testing, and Marape misses PNG's big day
Pacific leaders meeting in Hawaii
David Panuelo, Chair of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and President of the Federated States of Micronesia, speaks at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders in Honolulu. Photo: East-West Center
The 12th Pacific Island Conference of Leaders is underway in Hawaii, with heads of state in attendance from twenty Pacific nations and territories.
Other high-profile leaders attending include US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman.
Named "Puʻuhonua", or "The Pacific Way Forward", the annual event is being hosted by the East West Centre in Honolulu.
It hosts panel discussions and working groups centred around issues such as climate change mitigation, human rights, transparency and regional security.
Covid testing to be ditched in American Samoa
In American Samoa, covid testing on arrival will be discontinued on September 19.
This was discussed at a meeting of the Covid 19 Taskforce.
The Covid tests upon arrival at the sea port and airport has been a contentious issue with residents and American Samoans living off the territory, who have questioned the need, when nearly every country did away with tests for travellers some time ago.
Travellers must still be fully vaccinated.
Marape to miss PNG Independence Day to meet new King
Pacific leaders are heading to London to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8.
Tonga's King Tupou VI and Samoa's Head of State, Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi, are among the royal guests confirmed to attend the funeral.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, James Marape, departed Port Moresby for London on Wednesday.
Marape said he would miss Papua New Guinea Independence Day celebrations on Friday, the day he meets King Charles III.
Opposition says Fritch needs to make presidency decision
The opposition in French Polynesia says it's up to president Edouard Fritch to find out whether he can retain the presidency, if his party win next year's territorial election.
The law states that the president's position can only be held for two consecutive five-year terms.
In 2018, Fritch was elected for a five-year term, but he had already served for four years before, after Gaston Flosse was forced to relinquish the top job due to a new conviction for corruption.
Fritch said legal opinions are divided on how to count his time as president, but his party won't seek a definitive answer from France's top administrative court.
An opposition view is also that as the guarantor of the rule of law, the French High Commission should assess Fritch's situation.
He said irrespective of the legal situation, he will lead his Tapura Huiraatira Party into next year's election.
In 2018, Tapura won 38 of the assembly's 57 seats despite nine of its candidates having corruption convictions.
Ex-paper fined by court
A now-defunct newspaper in Tonga has been fined more than $US21,000 in a high-profile lawsuit.
The plaintiff, Mele 'Amanaki, who heads the public service union, launched a defamation case against the Tonga Weekly and its editor in 2014 for publishing a photo of her partying.
'Amanaki said the photo had been deliberately published to discredit her character as she ran for parliament in Tonga's 2014 general elections.
The Nuku'alofa Supreme Court ruled the photo and its accompanying article were malicious and politically motivated.
Minister's vow to help Pacific students
New Zealand's Associate Minister of Education says the government is committed to transforming the education system to be more culturally responsive for Maori and Pacific students.
Addressing the recipients at the Kupe Scholarship Awards last night, Minister of Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said Maori and Pacific students thrive when their classrooms are reflective of their language, identity, and heritage.
Sio said the government aims to have 35-hundred teachers fluent in Te Reo Maori by 2040.
Buy-and-sell app launches in Vanuatu
A Samoan company has officially started its internet buy-and-sell app in Vanuatu.
The launch coincided with the third anniversary of SkyEye Ltd, the Samoan company responsible for the Maua App, which was celebrated in a special ceremony held in Apia.
The Samoa Observer reports SkyEye is also considering launching in Solomon Islands and Tonga.
SkyEye chief executive, Faaso'otauloa Sam Saili, said the app also aims to help empower the most vulnerable groups, including women, youth and people with disabilities, especially those in rural and remote areas, to become economically productive and financially independent by connecting them with buyers and markets.
In Vanuatu, Deputy Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said the e-commerce app lays the foundation for the development of the inclusive digital economy for Vanuatu.