Samoa Government plans appeal of suspension overturn
The Speaker of Samoa's Legislative Assembly Papalii Ta'eu Masipau is appealing parts of a ruling that lifted a suspension from parliament on two opposition MPs.
In a press release, Papali'i said he accepted the court was faced with exceptional circumstances but he claimed there were questions of law the courts have not previously considered.
Samoa Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese Photo: RNZ Pacific/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
The Supreme Court on Tuesday last week voided the decision of the Legislative Assembly in October of 2022 to give a two-year suspension to the opposition leader Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and the secretary of his Human Rights Protection Party Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.
According to the release, the Speaker, who was the defendant to the case as Parliament's representative before the Supreme Court, has, after careful consideration, decided to appeal the parts of the judgment that concern the period of suspension and the standing orders.
NCD threat sspelled out in Fiji
Fiji's Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Atonio Lalabalavu says that around 70 to 80% of total deaths in Fiji are due to non-communicable diseases.
Dr Lalabalavu revealed the figures, during a launch of an NCD handbook for Fiji's healthcare workers, in Suva.
Dr Lalabalavu said premature mortality accounts for 30-40 per cent of all NCD-related deaths in the country, and that medical resources are stretched as a result of the high rate, The Fiji Times reported.
Pacific Island countries are consistently ranked as having the highest rates of NCDs, according to the World Health Organisation.
Satellite help to track illegal fishing
A commercial operator of remote-sensing satellites has announced it was selected by the government of Australia to help detect illegal fishing activity using radio-frequency sensors.
Space News reports HawkEye 360 received a contract of undisclosed value from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for a pilot program this year in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency.
The company operates 21 satellites which fly in triangular formations in low Earth orbit.
As a cluster passes over an area, each satellite observes signal waveforms and downlinks the data to a cloud system on the ground where it's analysed.
Chief growth officer Alex Fox said the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and its members will get data, analytical services and training support to identify illicit maritime activity within their waters.
CCTV could be mandatory for CNMI businesses
A bill requiring businesses in the Northern Marianas to install CCTV cameras in their premises has been pre-filed in the US territory's House of Representatives.
If signed off, the bill would require colour digital short-circuit cameras at access and exit points and at cash-out counters, to be recording continuously.
Open farm fields and mobile vending vehicles and trailers, or those without a permanent and stationary place of the business, would be exempt.
The bill also includes authorisation for police to have access to recordings during a criminal investigation that occurred at the premises.
Civil litigants, through their attorneys, and under subpoena, would be allowed access to copies of the recordings.
A similar bill was originally introduced in the House in 2019, but fizzled out.
Fraud charges for Solomons academics
The Solomon Islands National University said it has laid charges against five of its senior staff who were suspended two weeks ago over allegations of fraud.
Vice Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau said all five are facing "gross misconduct" charges.
He said the investigation, which University management initiated, unearthed evidence allegedly pointing towards the involvement of the suspended staff members in fraudulent activities targeting the university's resources.
InDepth Solomons reported initial findings revealed more than $US405,000 of university funds were expended in the alleged fraudulent activity.
Professor Transform Aqorau said the university remains determined to uncover the full extent of any misconduct and restore trust and reinforce its commitment to good governance.
Samoa aims to bring back butterfly back
Work has begun in Samoa to bring back a butterfly species, which has not been found in the country for more than 40 years.
Samoa Conservation Society president James Atherton told Radio Australia the Samoa swallowtail butterfly, or Pepe Ae, was last seen there in 1979.
Atherton said the butterfly can still be found in American Samoa.
He said Samoa has 30 butterfly species but the Pepe Ae was the biggest at 10 centimetres across - a blackish butterfly with white spots and also red on its wings.
Atherton said discussions have started on a breeding program, which is already underway in American Samoa, but he is hopeful the conditions in Samoa will be conducive for the butterfly to be brought over.