New president for Nauru
Nauru MP Russ Kun is the newly elected president of the republic.
He was nominated unopposed in the inaugural sitting of the 24th Parliament, today, Wednesday 28 September.
National flag of Nauru. Photo: luzitanija/123RF
Marcus Stephen was re-elected as the Speaker with former president Lionel Aingimea as Deputy Speaker.
Mr Kun has been in parliament since 2013 representing the largest constituency, Ubenide.
The President will name his Cabinet soon followed by the swearing-in.
The local media has revealed that Saturday's election returned all but two of the incumbents, with Milton Dube from Aiwo losing to Delvin Thoma and Jesse Jeremiah being replaced by Tawaki Lyn-Wannan Kam in Menen.
Election petitions in Cook Islands struck out by court
Petitions alleging that two political candidates in the Cook Islands were guilty of treating during the 2022 general election campaign have been struck out by Chief Justice Sir High Williams.
The petitions, launched by the Cook Islands United Party, accused Rose Toki-Brown and Te-Hani Brown of treating, by hosting an event giving away food on June 13 in Atiu, the day the election date was called.
The pair were re-elected as general MPs and after the election, they went into coalition with the governing Cook Islands Party.
Cook Islands News reports Chief Justice Williams struck out the petitions' accusation of treating because of a lack of corroborating information before the deadline.
In his decision, he also criticised the petitions for lack of detail.
Cook Islands United Party leader Teariki Heather said he was "disappointed" by the decision.
He said at this stage, they will be looking to appeal.
Solomon Islands police begin training with short barrel rifles
Members of the Solomon Islands police force have started training with short barrel rifles.
15 officers from the Police Response Team and Close Personal Protection of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force are taking part.
Supervising assistant commissioner National Operation Chief Superintendent Francis Ramoni said the training is customised for the departments.
He said the training package was developed and tailored to ensure the skills acquired are more relevant for officers' daily work and easier to be mastered.
The training is also for equipment-handling skills, counterattack, posture and movements.
He said with strong commitment and support from the Australian Federal Police the Solomon Islands force has already progressed improving its capacity and capability over the last nine months which promoted community safety and security of Solomon Islands."
ADB has plans to ease food crisis in Asia and Pacific
The Asian Development Bank has multi-billion-dollar plans to ease the food crisis in Asia and the Pacific and improve long-term food security.
The assistance, of at least US$14-billion expands the bank's support for food security in Asia and the Pacific, where nearly 1-point-1 billion people lack healthy diets, due to poverty and food prices which have soared to record highs.
The funding will be channelled through existing and new projects in sectors including farm inputs, food production and distribution, social protection, irrigation, and water resources management, as well as projects leveraging nature-based solutions.
The bank said it would continue to invest in other activities which contribute to food security, such as energy transition, transport, access to rural finance, environmental management, health, and education.
Job losses at New Caledonia's SLN nickel company
The SLN has announced it will make 53 employees redundant.
The company, which has lost $US80 million in 6 years, has been extracting 360 thousand tonnes of the mineral per year.
Its capacity is 900 thousand tonnes per year.
A total of 198 people worked on the Kouaoua site.
Vanuatu development team beats Solomon Islands
The Vanuatu Development Team has beaten Solomon Islands in the MSG Football Cup Competition.
The score was 1-all at full-time, but the Vanuatu Development Team scored five goals to three in the penalty shootout.
Papua New Guinea won 1-nil against Fiji and will go to the final on September 30th against the Vanuatu Development Team.
The cup is in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
PNG name Pini as chef de mission for Paris Games
The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee has named former Olympic swimmer Ryan Pini as the chef de mission for the 2024 Paris Games.
PNG swimmer Ryan Pini won gold in the 100-metres butterfly final at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Photo: AFP
Pini made a name for himself in the pool for Team PNG and competed at four Olympic Games.
He was also flagbearer at the 2008 and 2016 Games.
The National reports committee president, Sir John Dawanincura, saying Pini had always embodied the committee's character values of honesty, excellence, respect and openness.
Ryan Pini's grandfather, Jack, was the chef de mission for the first-ever Team PNG contingent, to the 1976 Montreal Games.
Sydney Roosters winger Joseph Suaalii will play for Samoa
18-year-old Sydney Roosters winger Joseph Suaalii will play for Samoa in next month's Rugby League World Cup, after turning down selection by Mel Meninga to represent Australia.
Samoa has named a strong World Cup team with eight NRL grand final players, including standouts Penrith Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai and Eels Prop Junior Paulo.
Fellow Eels prop Oregon Kaufusi has also been confirmed, after originally being listed in Tonga's Rugby League World Cup line-up.
Samoa will play England in the World Cup opener on October 15th.