Homemade guns confiscated by or surrendered to police in Alotau. Photo: Facebook.com/Priscilla Waikaidi
Samoa - tourism
Tourism numbers in Samoa are on track to exceed pre-covid numbers for the first time since the 2020 pandemic.
Figures from Samoa's tourism authority for the year so far show over 126,000 visitor arrivals which is 92.5 percent of arrivals recorded over the same time period in 2019.
For the July to September quarter, the total earnings of over US$152,000 ($422.4million tālā ) represent a 4.5 percent increase over 2019.
In a statement, the authority said the country was well on track to reach pre-covid numbers in terms of overall arrivals and will most likely exceed pre-covid earnings.
Germany/Pacific - fossil fuel
Germany has called on Australia to support the European Union's push for a phase-out of fossil fuels at the upcoming UN climate summit.
Its internatoinal envoy and a former co-head of Greenpeace International Jennifer Morgan spoke in Sydney enroute to the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands saying all countries including Australia need to step it up.
Morgan said phasing out fossil fuels is the only way of keeping the 1.5 degrees target in sight.
She said they are hoping Australia will be able to work with them on all their goals including energy transformation, the phase-out of fossil fuels, adaptation, loss and damage and climate financing.
Her statement comes less than three weeks out from COP28 which is being in Dubai starting on 30 November.
Pacific - climate
An article published by Nature Climate Change last week says climate change is already impeding on human rights in the Pacific.
It follows the Vanuatu government seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal responsibility of countries to act on climate change.
One of the authors Ross Wastoby said the article has come out at a pertinent time, after Vanuatu's third severe tropical cyclone in the space of eight months.
"Ni-Vanuatu people are already experiencing loss and damage to their fundamental human rights the most severe damage is essentially the rights to Vanuatu to people to have a healthy environment," Wastoby said.
Pacific - expo
Pacific countries are joining more than 100 other nations in the 6th China International Import Expo this week in Shanghai.
Three private companies from Vanuatu are among other businesses trying to get products into the Chinese market.
Pacific exhibits include products like Nambawan water, sea cucumber and jewellery.
Vanuatu's external trade director George Pakoa said there are opportunities for Vanuatu in China but there are also challenges.
Papua New Guinea - ammunition
Papua New Guinea police have seized a cache of over 800 rounds of world war two ammunition in New Britain.
Police Spokesperson Perou N'Dranou told the Post Courier the cache had been seized from a 27-year-old man in the town of Palmalmal.
The illegal sale of firearms in Papua New Guinea is a huge problem and the country remains littered with ammunition and weapons from World War 2.
According to the National Broadcasting Corporation, over 3000 illegal firearms have been confiscated by Police in the last four years.
Vanuatu - assistance
The European Union has released over US$214,366 in humanitarian aid in response to the impact of tropical cyclone Lola in Vanuatu.
The assistance will help 10,000 people in the provinces of Malampa, Penama and Shefa, some of the hardest-hit areas.
The funding, channelled via UNICEF, will serve to address the most pressing humanitarian needs, including water and sanitation, child protection and health and nutrition.
Nothern Marianas - debt
The Northern Marianas government owes a staggering US$73.8 million to the local power company, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC).
Of that amount, US$58m is owed by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation.
The agency that runs the islands' lone hospital is billed an average of US$500,000 by CUC each month.
Under a payment plan between CUC and the hospital, the latter is required to pay CUC US$525,000 per month, regardless if their consumed utilities are higher or lower than that amount.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation was short, however, by US$4,000 on their last payment on 23 October.