Forum legal block to be removed, Vanuatu seasonal workers sorry but defiant, and French warplanes head to Noumea
Bid to remove legislation preventing Marshalls' Forum membership
The Marshall Islands parliament is to address the legal roadblocks that stopped the country from fully participating in this month's Pacific Islands Forum summit in Fiji.
Marshalls' president David Kabua did not attend the summit because his own government derailed an effort earlier in 2022 to undo legislatively-binding action that had ended the country's membership in the regional organisation.
RNZ Pacific correspondent, Giff Johnson, said Kabua would have been there if legislation had not precluded it.
"So now the talk is from top level leadership about going into their upcoming session of parliament to resolve the legislative issue that is currently the roadblock to membership of the Marshall islands in the Pacific Islands Forum."
Seasonal workers say blame for their actions lies with Aussie bosses
Vanuatu seasonal workers who have been sent home from Australia for absconding are trying to clear their names.
An i-Kiribati RSE worker at Matakana. Photo: Supplied/Charlotte Bedford
The Daily Post reports workers saying their employers had not met the conditions of the contracts.
This includes being charged high rents and being underpaid for the work done.
The workers have apologised for tarnishing the good name of Vanuatu but said the ones to blame for their absconding are the Australian employers.
Vanuatu is by far the biggest supplier of seasonal workers to both New Zealand and Australia.
French warplanes heading to Noumea
France will send three Rafale warplanes to New Caledonia to join next month's air force exercises in northern Australia.
The planes and their support aircraft will be deployed to the French military base at La Tontouta, north of Noumea.
They will take part in Exercise Pitch Black, run by the Australian air force out of its bases in Darwin and Tindal.
The French participation is seen as another sign of a warming relationship between Canberra and Paris after the hiatus over Australia's decision last year to cancel a multi-billion submarine order.
An estimated 100 planes are expected to take part in the three-week war games.
The Nouvelles Caledoniennes reports that the French air force planes will also be involved in military exercises in New Caledonia's north and the Loyalty Islands.
Relatives of ex-Vanuatu head of state want compensation
The immediate families of a former Vanuatu Head of State - the late Baldwin Lonsdale - have renewed an appeal to the government for compensation.
They believe Lonsdale was entitled to this payment, in recognition of his service to the country.
The call comes just ahead of the election of a new president on Thursday.
Lonsdale's son Clifton said since his father died there has been no payout to the family.
Judges learn about anti-money laundering
Judges in Papua New Guinea recently attended a one-week anti-money laundering workshop in Port Moresby.
The workshop was hosted by the Pacific Centre for Judicial Excellence and co-sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The participants included the Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea Sir Gibbs Salika, Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, Deputy Chief Justice of Solomon Islands Rex Faukona and judges from the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
The Chief Justice, on opening the workshop, said the judicial training adds value to judges in their daily work, adding that PNG is assessed against the global standards of anti-money laundering.
Sir Gibbs Salika said PNG's standing as a country when evaluated against international standards and best practices is imperative for continued foreign direct investment and economic growth and development.
Move to help PNG businesses
Efforts are being made to foster capital market development and to improve access to finance for Papua New Guinea businesses.
The PNG Securities Commission and the Asian Development Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding.
The MOU outlines the technical, operational, and policy cooperation that will take place between Bank's Pacific Private Sector Development Institute and the PNG Security Commission.
It aims to strengthen the Commission's role as the capital market regulator through capacity-building measures, and developing a robust capital market strategy, with the aim of creating a vibrant PNG capital market.
The acting governor of the PNG Reserve Bank Benny Popoitai, said not only is it vital for the PNG finance sector, but the overall growth of the economy.