Tuvalu looking at worst case scenarios
Tuvalu is looking at legal measures to ensure it retains ownership of its maritime zones and recognition as a country even if it is completely submerged due to climate change.
The Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said Tuvalu is looking to the future and preparing for the worst case scenario, where their lands disappear and their people must leave.
Tuvalu's foreign minister did his COP26 statement like no other by speaking behind a podium at sea, standing in knee-deep water. He made his speech at sea to address rising sea levels affecting Pacific nations, such as Tuvalu. The recording was shot by public broadcaster TVBC. Photo: (Photo by EyePress News / EyePress via AFP)
"We will not stand idly by as the water rises around us. We are not just talking in Tuvalu; we are mobilising collective action at home, in our region, and on the international stage to secure our future," he said.
This includes pursuing legal avenues to ensure Tuvalu's existing maritime boundaries remain intact and the country will still be recognised as sovereign even if its land territory is lost.
Kofe made a virtual address at a side event at COP26 saying Tuvalu is living with the realities of climate change and sea level rise.
"We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is rising around us all the time. Climate mobility must come to the forefront; we must take bold, alternative action today to secure tomorrow," he said.
RSE workers arrive in New Zealand
New Zealand's one-way travel bubble with some Pacific nations has seen the first group of seasonal workers arrive from Tonga this week.
Aotearoa's borders have been closed since August due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
Travellers from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Tokelau will now be able to travel to New Zealand without staying in MIQ.
The head of the Tongan group, Langi Fatanitavake says the move opens the door for family and friends to re-connect.
He says it also provides more security for RSE workers seeking employment.
Twenty-one Tongans arrived on Monday and travelled to Hawke's Bay to work on orchards.
The kingdom has just completed a seven-day lockdown after a man who arrived on a repatriation flight from Christchurch last week tested positive but a weak form of the virus, health authorities said.
Samoa police net massive drug haul
Samoan Police have netted a massive drug haul on the island of Savaii during an early morning raid.
The Police say 1,152 marijuana plants were taken from a plantation.
They also arrested two men, aged 23 and 35, who now face charges of cultivating and possessing illicit drugs.
The Police also say they seized three rifles during the raid which was launched after a tip off.
It is not known when the two men will appear in court.
Samoa's ruling FAST party to conduct audit of govt finances
Samoa's ruling FAST party has reiterated its intention to conduct a forensic audit of government financial records.
The Samoa Observer reports Finance Minister Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio'o saying the audit was a vital part of the transition to the new government after 40 years of Human Rights Protection Party governments.
Mulipola added that any recommendation from the audit will guide the government's further actions.
A total of $WST250,000 tālā was appropriated in the 2021/2022 budget to engage an expert to undertake the audit.
A former HRPP Minister of Finance, Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang, queried the allocation during the budget debate.
Police urges public to be vigilant against scams
Samoan police have issued a warning against what they call 'con artists' following a surge in scam cases.
Speaking on Talofa FM, Police Superintendent Tuaena Lomano Paulo urged the public to be vigilant against scams.
Tuaena noted the recent case of two men who pleaded guilty to falsely recruiting for seasonal workers overseas.
He said others claim they can import vehicles, leaving clients waiting months before they realise they have been misled.
Vanuatu's John Frum Movement mourn loss of leader
Members of Vanuatu's John Frum Movement are mourning the loss of their leader, Chief Isaac Wan, who died on Sunday on Tanna.
The John Frum Movement is a cargo cult, most often linked to a mythical American serviceman in World War Two.
The military man is expected, by the movement's members, to return and bring them wealth.
The president of the Nikoletan Council of Chiefs of Tanna, Willie Lop, said John Frum believers and people on the island applauded Chief Isaac Wan's leadership and will miss him.
Chief Wan led the ceremony to raise the American flag and mark John Frum Day on 15 February each year.
Three-quarters of children in Samoa get first jab
An estimated 75 percent of eligible Samoan children between the ages of 12 and 17 have been given their first dose of the Pfizer covid vaccine.
Teams from the Ministry of Health have been going to schools across the country to administer the doses.
Director General of Health Leausa Take Naseri says they have had great support from schools and parents, and after two weeks they are in a good position.
The Ministry staff are now preparing to administer the second dosage of Pfizer to the nearly 28-thousand eligible children.