Covid-19 Fiji: 19 new cases in the community
Fiji has reported 19 cases of Covid-19 in the community.
The Government said this includes two Fijian nationals who tested positive for the Omicron variant after returning from Nigeria, last month.
The death toll is at 695 since April this year.
Global anti-violence movement keen to work with NZ govt
Global anti-violence movement 'She is Not Your Rehab' wants to collaborate with the New Zealand government to help men heal from childhood trauma and break cycles of family harm.
New Zealand announced a 25 year strategy to address domestic violence and to also improve services for Maori and Pacific communities.
Co-founder of She is Not your Rehab, Sarah Brown, said it's heartening.
"This is not just something that can be undertaken quickly. So I am really glad that the 25 years has been put in place because it has to be a long term strategy.
I love that the strategy has a focus on healing. I love the terminology around that, especially for men that are victims of violence and this does include violence of the state," she said.
Sarah Brown said she'd like to see a plan for pakeha men and not just Pacific and Maori communities.
PNG's largest company agree to merge with Australian company
The shareholders of Papua New Guinea's largest company, Oil Search, have agreed to merge with the Australian mineral exploration company, Santos.
It will end a 92-year history for the PNG company.
Oil Search's shares will trade for the last time on the PNG and Australian stock exchanges on Friday.
LNG Project site (run by project partner Oil Search) in Nagoli, Hela Province, Papua New Guinea. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
Oil Search shareholders will hold 38.5 percent of the enlarged Santos.
The company started in 1929 and until recently the PNG was a cornerstone shareholder.
It was one of the key investors in the Exxon-Mobil liquefied natural gas development which shipped its first consignment of gas in 2014.
Other interests include an onshore oil discovery in Alaska, and another LNG project in PNG.
Strong turn-out for Pasifika night market vax event
Pasifika youth in Auckland led their first night market vaccination event reaching close to two hundred people within a few hours.
Pasifika Youth United have ran several vaccination events in the past few months including one in Māngere where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited.
A spokesperon, Maria Lafaele, said there's still a lot of Pasifika people who are not engaged with the health messages and are sitting on the fence.
"It's the innovation because we need some innovation around how we're going to create the vibe, create the energy, the environment for these vaccination events to really reach the hard core of those people who are disengaged with health."
According to the Ministry of Health, 92 percent of Pasifika people have received their first dose and 84 percent for their second.
ADB and Vanuatu govt extend work on renewable energy projects
The Asian Development Bank and the Vanuatu government are extending their work on renewable energy projects for the islands of Malekula and Espiritu Santo.
The Vanuatu Energy Access Project will help build a 400-kilowatt hydropower plant and extend the two islands' electricity grids to deliver sustainable, affordable power.
The latest funding of 7.2 million dollars will be used to upgrade power distribution networks from a single wire to a three-phase system.
This will prevent the need for future upgrades when demand increases and will deliver safer power due to an improved fault detection mechanism.
The project began in 2017 with 15 million dollars of funding from the development bank, the Strategic Climate Fund, and the Vanuatu Government.
Fijian tennis star secures second doubles title in Norway
Fijian tennis player Saoirse Breen has secured her second ITF doubles title this year in Bergen, Norway.
The 17-year-old and her French partner, Delia Gaillard, won the final 6-2 against Swedish duo Emma Lindh and Isabella Svahn, just a month after winning a doubles title in Montemar, Spain.
Breen also achieved a rare singles feat by winning a golden set, winning 24 consecutive points within a set to win 6-love.