ADF personnel unload a truck containing HESCO fortification barriers during Operation RENDER SAFE, Nauru. The Australian Defence Force is preparing to disable a WWII UXO in Nauru. Photo: © Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence
Nauru - wartime bomb
Personnel from the New Zealand and Australian defence forces, along with Solomon Islands police and US Marines are undertaking a training and safety awareness exercise around unexploded bombs on Nauru on Thursday and Friday.
Building on previous activities, the render safe team will safely identify and confirm potential unexploded ordnance (UXOs).
These bombs will be disposed of next year.
Alongside the teams undertaking the training on Nauru are observers from South Korea and French soldiers stationed in New Caledonia.
Samoa - court
A Samoa Supreme Court Justice has dismissed charges against a man after his stepdaughter said the sexual claims she had made against him were lies.
The judge ordered the prosecution to refer the matter to police to consider appropriate charges against the girl, including misleading police.
The defendant had been charged with incest and sexual connection, but these have been dismissed by the court.
Justice Fepulea'i Ameperosa Roma expressed concern about the girl recanting her statement.
He noted she had made a number of statements to police with explicit detail of the alleged sexual offending.
PNG - airport
A Papua New Guinea MP wants to see the Tari Airport in Hela Province extended by 600 metres.
The Hela MP for Koroba-Lake Kupiago, William Bando, who was speaking at the opening a new terminal at Tari Airport earlier this week, called on the government to provide the 150 million kina to pay for the work.
He points out current work on the runway is costing 40 million kina and this will produce a 1600 metre long runway, which is too short for larger aircraft.
The National reports that the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Walter Schnaubelt, told Bando that he would consider his request.
COP31 - hosting warning
The Australian Greens leader has written to Pacific elders urging them to reject a bid to co-host COP31, unless the Canberra government rejects new oil and gas projects.
AAP reports Adam Bandt saying Pacific island nations held "geo-strategic leverage" over Australia.
He said the push from Canberra to co-host the COP31 summit in 2026, in conjunction with Pacific island nations, further increased their power.
Bandt said the hosting of an Australia-Pacific COP must be accompanied by real action on climate and not be an exercise in state-sponsored greenwashing.
Pacific - women
Ahead of this year's Pacific Islands Forum summit in November, women leaders are meeting this week to discuss issues like equity.
The theme of the meeting in Suva is "Our Pacific Way: Strengthened Commitment to Gender Equality, Equity and Social Inclusion."
Chaired by Cook Islands cabinet minister, Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown, the meeting will also allow civil society organisations to speak with the ministers.