Here's what is happening in news from around the Pacific today, Friday 11 December.
Six candidates are to contest the Bougainville regional seat made vacant when Joe Lera (pictured) resigned to contest the Bougainville presidency. Photo: Bougainville Care Foundation
Six to contest Bougainville regional seat
Six candidates are to contest the Bougainville regional seat made vacant when Joe Lera resigned to contest the Bougainville presidency.
The regional seat is one of the four Bougainville seats in the Papua New Guinea national parliament.
Three of the candidates challenged for the presidency in Bougainville's election in August.
They are Peter Tsiamalili, the Bougainville businessman who previously headed the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation, Simon Dumarinu, who had held the Central Bougainville seat briefly after the PNG elections in 2017, only to lose it in a challenge from Sam Akoitai, and Albert Punghau, who had been a cabinet minister in the previous John Momis adminstration.
One nominee is a woman, Llane Munau, and the final two candidates are Peter Manuka and Ian Michael Mapya.
Port Moresby has committed $US2.2 million dollars to run the election.
Polling will run for the last two weeks in January with the result expected at the beginning of February.
CNMI to open travel bubble with South Korea
A travel bubble is set to open between the Northern Marianas and South Korea on 8 January with a charter flight from South Korea.
Under the arrangement, tourists must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours before arriving in the Northern Marianas.
They will then take another test upon arrival and another test five days later.
Once they arrive, the tourists will be taken to Pacific Islands Club Saipan where they will quarantined for five days.
If fifth-day testing comes out negative for everyone aboard the flight, the tourists will then be transported to Kensington Hotel where they will continue their holidays.
The CNMI administration promised to set aside $US55,000 for the travel bubble, which will only be used if South Korean conglomerate E-Land, which owns three hotels in the CNMI, fails to fill the charter flight with 100 passengers.
The islands' tourism body, the Marianas Visitors Authority, said the travel bubble is a litmus on the viability of opening the CNMI to tourism under the new normal.
If successful, it could pave the way for commencing a similar travel bubble with Japan.
American Samoa to allow Samoan repatriations
American Samoa's leader has responded favourably to a request from Samoa to allow repatriation of its citizens stranded in the US territory.
The Lady Naomi ferry is to resume its weekly sailings, after Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga responded to a request by Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielagaoi.
Governor Lolo has granted approval on the repatriation of Samoa citizens on the condition that no passengers will be allowed to enter American Samoa from Samoa.
A Samoa Air plane stationed in the territory will repatriate Samoan citizens and return without any passengers.
Daily inter island flights and ferry services between the two Samoas have been suspended since American Samoa closed its borders in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ferry service has also been suspended for much of the year.
Complaint to be laid over star rugby player
Bristol will make a formal complaint to World Rugby over Fiji's injury management of their star player Semi Radradra.
According to Rugby Pass, the Fiji centre is set to miss Bristol's opening two Heineken Champions Cup games against Clermont Auvergne and Connacht after suffering a leg injury during the Autumn Nations Cup victory over Georgia at Murrayfield last Saturday.
Bristol's rugby director Pat Lam revealed that Radradra subsequently suffered "a serious bleed" in his leg and he could now be sidelined for three weeks.
He said the situation could have been avoided if Fiji had not kept him on for the entire 80 minutes.
He says Radradra was limping through most of the first half before being heavily strapped and he's disappointed that he was kept on despite Fiji winning the game early.
Radradra joined Bristol earlier this year and he played a key role in them reaching the Gallagher Premiership play-offs and winning the European Challenge Cup last season.