Pacific Islands Forum secretary general, Henry Puna. Photo: Forumsec
Climate change is the biggest threat
The latest Pacific Security Outlook Report has listed climate change as the region's single greatest security threat.
In the 2022-2023 report released by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, gender-based violence and natural disasters are other key priority focus areas, together with illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU), cybercrime and transnational organised crime.
Forum Secretary General Henry Puna said: "To achieve the Forum's vision of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, it is important to have regional security mechanisms that help address traditional and non-traditional issues in the Pacific region".
Major oil field in PNG nearly depleted
Papua New Guinea's Department of Petroleum David Manau said in a sector update on Monday, that the offshore Kutubu oil fields are almost drained.
Manau said the country's oil fields as a whole are depleting, and that the future of Papua New Guinea's energy industry now lies in gas production.
On a postive note however, Manau said there are high prospects of new oil fields being discovered in many unexplored parts of the country.
In 2019, Papua New Guinea petroleum exports ammounted to over $US4 billion.
Saneem lodges complaint against AG
Fiji's former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, says he has lodged a complaint against Attorney General Siromi Turaga.
In a statement, Saneem said the complaint was lodged with the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
He wanted to leave the country but was prevented from doing so last week.
He claims the Attorney-General does not have the lawful authority to issue any directives to the Fiji Police Force or the Immigration Department to restrain any individual from travelling out of the country.
Saneem said he believes the Attorney-General's conduct tantamounts to abuse of office.
Marianas tourism programme to end
A programme that offers incentives to Japanese and South Koreans to travel to the Northern Mariana Islands has been stopped.
It follows the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) announcing the Tourism Resumption Investment Plan will not be funded by the new administration of Governor Arnold Palacios.
The travel bubble programme, as it was unofficially called, was intended to restart the Mariana's tourism programme.
MVA chair Gloria Cavanagh said they had no choice but to press stop because federal funding for the programme has dried up.
Guam governor reveals amount of war claims paid out
The Guam War Claims Processing Centre has recompensed $US2.2 million to eligible claimants as of January 30, the Governor says.
The Pacific Island Times reports Lou Leon Guerrero saying the number of claimants who received payments represents 243 applications adjudicated since the programme opened last year.
The Guam War World II Reconciliation Act of 2021 established a local programme to compensate those victims and the families of decedents who missed the initial deadline for the filing of war claims under federal law.
The governor encourages all war survivors to make a claim before the deadline of March 3.
Chicken plan in American Samoa
American Samoa's governor Lemanu Mauga led a government delegation of cabinet members to a chicken farm in the US state of Maryland.
The governor's office says the visit was to explore the farm's operation with hatchery, incubation, and processing.
The office says the administration is looking at how American Samoa can prepare and supply its own chicken.
As part of this a new chicken farm could be set up.
The administration says it will provide job opportunities and initiate an affordable entry point for long-term economic investment.
New route to Port Vila from Brisbane
Virgin Australia is set to resume direct services from Brisbane to Vanuatu's capital Port Vila, starting on March 10.
The airline told the Daily Post there will be up to five flights a week.
Virgin Australia had previously been servicing Port Vila from Brisbane five times a week but stopped due to covid-19 border restrictions.