Vanuatu and New Zealand foreign ministers Jotham Napat (left) and Nanaia Mahuta at the signing of the Mauri Statement of Partnership in Port Vila on 30 March 2023. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Caleb Fotheringham
Vanuatu/NZ - partnership
The New Zealand and Vanuatu governments have inked the first-ever cooperation agreement between the two countries.
The Mauri Statement of Partnership agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and her counterpart Jotham Napat in Port Vila on Thursday.
The deal will see the New Zealand government provide almost $NZ38 million as part of its commitment to assist Vanuatu - with the money going towards climate change resilience projects, general budget support, and the tourism sector.
Mahuta said supporting Pacific resilience remains a top priority for Aotearoa.
She said New Zealand is committed to funding a number of projects for Vanuatu to reduce its climate vulnerability.
PNG - Covid-19
Papua New Guinea's National Pandemic Response Controller and Police Commissioner David Manning has revoked all existing Covid-19 measures and replaced them with new ones.
The new rules include controlling price increases, preventing customs and import duties being applied to Covid supplies procured on the government's behalf, and instructing health facilities on Covid reporting.
Manning said the new measures minimise limitations while supporting the role of the Controller.
Liquor related sales have been restored to pre-covid restrictions, allowing the return of takeaway liquor sales on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fiji - nursing
The leader of the Fiji Nursing Association has called for the replacement of the Health Secretary and Director of Human Resources, following the resignation of around 30 nurses in the past two weeks.
FBC News reports Dr Alisi Vudiniabola saying the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva lost 19 nurses one week and a further 10 nurses the following week.
Dr Vudiniabola said the reasons for the departures include issues with pay, pending allowances, work conditions, and concerns over recruitment and selection.
Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu has acknowledged that certain areas need to be addressed to improve nurses' welfare.
Samoa - court
In Samoa, a man has been sentenced to nine months in prison for manslaughter after beating a man who attacked his relative.
According to Talamua Online the man and four other defendants responded to their female relative's call for help after she was punched in the face.
The court noted her attacker intended to rape her.
The men had beaten the relative's attacker and he died from the seriousness of his injuries.
They were initially charged with murder, but the charge was lowered to manslaughter after legal counsel successfully argued the beating was provoked.
Pacific - environment
An environmental group filed a lawsuit this week accusing the United States government of failing to protect 12 endangered coral species across the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
The Arizona-based Centre for Biological Diversity said the corals have been decimated by warming waters, pollution and overfishing.
It filed the lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service, more than two years after the agency proposed to protect more than 6,000 square miles worth of coral habitat.
The Jamaica Gleaner news site reported the habitat designation would include 230 square miles around islands including Guam and American Samoa in the Pacific.
Such designation could improve water quality in the coastal zone, limit excessive fishing and protect spawning grounds, according to the environmental group.
French Polynesia - independence
The secretary general of French Polynesia's pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party has resigned following recent ructions within its ranks.
Vannina Crolas has met the party leader Oscar Temaru who as yet has refused to accept her decision.
Insiders said her decision came after the sudden and initially unexplained withdrawal of Eliane Tevahitua from the number two spot on the list of candidates for next month's territorial elections.
The party subsequently called a media conference to announce that Tevahitua would become French Polynesia's first woman vice-president, should the party win the elections.
Earlier this month, party members were surprised when a senior politician, Moetai Brotherson, declared his ambition to become the next president, pre-empting any formal endorsement from the party leadership.
Papua - treason charges
A Papuan student has been charged with treason for calling for a referendum and raising the Morning Star flag.
On Tuesday, the Jayapura District Court held a hearing to read out the charges against Yoseph Ernesto Matuan, a student of the University of Science and Technology Jayapura.
The court heard that on November 10 last year university students protested inside the campus rejecting the dialogue plan of the National Commission on Human Rights to resolve the Papua conflict.
In the hearing, the public prosecutor said Yoseph Ernesto Matuan gave a speech asking for a referendum and raised the Morning Star flag.
The prosecutor said such an act was an attempt to separate Papua from Indonesia and make Papua a new country.
Samoa - measles
Samoa's Director-General of the Ministry of Health has agreed on the need for isolation of suspected measles cases at the hospital, especially for children.
Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma told the Samoa Observer the disease was suspected three weeks ago, but blood tests have been negative.
The newspaper reported on a potential measles carrier walking freely around a ward.
Dr Ekeroma agreed that suspected cases need to be isolated from other children.
New Caledonia - prisons
The French state has been ordered to pay $US10,000 for delays in improving New Caledonia's Camp-Est prison.
The highest administrative court determined the amount after an earlier order set a $1000 penalty for each day the mandated work had not been completed.
The order was issued in February last year when the state was asked to prove within a month that the remedial work was done.
According to prison management, most upgrades have been undertaken.
The court has decided to reduce the sum and fix it, with the funds to be given to the French chapter of International Prison Watch.