Non-government organisations are frustrated with the Cook Islands government seabed mineral consultations that are being held in New Zealand, calling for a 10-year moratorium to allow for independent research and capacity building within the Cook Islands.
The University of the South Pacific Students’ Association (USPSA) from 14 campuses spanning 12 member countries convened in Rarotonga yesterday representing the voice of 14,000 students.
HAWAI‘I – A bill to ban the sale and distribution of plastic straws in the US state of Hawaii is gathering support.
SAMOA – With a number of Pacific countries banning plastic bags in response to the pollution in the ocean, Samoa continues to face a dilemma on how to manage its waste.
SAMOA – Samoa is in recovery mode after Cyclone Gita ravaged the island nation and now the storm system has Tonga in its sights.
SAMOA – Cyclone Gita is hitting Samoa and American Samoa with strong winds and torrential rains, and authorities are warning people to stay indoors.
TONGA – He did it again.
KIRIBATI – New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is planning to look at wider distribution of emergency locator beacons in Kiribati in the wake of last month’s ferry disaster.
AUSTRALIA – Australia has been ordered to bring a young girl from the Nauru detention centre to Australia for urgent psychiatric treatment, with warnings she could take her own life without intervention.
FRENCH POLYNESIA – The French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch says he wants a study to be carried out to see if the French nuclear weapons tests caused genetic mutations.
AMERICAN SAMOA – Some families in American Samoa have had to evacuate their homes due to flooding amid severe weather in the territory.
KIRIBATI – The director of Kiribati Maritime agency says there is a lot of sadness and anger in Kiribati as the country remembers the more than 80 victims of last month’s ferry disaster.
KIRIBATI – The Kiribati government has banned a New Zealand TV crew from reporting on the MV Butiraoi ferry disaster.
SAMOA – Samoa’s Health Minister has reported up to 80 per cent of deaths in Pacific countries can be attributable to non-communicable diseases.
KIRIBATI – The government of Kiribati says it does not want foreign journalists entering the country to report on the recent ferry disaster before the incident has been investigated.
PACIFIC – A volunteer doctor working in remote parts of the Pacific says there’s a big need for education about the role diet plays in combatting diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
USA – The winner of a US$560 million lottery jackpot last month is suing state lottery officials in a bid to protect her anonymity.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Landowners from part of the Kokoda Track say they will stop tourists from undertaking the famous walk unless the Papua New Guinea government meets their demands.
KIRIBATI – Kiribati’s Marine Division says the sea search for passengers of the MV Butiroi has been suspended after the ferry sank over two weeks ago.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Some asylum seekers detained by Australia on Manus Island have been told they will have to leave Papua New Guinea.
NEW ZEALAND – Last year 52,964 claims were made to ACC for gym-related injuries, including 783 for fractures or dislocations, 177 for dental injuries and 13 for hernia.
TAIWAN – A magnitude-6.4 earthquake has struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says, leaving two people dead, more than 100 injured and causing buildings including a hotel to collapse.