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.
FIJI – The Fiji sevens team are attempting to simulate the intensity of tournament time in training, in an effort to revive their World Series title defence.
AUSTRALIA – A Queensland spearfisherman attacked by a shark on Saturday has had one of his legs amputated.
AUSTRALIA – Former Wallabies star Dan Vickerman has died, aged 37, at his family home in Sydney.
FRENCH POLYNESIA – A firefighter in French Polynesia has died trying to clear debris in torrential rain that has hit the Society islands and the Tuamotus.
MARSHALL ISLANDS – In April the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority is bringing together people around the country to develop a sustainable oceans policy.
FIJI – Fiji’s opposition National Federation Party has accused the Attorney General and Minister for Elections Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum of again misinforming the people about his role.
samoa – Samoa is fighting an uphill battle to raise enough funds to compete at this year’s World Softball Championships in Canada.
SAMOA - The Samoa Media Council has approved the Media Code of Ethics in principle as its first decision when it met for the first time on Friday.
TONGA’S QUEEN MOTHER DIES AGED 90 TONGA – Tonga’s Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho has died in Auckland, aged 90.
TONGA – The Kingdom of Tonga is getting a formal postal system for the first time.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Power has been disconnected from Papua New Guinea’s Government House and Parliament House because of outstanding bills.
TONGA – A former Tongan international rugby player, who says he is stranded overseas because of kidney disease, has added his voice to calls for dialysis treatment to be provided.
VANUATU – Vanuatu has signed a deal for further work to achieve improved access to sanitation, drainage facilities, and roads in the capital, Port Vila.
NEW ZEALAND – Firefighters in New Zealand’s second-largest city Christchurch have halted the advance of a massive bushfire that destroyed 11 homes and forced more than 1000 people to evacuate.
SAMOA – Samoa will miss next year’s Commonwealth Games netball tournament because there is no money in the squad’s budget for any further test matches before the qualifying cut-off date in June.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Streets in Port Moresby are being flooded by rainfall due to poor planning and design of recently built or reconstructed roads.
NEW ZEALAND – New Zealand scientists will investigate whether microbes found inside the human gut could hold the key to battling the development of diabetes.
TONGA– Tongan skier Kasete Skeen was unable to achieve a result on his debut at the Alpine World Ski Champs in St Moritz.
DENGUE FEVER CLAIMS ANOTHER LIFE NEW CALEDONIA – A dengue fever epidemic in New Caledonia has claimed a second life.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Red Cross is helping refugees displaced from their homes in due to ongoing warfare in a remote part of the Pacific.