In this bulletin:
1. FIJI — Fiji Electoral Commission tightens campaign rules ahead of the General Election
2. FIJI — Mothers and babies pay the price as Fiji’s HIV emergency worsens
3. USA — U.S approves more than US$226 million for disaster recovery and resilience
4. FIJI — CRC’s proposed 15-member Fiji Cabinet cap left out of Constitution Bill
5. NAURU — Friend to all: Naoero builds strong international partnerships for its future
6. SAMOA — Samoa communities take lead in efforts to prevent drugs and violence
7. TONGA — Tongan anti-drug campaigner Afimeimo‘unga Hola reportedly dies
8. TONGA — Tonga performs first hip and knee replacements as NZ team completes seven surgeries
9. PACNEWS BIZ — CNMI government shuts down due to lack of 2027 budget
10. PACNEWS BIZ — PNG Govt mulls extending fuel subsidy into next year
11. PACNEWS BIZ — PNG targets 2028 exit from grey list
12. PACNEWS BIZ — PNG’s future depends on cooperation in sector: Bank
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Vanuatu, Pacific ministers adopt Nuku’alofa Declaration
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Women of the Lagoons: SPC opens its doors to the Committee on Education and Equality and to the next generation of ocean guardians
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Malama’s Birthday Gift: A Second Chance at Childhood
FIJI – ELECTION/POLITICS: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Fiji Electoral Commission tightens campaign rules ahead of the General Election
SUVA, 1 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The Fiji Electoral Commission has adopted new campaign limitation rules restricting the use of State resources and government premises for election campaigning ahead of the General Election.
The Campaign Limitations Rules 2026 were adopted on 24 September under Section 155(1) of the Electoral Act 2014 and will come into effect on 20 October.
The rules set out what political parties, candidates, Members of Parliament and other electoral participants can and cannot do during the campaign period.
A key provision prohibits the use of State or Government resources for campaign purposes.
This includes state-funded equipment, communication networks, transport and shipping services, and Government premises, unless their use is specifically permitted under the Electoral Act or the new rules.
The rules also separate official government duties from campaign activities.
MPs carrying out parliamentary or ministerial duties, and anyone acting on their behalf, must not use those duties to communicate campaign messages.
Communications during the campaign period highlighting the achievements or failures of an MP or political party during the current parliamentary term will generally be treated as campaign messages unless proven otherwise.
However, factual information provided as part of an official statutory, parliamentary, ministerial, emergency or public safety function may be permitted if it contains no direct or indirect election-related message.
The rules also apply to Personal Staff Officers and Executive Support Officers working for MPs, who are considered public servants for these purposes.
The Electoral Commission said campaign messages delivered by such officers would not be exempt under the Electoral Act.
The rules further prohibit MPs, political parties, candidates and anyone acting on their behalf from using State resources in activities connected to campaigning.
Where government-owned resources or services are available to the public for a fee, including printing, freight, transport and venue hire, political parties and candidates must pay the same fee charged to members of the public.
The rules also identify locations where campaigning and the placement of campaign materials are prohibited.
These include public libraries, childcare and early childhood facilities, hospitals, aged care facilities, prisons and detention facilities and public offices.
The restrictions apply to the premises and surrounding grounds up to the boundary, including designated car parks.
Campaigning is also prohibited while public servants or MPs are carrying out their official duties.
The Supervisor of Elections may designate public places where campaign materials can be placed under Section 112(3) of the Electoral Act.
The Commission said the rules are intended to provide clearer guidance and support a level playing field for participants in the electoral process.
Political parties have been given 21 days from 29 September to familiarise themselves with the rules before they take effect.
The Commission has urged political parties, candidates, MPs and others involved in campaigning to understand and comply with the new requirements….PACNEWS
FIJI – HIV/AIDS/HEALTH: TVNZ PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Mothers and babies pay the price as Fiji’s HIV emergency worsens
By Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver
SUVA, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (TVNZ)—Each beep of the heart monitor machines in Fiji’s biggest hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) signifies life.
But there is no guarantee for the three babies with HIV here.
It’s a heartbreaking scene at Suva’s Colonial War Memorial Hospital. Their little chests rise rapidly, the hand of one of the babies clenches and then unclenches. Someone has placed an open bible at the end of one of the incubators.
Next door in the antenatal intensive care unit (NICU) a nurse sits at each incubator quietly monitoring their tiny patients.
Life and death hover distressingly close together in these rooms.
Dr Priya Kaur, who leads Fiji’s work on HIV mother to child transmission, says the country is now seeing something it’s never seen before – people and babies with HIV who do not have ‘risky behaviours”.
“We are seeing a generalised epidemic which is a very, very scary situation for any public health team or any country as a whole,” she says.
Last year, of the 59 babies who were infected with HIV, only one mother was a drug user.
“I’ve had women who are widowed, their husbands have died and they only found out on the husband’s death certificates that their husbands were living with HIV and then they (the women) got tested and they are positive and their children are positive,” she says.
“So these are women who are pregnant who – very, very few of them had risky behaviours – and they still had a high prevalence of HIV amongst them.”
This is a clear sign of how Fiji’s deepening HIV crisis has moved from being fuelled primarily by its methamphetamine crisis – sharing blood and needles – to sexual transmission amongst the general population.
While the sharing of needles still plays a major role in the spread of HIV, medical authorities are clear it has spread beyond that.
It’s why the Fiji Government has declared a public emergency.
Dr Jason Mitchell heads Fiji’s HIV taskforce. He says that while last year’s figures are bad enough – one in 60 adults are living with HIV – that is expected to be significantly worse this year.
Last year 118 people died with HIV, 18 of them babies.
“We are now describing this as a generalised epidemic, which means that it’s no longer a problem within certain population groups and it’s more widespread than it was thought to be initially,” he says.
He says the projections are that up to 12,000 people will be living with HIV in Fiji by the end of the year and there are enormous challenges ahead.
“There are efforts here to take women to task for babies who have become positive HIV. We cannot blame an individual for what’s happening to any child being infected. It’s a failure of the system, it is a failure of society that allowed women to become positive in the first place and for a child to become infected.”
He says another challenge is the “really damaging” misinformation and conspiracy theories that abound on social media, including that Covid vaccinations are responsible for the HIV crisis and that prayer and also traditional medicine cures HIV.
“It is really, really dangerous and it’s not helpful, so for us we’re spending our time trying to correct misinformation and there is a lot of that out there.
“My concern is that it’s what we see that we can handle but there are so many closed groups, Viber groups, WhatsApp groups, messenger groups that are closed. Who knows what’s being said on those and who knows who is believing what information is being circulated on that.”
One of the latest to circulate on social media features a young Fijian woman holding bottles of traditional medicines saying it had cured her HIV.
These are serious issues given Fiji’s measures to prevent and treat HIV have not expanded fast enough.
“So the way I describe it is that the epidemic is outpacing our interventions,” says Dr Mitchell.
Frustration is written all over his face.
“We simply can’t do enough prevention, we don’t have enough people doing preventions, we also don’t have an audience that is willing to go on those preventions.
“And of course, you don’t have enough people providing treatment and care in the country and then, even if you address it, you have all these people who don’t want to be on treatment or who keep dropping out of it. As long as you have that, the epidemic will continue to rise.”
One of the big issues in Fiji is only 22 percent of those with HIV are accessing lifesaving antiretroviral treatment though it is readily available.
The drugs, including testing kits and needles, are stored in a warehouse – funded by New Zealand – in an undisclosed urban part of Suva. We are told not to film outside in case the location is identified but inside we see boxes piled up and delivered to pharmacies and clinics.
There’s no shortage of the antiretroviral drugs which, if taken correctly, has a more than 95 percent chance of making HIV completely undetectable. Also stored here is PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)which is 99 percent effective in preventing HIV.
Little wonder there is frustration that less than a quarter of Fijians living with HIV are using these life-saving drugs.
There are complicated reasons why, including the fact most Fijians live in extended family situations and there’s a deep rooted fear of being identified as HIV and ostracised by family.
Dr Kaur says because of stigma and discrimination around HIV, “families are breaking” when someone in the household gets a positive diagnosis.
Because of this they think, “I’d rather die than get tested and then I’ll have to tell somebody or somebody at home will find out,” she says.
Mark Shaheel Lal, founder of Living Positive Fiji and himself living with HIV, says many of the people who contact him are in a dangerous situation.
“’ve had people who say they want to kill themselves, I’ve had some people who say, you know, it’s a struggle to hide their meds from the family.”
Cultural and religious factors also play a part.
“A lot of people in Fiji have no knowledge on sexual health. First of all the topic of sex in our country is a taboo, people feel uncomfortable talking about it.”
A mother living with HIV who wants to remain unidentified agrees.
“The biggest barrier is our faith, our culture, tradition and just a lack of knowledge. We never received comprehensive sexuality education in school,” she says.
She became infected after having unprotected sex – and she knows women across Fiji are bearing the brunt of the HIV crisis.
“I think it should be a crime, it should be a sexual crime for any man to pass on HIV to their partners. Women cannot negotiate condom use in the country. We are not at fault because if you look at our culture if you ask a man to wear condoms there’s the allegation you are cheating on them,” she says.
Both she and Mark Lal believe the government has dropped the ball in terms of past action against HIV, and the declaration of a “national emergency” is a bit late.
However there is no doubt the national emergency has fast-tracked interventions.
Legislation is expected to be passed enabling legal needle and syringe distribution so they aren’t shared amongst those who are injecting drugs.
Dr Mitchell says it’s not before time and it’s an important move.
“We have had some slowness around the introduction of the needle syringe programme. It is a strategy that has been used in multiple countries around the world. Up to 92 countries around the world use needle and syringe programmes,” he says.
Another initiative is the planned introduction of antiretroviral medication Lenacapavir before the end of the year.
According to Dr Mitchell this is a “gamechanger” as people living with HIV can get an injection once every six months instead of taking medication home and having it daily.
The Government has set up a five-minister cabinet subcommittee to expedite action and remove bureaucratic barriers.
The subcommittee is aware government cannot act alone. As well as medical authorities, it’s working with others including churches and the Great Council of Chiefs.
With more than 1700 local churches throughout Fiji, Methodists make up the largest religious denomination.
Reverend Mosese Salusalu heads the church’s social services division. When we visit, the church board has been meeting all day working out what action it can take given the national emergency and Reverend Salusalu looks weary.
“Members of our families, the church families, are also affected so that’s why the church cannot just stand and watch and allow these people to die in vain,” he says.
“So long we have been preaching from the pulpit and sometimes you shy away when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV. But we are so quick to judge people of this thing and I believe that is wrong.”
One of the actions will be to take a team to church rallies held every month.
“This is where we can use this platform to get the specialists to talk about HIV,” he says.
But what does the church think about the use of condoms as advocated by health authorities.
“As far as protection is concerned, not so much on that but along abstinence, abstinence only. But some people, they cannot control themselves so we tell them, I think the best option for use is condoms for protection,” he says.
The Great Council of Chiefs is also planning on taking an active role, co-ordinated by its chairman Ratu Viliami Seruvakula.
A former military man, he worked with the United Nations Peace and Security Division for nearly two decades and he gets emotional when he speaks about Fiji’s HIV crisis.
“I thought I’ve seen the worst in humanity. Like I said, I’ve worked in conflict countries around the world for the last 19 years I’ve spent with the United Nations, but to see in my homeland its heartbreaking,” he says.
What’s concerning the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC), or Bose Levu Vakaturaga, is this crisis is terribly timed.
The traditional chiefly structure was suspended in 2007 by coup leader and dictator Voreqe Bainimarama, who considered it to wield too much power. He told chiefs at the time to “go drink homebrew under a mango tree”. The GCC was then formally disbanded in 2012 before being reinstated by the current Government three years ago.
Ratu Viliami Seruvakula says the country has just come through a very difficult period of its history and the HIV crisis “couldn’t have come at a worse time” as the nation rebuilds society, politics and the economy.
And the Great Council of Chiefs also has its own rebuilding to do after it was “dismantled systematically” by Bainimarama.
“Now when you dismantle that you have people going in every direction looking for answers and you have all these urban centres filled up because people cannot see the guidelines in the villages,” he explains.
“Trust was broken in 16, 20 years because when you move away from norms of society by creating laws as you go along without proper consultation it breaks the trust and there’s a lot of that has transpired over the years so we have a problem,” he says.
Ratu Seruvakula says rebuilding trust is key so he travels to his village every Sunday, a 50km drive, to talk face to face with his people. It will be this model which the GCC uses to get the HIV prevention and treatment messaging out to “iTaukei” or indigenous Fijians. They plan on kicking this off in October.
“I’ve said (to the HIV taskforce), you come with me and we’ll go down and talk to the people because we need to have an honest conversation. This is something you cannot just talk about it and hope that it’s going to look after itself,” he says.
Every chief will call his tribal leaders to tell them what needs to be done. “They will then go and talk to the clans and then the clans to the sub-clans and things will get done.”
They also plan to bring traditional leaders from their respective provinces into the urban centres to speak with their people there.
Ratu Seruvakula is clear – the country has no choice.
“When you look at the statistics now it’s quite obvious that we didn’t really understand the gravity of this situation,” he says.
The way ahead is grim – for the next few years at least.
Dr Mitchell says the cases will continue to rise before they plateau and then, hopefully, start to go down.
But a lot more babies will die before then…..PACNEWS
USA – DISASTER RECOVERY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
U.S approves more than US$226 million for disaster recovery and resilience
OAKLAND, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The United States Government has approved more than US$226 million in disaster recovery and resilience funding for communities across California, Hawai‘i, Nevada and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said the funding will support disaster recovery, infrastructure repairs and measures to reduce the risks and impacts of future disasters.
The package includes more than US$156 million through FEMA’s Public Assistance programme for three states and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The funding will cover repairs to critical infrastructure, public buildings and roads, as well as emergency measures taken to protect public health and safety following disasters.
The largest allocation is more than US$141 million to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for fire suppression operations following the 2024 Park Fire.
Butte County will receive more than US$678,000 and the City of Chico more than US$369,000 for firefighting activities linked to the Park Fire, while Tehama County will receive more than US$157,000 for emergency protective measures.
FEMA is also providing more than US$5.5 million to Sonoma County for repairs following severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides in January 2017.
Nearly US$1.4 million will go to the County of Kauai Department of Public Works for permanent repairs following severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in Hawai‘i in April 2018.
A further US$70 million-plus has been approved through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to reduce future disaster risks.
The programme supports measures including the acquisition of properties in high-risk areas, stronger building standards, flood protection, emergency shelters and improvements to utilities and other infrastructure.
More than US$54 million will go to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to acquire and demolish 27 residential properties affected by the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide.
The City of Morgan Hill will receive more than US$206,000 for an emergency backup power system for its police department.
Hawai‘i will receive US$15 million to administer and manage hazard mitigation projects following the 2023 Maui wildfires.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will receive more than US$800,000 for generators and emergency power at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation and Tinian Health Centre.
FEMA also approved about US$267,000 in Individual Assistance grants for the Northern Mariana Islands to help individuals and families meet urgent post-disaster needs, including disaster unemployment assistance.
FEMA said the funding reflects its approach of having states, territories and local communities lead recovery and mitigation efforts, with federal support.
The agency said the latest awards form part of billions of dollars in disaster recovery assistance provided to communities affected by hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters.
The Trump administration said the funding is intended to support recovery while strengthening communities against future disasters.
FEMA said it would continue working with states, territories, local governments and Tribal Nations to rebuild infrastructure and reduce disaster risks….PACNEWS
FIJI – CABINET: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
CRC’s proposed 15-member Fiji Cabinet cap left out of Constitution Bill
SUVA, 01 OCTOBER 226 (FIJI TIMES)—The Constitution Review Commission’s recommendation to limit Fiji’s Cabinet to 15 members has not been included in the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, with the proposed Constitution instead leaving the size of Cabinet to the Prime Minister.
Under section 110 of the Bill, Cabinet would consist of the Prime Minister as chairperson and “such number of Ministers as determined by the Prime Minister.”
No maximum number of Cabinet Ministers is specified.
This differs from the CRC report tabled in Parliament last week, which recommended a 15-member Cabinet comprising the Prime Minister and no more than 14 other Ministers.
The Commission said it considered public concerns about the cost of government while developing its proposed structure. Its model sought to balance those concerns with greater local representation through constituency seats rather than a larger Cabinet.
The Bill nevertheless retains parliamentary accountability requirements for Ministers.
It states that Cabinet members would be individually and collectively accountable to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and functions.
Ministers would also be required to appear before Parliament or its committees when called and answer questions relating to their portfolios.
Cabinet members must provide Parliament with “full and regular reports” on matters for which they are responsible.
The omission of the 15-member ceiling is another significant departure from the CRC model. The Commission had also recommended a two-term limit for the Prime Minister, while the Bill provisions tabled this afternoon do not prescribe a term limit for the office….PACNEWS
NAURU – DIPLOMACY: ADVANCE NAOERO PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Friend to all: Naoero builds strong international partnerships for its future
NEW YORK, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (ADVANCE NAERO)—President David Adeang used last week’s address to the United Nations General Assembly to commit to building stronger relationships around the world while creating new opportunities at home, declaring Naoero a “friend to all and an enemy to none”.
He told the assembly that while the government continued to strengthen and diversify the economy, international partnerships play an important role in attracting investment, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and creating new opportunities for dei-Naoero.
However he also said that small states are increasingly being asked to “choose between partners, between blocs, between competing visions of the world,” stating categorically, “Naoero will not be made to choose.”
“We will work with every partner who respects our sovereignty and our right to decide our own future,” he said, while clarifying that this position was not neutrality but independence.
Pointing out that “partnership does not mean agreement on everything,” President Adeang said Naoero would remain open to working with partners around the world.
“Naoero’s partnerships are not all of one kind.
“Some are born of kinship, some of shared interests, some have been built through decades of cooperation, and some are grounded in the conviction that when a wrong persists it must be named and addressed.”
He reminded his audience that each relationship matters.
“None is a substitute for another, and none comes at the expense of another.”
Alongside these relationships, President Adeang affirmed the government’s commitment to continue prioritising the economy, and updated world leaders with the significant advances Naoero has seen in recent years, including the Naoero Trust Fund, fisheries, the seabed, joining the Egmont Group, new revenue through the Naoero investment and residence programmes, and a virtual asset regulator built with full due diligence obligations before the industry it regulates.
“And behind all of it, investment in health, education and sport, so that our people are not only better off but healthier and better prepared,” he said.
The President called on the international community to continue to “invest in our people, invest in an economy that rests on more than a handful of arrangements, invest in institutions that will outlast my government and the next, invest in the infrastructure, connectivity and opportunities that distance has too often denied us.”
He said Naoero offered “not dependence, but participation; not expectation, but contribution; not a beneficiary, but a partner.”
For dei-Naoero, stronger international partnerships mean greater opportunities at home while ensuring decisions about the nation’s future remain firmly in Naoero’s hands…..PACNEWS
SAMOA – DRUGS FIGHT/VIOLENCE: SAVALI NEWSPAPER PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Samoa communities take lead in efforts to prevent drugs and violence
APIA, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (SAVALI NEWSPAPER) —-Samoa communities are proposing locally led projects to help prevent drug use and violence, following a recent engagement in Urban Upolu.
The ideas were discussed at a meeting of the PACT Samoa National Taskforce on Drugs and Violence, chaired by Loau Donina Va‘a, chief executive of the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs.
The taskforce reviewed feedback from the Lalaga le Vā launch on September 8 this year and considered what their next steps were going to be.
Representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration, the Ministry of Health, Samoa Police, Prison and Corrections Services, and the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs shared their agencies’ progress, challenges and lessons.
They reaffirmed their commitment to working together on prevention, early intervention, referrals, enforcement, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Some districts have expressed interest in developing projects tailored to local needs.
Possible activities include youth programmes and mentoring, family discussions, church- and village-based prevention, improved local reporting, and support for people seeking counselling or rehabilitation.
The Ministry of Family and Social Affairs plans to work with interested district leaders to shape proposals around each community’s strengths and needs.
The taskforce also highlighted the need for more consistent monthly information on reported drugs and violence, including the age and gender of people affected and the locations of emerging concerns.
Better data would help identify where support is most urgently needed and guide practical responses.
Planning is underway for a further Lalaga le Vā engagement with leaders in Savai‘i, alongside upcoming SAY NO youth concerts. The MFSA’s SAY NO campaign, Pola Puipui initiatives and other community activities are also being coordinated with PACT Samoa.
Loau added that the taskforce’s role is to support local efforts and connect communities with services so the projects can deliver measurable results.
“Our communities do not only want to hear about the problem—they want to be part of the solution.”
PACT Samoa’s message is: “Say NO to drugs. Say NO to violence. Say YES to hope.”….PACNEWS
TONGA – ANTI DRUG CAMPAIGNER: KANIVA TONGA NEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Tongan anti-drug campaigner Afimeimo‘unga Hola reportedly dies
NUKU’ALOFA, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (KANIVA TONGA NEWS)—Prominent Tongan social media personality and former anti-drug campaigner Afimeimo‘unga Hola has reportedly died.
Reports of Hola’s death began circulating on social media, although Kaniva News has not yet independently confirmed the circumstances of his death or received an official statement from his family.
Former rugby union coach and ‘Ikale Tahi player ‘Isi Fatani was among those who announced Hola’s death on Facebook this morning.
“Tokoua heikai teke ngalo ha taimi. RIP,” Fatani posted as he shared the tragic news.
The Tongan message translates approximately as: “Brother, you will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.”
Hola was a well-known online personality in Tonga, attracting more than 10,000 followers on Facebook and frequently using social media to comment on public and community issues.
He became particularly prominent through his involvement in Tonga’s anti-drug movement, at a time when growing methamphetamine use and trafficking had become a major national concern.
His anti-drug activism later became embroiled in controversy after accusations involving members of Tonga’s prominent families and public figures were aired through social media.
In 2021, Hola was at the centre of a highly publicised dispute that divided some anti-drug campaigners and their supporters after allegations were made involving Princess Pilolevu Tuita.
The Princess subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Hola but later withdrew the case, apparently after taking into consideration Hola’s social media fundraising campaign to cover the costs of his legal defence.
The controversy generated considerable public debate and exposed divisions within the anti-drug movement over the allegations and the way the campaign was being conducted.
Hola later faced legal trouble over other claims he made online.
In 2022, a Nuku‘alofa Magistrate sentenced him to 11 months’ imprisonment, fully suspended, after he was convicted of two counts relating to electronic communications in which two business owners were accused of manufacturing and selling illicit drugs.
Despite the controversies surrounding him, Hola remained a recognisable figure on Tongan social media and was particularly associated with outspoken commentary on drugs and other social issues.
News of his reported death has begun prompting reaction among Tongans online.
Further details, including the cause and circumstances of his death, were not immediately available…..PACNEWS
TONGA – HEALTH: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 01 Oct 2026
Tonga performs first hip and knee replacements as NZ team completes seven surgeries
NUKU’ALOFA, 1 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Tonga has performed its first hip and knee replacement surgeries at Vaiola Hospital, with a volunteer New Zealand surgical team completing seven joint replacements in three days.
The milestone means Tongan patients who previously had to travel overseas for joint replacement surgery can now receive the procedures at home.
The team, led by Whanganui orthopaedic surgeon Dr John van Dalen, began operating on Monday and is expected to complete about 10 joint replacements during the week.
“Everything has gone extremely well.
“The team has been incredibly supportive, as has the local surgical and nursing team,” van Dalen said.
Three procedures were completed on Monday, including Tonga’s first total knee replacement.
The team also performed a partial hip replacement on an elderly woman with a fractured hip and a total hip replacement on an elderly man with severe arthritis.
“Surgery was straightforward, and the nursing staff were excellent and supportive,” van Dalen said.
Two more knee replacements were performed on Tuesday, bringing the total to five.
One of the procedures involved a patient who had lived with severe arthritis, pain and stiffness for years.
Patients treated on the first day were also reviewed, with the woman who received Tonga’s first knee replacement already sitting up and bending her new joint.
A separate trauma team led by Christchurch surgeon Dr Tom Sharp performed fracture surgery in a second operating theatre.
The team also assessed patients with complex orthopaedic conditions, including one case discussed remotely with a specialist in New Zealand.
Two further knee replacements were completed on Wednesday, bringing the total to seven.
Sharp also treated a fractured tibia using an intramedullary rod before operating on an elbow fracture.
Van Dalen said the team plans to return to Tonga once or twice in 2027 to perform up to 25 additional joint replacements.
The visiting team is working alongside Vaiola Hospital’s surgical and nursing staff.
Tongan surgeon Dr Tevita Tu’ungafasi, who trained in Whanganui, will oversee follow-up care after the New Zealand team returns home.
The joint replacement programme is the result of eight years of fundraising and preparation by the Rotary Clubs of Whanganui North and Nuku’alofa.
More than US$500,000 was raised with major support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and its Rapid Relief Team.
The funding helped build three new operating theatres and renovate the hospital’s sterilisation department, allowing more complex surgery to be performed in Tonga.
Joint implants for the procedures are being supplied by Zimmer Biomet.
The volunteer team includes van Dalen, anaesthetist Dr Geoff Spenser, nurses Lynette Sweetman and Lydia Sargent, and logistics coordinator Steve Flaunty.
The programme is now seeking funding for a further 25 joint replacements in 2027.
The Rotary Club of Whanganui North has launched a Givealittle campaign with a target of NZ$200,000(US$112,674).
Each replacement is estimated to cost about NZ$8,000(US$4,506), including implants, equipment and travel costs.
The organisers say this is about one-quarter of the cost of a private joint replacement in New Zealand….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
CNMI – GOVT SHUT DOWN/BUDGET: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 01 Oct 2026
CNMI government shuts down due to lack of 2027 budget
SAIPAN, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES)—The Northern Mariana Islands government suspended operations today, with an undetermined number of employees furloughed, after Governor David Apatang declared a shutdown due to the lack of an approved budget for the new fiscal year.
The governor’s office received House Bill 24-108, the appropriations act of 2027, on 30 September 2026, affording insufficient time to properly review the legislation.
The CNMI law prohibits drawing of funds from the government treasury if “a balanced budget is not approved before the first day of the fiscal year.”
Government offices are closed, except for fully federally funded positions and autonomous agencies and public corporations not paid out of the general fund.
The governor’s executive order authorises “essential services” to continue.
The governor determines what positions qualify as “essential services,” which was not specifically defined by any law….PACNEWS
PNG – FUEL SUBSIDY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 01 Oct 2026
PNG Govt mulls extending fuel subsidy into next year
PORT MORESBY, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says the Government will consider continuing its fuel subsidy into next year as it expects the hike in global fuel prices to be still there.
Marape, returning from his trip to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, said fuel prices globally were expected to remain high beyond the end of this year.
“We were reliably informed during the UN meeting that the price of fuel is now above US$7 and will remain high,” he said.
He said Papua New Guinea was currently subsidising fuel prices to protect consumers and keep the economy functioning.
“The high cost of fuel will remain, not just towards the end of the year, but will be (something to) live with in 2027,” Marape said.
He said the Government would work with the Treasury and Finance departments to assess how fuel subsidies could be maintained.
Marape said PNG was among countries with relatively low fuel prices since the start of the U.S-Iran conflict in the Middle East because of the Government’s intervention.
He said that the Government was absorbing part of the cost rather than passing the increase to consumers.
Marape acknowledged that maintaining the subsidy was putting pressure on government finances, but said it was necessary to shield citizens and businesses from the high fuel costs.
He also called on citizens and public servants to help the Government manage the pressure by reducing expenditure.
Marape said the Government was simultaneously supporting communities affected by the El Nino phenomena while ensuring essential services, including health and education, remained functional.
He said the Government would have to balance these priorities against rising costs and limited resources.
Marape urged public servants at district, provincial and national levels to review their planned expenditure for the final quarter of the year and identify areas where spending could be reduced….PACNWS
PNG – GREY LISTINGS: NBC PNG NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 01 Oct 2026
PNG targets 2028 exit from grey list
PORT MORESBY, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (NBC PNG NEWS)—-Papua New Guinea is expected to exit the global grey list by 2028, according to the body tasked with managing the country’s compliance response.
The National Coordinating Committee (NCC) on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) confirmed that a comprehensive three-year strategy is underway to address requirements set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Financial Analysis and Supervision Unit (FASU) director Wilson Onea said the action plan spans 2026 to 2028 and outlines realistic targets for technical and operational compliance.
“The action plan is a three-year action plan which includes 2026, 2027, and 2028.
“It is practical and doable. Based on experience, a country that exits quickly usually takes between 18 months and three years.
“Taking a conservative view, we are targeting 2028,” Onea said.
Onea was speaking at the 2nd Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorism Financing, and Counter-Proliferation Financing Conference in Port Moresby.
NCC chairman Dr Eric Kwa likened the country’s multi-layered reform program to a game of strategy, emphasising that work is taking place across all technical thresholds simultaneously.
“I tell the team about the game Jenga (Sushi Game).
“You remove the blocks carefully so the structure doesn’t collapse.
“The 17 immediate action conditions are at the top, but we also have 42 underlying requirements that we monitor every quarter.
“While we address the top priorities, we are systematically working through the foundational areas as well. We are confident we can achieve this,” Kwa said….PACNEWS
PNG – BANK: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 01 Oct 2026
PNG’s future depends on cooperation in sector: Bank
PORT MORESBY, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—The future of Papua New Guinea’s financial system will require cooperation between the Central Bank, financial institutions, payment service providers, telecommunications and technology providers, government agencies and stakeholders, says an official.
Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) governor Elizabeth Genia said this when issuing licences to two companies.
Genia urged stakeholders to work together to develop a financial system that was safe, competitive, innovative and excessive.
“The bank will continue to strengthen its regulatory and support supervisory framework as the financial sector evolves,” she said.
“We will continue to support responsible innovation while ensuring that risks are appropriately identified, managed and contained.
“I encourage financial institutions and payment service providers to uphold the high standards of integrity, governance, professionalism and customer service.”
Genia added that their success would be measured not only by the growth of businesses but also the value they created for customers, and the confidence they built in the financial system, opportunities they created for businesses and communities.
She recently said that a stable financial system created conditions in which trust and inclusion grew.
Genia said that as new services were becoming faster and more accessible, financial institutions must ensure that products were safe, reliable, and appropriate for their customers.
“Providing financial services does not result in meaningful financial inclusion if people cannot use those services safely or with confidence,” she said.
“Our role as the regulator is to establish the framework, set expectations, safeguard the integrity and stability of the financial system and hold regulated institutions accountable for not meeting their obligations.”
Earlier this month, BPNG and 15 financial institutions signed the PNG Empower Finance Code, to identify and reduce the ways financial products and services could use to control, exploit or harm customers….PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Vanuatu, Pacific ministers adopt Nuku’alofa Declaration
NUKU’ALOFA/PORT VILA, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) —-Vanuatu and other Pacific countries have reaffirmed their commitment to stronger weather, climate, ocean, water and multi-hazard early warning services through the Nuku’alofa Declaration, adopted by Pacific Ministers responsible for meteorology.
The declaration was adopted on 16 September 2026 at the Fourth Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-4) in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, under the theme “Weather Ready for a Secured and Sustainable Blue Pacific”.
The meeting brought together Ministers from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, along with high-level representatives from Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the United Kingdom.
The meeting was convened under the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) and hosted by the Government of Tonga, with support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Through the declaration, Ministers and representatives reaffirmed their political commitment to strengthening National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) across Pacific Island Countries and Territories.
They also recalled previous regional commitments, including the Nuku’alofa Declaration 2015, Honiara Ministerial Statement 2017 and Namaka Declaration 2023, which support sustainable weather, climate, ocean and water services throughout the region.
The Ministers recognised progress under the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy 2017–2026 and welcomed the new Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy 2027–2036, agreed at the eighth PMC meeting.
The declaration calls on NMHSs, regional organisations, global programmes and development partners to support implementation and review of the new strategy.
Stronger early warning systems
A major focus of the declaration is the Pacific’s growing exposure to severe weather, climate, water, ocean and geohazard events.
The Ministers recognised the need for resilient infrastructure and systems capable of delivering timely warnings and supporting anticipatory action, particularly as climate change alters the region’s risk profile.
They recognised that historical climate and weather data may no longer provide reliable predictions of future impacts, reinforcing the need for continued investment in climate science, meteorological services and early warning capabilities.
The declaration reaffirmed Pacific Leaders’ commitment to keeping the 1.5°C temperature limit within reach, consistent with the Paris Agreement.
The Ministers raised concern that current global action remains insufficient to prevent a 1.5°C overshoot and called for greater investment in NMHSs, early warning systems, climate science and related services.
Weather Ready Pacific
The Ministers reaffirmed the Weather Ready Pacific Decadal Programme of Investment as a Pacific-led mechanism for strengthening hydrometeorological services and multi-hazard early warning systems.
They agreed that the programme would serve as the vehicle for delivering the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative in the Pacific.
Governments, development partners, regional organisations and the private sector were urged to align investments with the Weather Ready Pacific programme and support sustainable financing for critical hydrometeorological infrastructure and capabilities, particularly in small island states.
The declaration also called for urgent exploration and consultation on a sustainable financing mechanism to maintain Pacific hydrometeorological and multi-hazard early warning systems.
One Pacific Meteorology Programme
The Ministers endorsed the approach of the One Pacific Meteorology Programme Framework, supporting its concept as endorsed in principle at PMC-8.
The framework is intended to improve coordination between national, regional and international organisations and development partners, ensuring investments complement each other, resources are used efficiently, duplication is minimised and meteorological capabilities are developed sustainably across Pacific Island Countries and Territories.
The declaration also acknowledged the establishment of the Pacific Meteorological Council Management Group, Pacific multi-hazard early warning strategies, guidance for standardisation and interoperability, and a Pacific Meteorological Asset and Data Policy Framework.
Regional Meteorological Centres of Excellence, including the WMO Regional Training Centre and Regional Instrument Centre, were also acknowledged.
Climate change and international law
The declaration reaffirmed the importance of international legal developments concerning climate change and protection of the marine environment.
The Ministers recognised the advisory opinions of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning climate change responsibilities as important developments under international law.
They also acknowledged the United Nations General Assembly resolution welcoming the ICJ Advisory Opinion.
Development partners were called upon to sustain and strengthen Pacific-led climate services, climate change science and the WMO Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network, while ensuring advances in climate science translate into practical measures that improve resilience and security across the Blue Pacific.
Financing and regional cooperation
The declaration also addressed the need for sustainable financing of Pacific meteorological services.
Ministers recognised the need to engage Green Climate Fund Pacific National Designated Authorities in supporting the One Pacific Programme.
They commended the Government of Tonga for serving as the country of domicile for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) and reaffirmed its role in supporting community readiness, response and anticipatory action.
The Ministers further supported the progressive decarbonisation and greening of Pacific NMHSs to strengthen the resilience and financial sustainability of multi-hazard early warning systems.
The declaration concludes by requesting SPREP to submit the Nuku’alofa Declaration and the outcomes of the eighth PMC meeting to the 34th SPREP Meeting for endorsement.
The Nuku’alofa Declaration was formally adopted in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga, on 16 September 2026…..PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Women of the Lagoons: SPC opens its doors to the Committee on Education and Equality and to the next generation of ocean guardians
NOUMEA, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (SPC)—On the occasion of the Sea Festival in New Caledonia, the Pacific Community (SPC) hosted the educational seminar Women of the Lagoons: Heritage and Future in Noumea.
This educational seminar was designed for school students with a clear purpose: to show young people, and especially girls, that ocean science has a place for them. It was organised by the NGO Committee Education for Equality at School and its founding president, Véronique Mollot. She created the organisation in 2015 and, five years later, co-founded Women of the Lagoons, a collective bringing together New Caledonian women working in ocean-related fields.
What made the seminar particularly meaningful was the diversity of women standing at the front of the room. Every speaker worked in an ocean-related field, with expertise ranging from coastal fisheries science, deep-sea taxonomy and mangrove ecosystems to ocean literacy, coastal protection and digital science communication. Young doctoral researchers from the University of New Caledonia and scientists from SPC also took part, giving students the opportunity to meet role models.
Two young women from SPC showed the students what an ocean career looks like in practice.
Leonore Page — Coastal Fisheries Research Assistant: “There is no single path to success.”
Lysa Wirotaroeno — Research Laboratory Assistant: “Internships can help you find your path.”
Lysa Wirotaroeno, 26, is from Maré. She studied Life and Earth Sciences at the University of New Caledonia, then completed a research internship in SPC’s taxonomy laboratory. She now works there as a research laboratory assistant. Her job is to sort, measure and identify micronekton, the small marine animals between 1 and 20 cm long that tuna feed on. She also analyses tuna stomach contents to better understand the ecosystems behind one of the Pacific’s most valuable fisheries.
Her message to students was simple: “Experience is very important, so don’t hesitate to do internships to find your path.” She acknowledged that finding environmental jobs in New Caledonia is not easy. But she believes that with determination, everyone can find their place, “especially when it is for the protection of our environment.”
Leonore Page, 28, grew up in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France’s leading fishing port. She is now a research assistant in coastal fisheries science at SPC. Her path took her from a sustainability degree in the Netherlands to a European master’s in marine biological resources. Today she works on one of the hardest fisheries to monitor: Pacific coastal fisheries, which involve thousands of species and thousands of fishers spread across millions of square kilometres.
Her advice to students: “There is no single path to success. English opens a lot of doors. Curiosity and motivation matter as much as grades. And ocean careers are not limited to being a fisher or a biologist.”
Finally, the programme also went beyond the laboratory. Students heard about the UNESCO Blue School initiative, careers in the French Navy and innovation driven by French Tech NC, a reminder that a future in the ocean sector can take many forms.
For SPC, the venue choice carried meaning.
“For decades, the Pacific Community has been a home for science in service of the Pacific. So, it is only natural that today we open our doors to students too,” said Maria Fuata, SPC Deputy Director-General for Operations and Integration. She thanked the Committee for its work on education and equality. For her, this partnership shows what is needed: to “bring public and scientific efforts together to build a resilient Blue Pacific.”
But her final words were for the students themselves, reminding them that the lagoon is not just a subject of study but a part of their lives: “This is the ocean you all grow up beside. This is the ocean many of your families still live from.” For a few hours, the young people of Noumea met the women who study, protect and explain that ocean. Some of them may one day take their place at the front of the room……PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Malama’s Birthday Gift: A Second Chance at Childhood
14-year-old Samoan girl looks forward to returning to school after life-saving heart surgery in Fiji
NADI, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (PSH MEDIA)—For 14-year-old Malama Iefata, blowing out the candles at a surprise birthday party at Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) Hospital in Nadi meant far more than celebrating another year of life.
Each flickering flame represented renewed hope — of returning to school, laughing with friends and enjoying the carefree days of childhood that illness had taken from her.
Malama, the second youngest in a family of seven, comes from the rural village of Lolamanu, far from Samoa’s capital, Apia.
She has not attended school since 2022, when the long daily walk to her classroom became increasingly difficult.
Today, however, her story is one of compassion, courage and a second chance at life.
In a remarkable gesture, PSH Hospitals provided Malama with life-saving heart surgery at no cost to her family, including return airfares for her and her mother, Lavei Aitogi Iefata, to travel to Fiji.
Malama was 11 when her parents first became concerned about her persistent coughing. The family initially sought treatment at their local health centre.
When her condition failed to improve, further assessments raised concerns about a possible heart problem.
She was taken to the main hospital in Apia, where doctors confirmed that her condition was serious and required major heart surgery.
Fighting back tears, Iefata said the family was devastated when they realised they could not afford the treatment and government assistance was unavailable.
Malama’s father approached PSH’s award-winning cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, Dr Sanjeev Khulbey, and PSH founder and CEO Parvish Kumar, who were both in Samoa at the time, and told them about her condition.
Without hesitation, Kumar offered the support of the PSH Foundation.
“Yes, we covered all costs,’ he said.
“Children are the future of any society, and we are persevering not only by saving the present but also the future.”
Dr Khulbey said Malama was severely symptomatic when he first met her.
‘She had shortness of breath, was not able to walk, could not cope with daily activities, and was unable to lie down or sleep well,” he said.
Examinations at PSH revealed rheumatic heart disease, with three of her four heart valves badly damaged.
The mitral and aortic valves were replaced with mechanical valves, while the tricuspid valve was repaired in a high-risk operation.
Malama was scheduled to be discharged on Wednesday and fly home on Thursday.
Her return will mark the beginning of a new chapter — one in which she can look forward to rejoining her classmates and reclaiming the childhood she has so dearly missed….PACNEWS
