Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
Star Marianas Air, a commuter airline that provides passenger and air cargo service in the Northern Marianas, plans to terminate its air services to these locations effective October 15. Pacific Island Times reported the decision was driven by the fee structure currently imposed by the Commonwealth Ports Authority. “The broad definition of maintenance and operation expenses, lack of detailed cost allocation and ambiguous treatment of common use areas result in fees that do not accurately reflect our actual usage of airport – facilities and services,” Robert F. Christian, Chairman of the Star Marianas Air’s Board of Directors, said in a letter to CNMI officials.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands’ Ministry of Health says residents should not possess any imitation tobacco products now that new tobacco control laws are in place. The Act which bans the manufacture, importation, sale, distribution and advertising of imitation tobacco products, including vapes/e-cigarettes, was passed in Parliament in May.
Federated States of Micronesia
About US$233.7 million in funding has been provided to the Compact Trust Fund for the Federated States of Micronesia. Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, Carmen G. Cantor, said “this contribution… represents the first instalment of United States contributions to the Trust Fund that will total US$500 million over a two-year period.”
Fiji
There is growing momentum around moves to review Fiji’s 2013 Constitution. A public lecture by Australian academic, Professor Anthony Regan, which was attended by the Prime Minister and parliamentarians from both sides of the House, laid out a number of options for a potential review. Now Independent (and former FijiFirst) MP, Viliame Naupoto has told parliament that the Constitution should be reviewed as soon as possible, and that it gives too broad powers to the military. He also says it should be reviewed to remove its perceived connection to the former government. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says public consultation will be critical to any review.
French Polynesia
French Polynesia’s Marquesas Islands are now part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list. “The archipelago is a major centre of endemism, home to rare and diverse flora, a diversity of emblematic marine species, and one of the most diverse seabird assemblages in the South Pacific,” UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee stated at a recent meeting in India. It is the second UN-listed property for French Polynesia, alongside the cultural landscape of Taputapuātea which was listed in 2017.
Guam
United Airlines has confirmed it will end service between Guam and Fukuoka, Japan on October 26 as the slow rebound of Japanese tourist arrivals continues. “We regularly evaluate our Guam schedule and make adjustments based on demand and the broader needs of our network,” the airline stated. The Guam Visitors Bureau board has heard that there were 11,214 visitor arrivals from Japan in June, a mere 27.2% of the 40,877 Japan arrivals in June 2019.
Kiribati
A hundred and fourteen candidates are to contest the Kiribati elections, starting on August 14. A second round of voting for the 44-seat parliament, Maneaba ni Maungatabu, is scheduled for August 19. Four candidates, all sitting members have returned, unopposed. There are 18 women standing – a large increase on 2020 when just seven contested the poll. The election of president does not happen until the MPs in the new parliament put forward a minimum of three nominations and those candidates then stand for public election, likely by October.
Marshall Islands
Almost eight decades after the last nuclear bomb detonated in the Marshall Islands, there is a call from the Pacific region for a concerted effort to study its impacts on women and girls. Marshall Islands Minister for Women, Jess Gasper Jr told the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the 8th Pacific Women’s Ministers Meeting that: “We seek comprehensive evidence-based data that can effectively connect health outcomes directly with our nuclear legacy. This data is essential for informing our policy, securing necessary resources and ultimately ensuring the health and wellbeing of our people.” Marshall Islands reportedly has the highest rate of cervical cancer in the world at 79 per 100,000 women, while one in eight women will suffer from breast cancer in their lifetime.
Nauru
Domestic violence and sexual offences constitute a significant portion of reported crimes in Nauru. “Since 2021, over the past three years, we have received 79 cases, with 53 completed and 23 closed due to insufficient evidence. It is crucial to recognise that these numbers do not necessarily reflect a low prevalence of family and sexual violence. As we all know, victims of such violence often do not come forward due to fear, stigma, and various other barriers,” said Deputy Police Commissioner, Simpson Deidanang, during a UNDP-led training last month. The training program was designed to give officers the skills and knowledge to handle domestic violence and sexual offences cases more effectively and compassionately.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant in Koniambo has sacked some 1200 staff, despite efforts to identify a potential buyer. Koniambo (KNS – Koniambo Nickel SAS) operations had already been mothballed after the announcement in February by its major financier, Anglo-Swiss giant, Glencore, that it wanted out. KNS is jointly owned by Glencore (49%) and New Caledonia’s Northern province (51%). Glencore said that the plant, in over ten years of operations, had never made a profit, but had accumulated a staggering US$14 billion in debt.
Niue
Starlink’s current operations in Niue are unauthorised. Under the Communication Act 1989, citizens of Niue are required to have a licence to operate a transmission and reception installation to receive signals. Minister for Infrastructure, Crossley Tatui, has confirmed there are at least five cases of illegal vendors accessing Starlink operations on the island.
Palau
Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr., said the government is struggling to manage the influx of solar energy. “One of the first meetings we had was meeting the Japanese, Taiwanese, and the Australians asking them to please stop any other new solar projects for now because if we add new solar projects to the grid now, we cannot handle it,” Whipps said at a news conference. The President said the island nation is facing challenges integrating renewable energy into its power grid without sufficient battery storage. Australia has pledged AU$7 million (US$3.31 million) to help Palau build battery capacity, he said. “There is no question that the idea (renewable energy) is great but there is only so much energy that we can absorb through solar into the system without having 100% batteries,” he said. The island is now producing more solar energy than it can consume, leading to wasted power.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea police have arrested five people in connection with the brutal attacks in Angoram district that left around 25 people dead last month. RNZ Pacific reported that the ring leaders who initiated the attacks in three remote villages in East Sepik have not yet been arrested. An estimated 30 young people targeted Tamara, Tambari and Agrumara villages over what is believed to have been a land dispute. Hundreds of people have been displaced as a result of the deadly violence.
Samoa
In Samoa, a comprehensive gun amnesty will run through September 30 in an attempt to collect illegal firearms in circulation. This initiative, spearheaded by Samoa’s police force, follows a successful campaign in 2021 that saw the removal of 198 illegal firearms from circulation. During this period, individuals voluntarily surrendering firearms will not face charges. Instead, they will have the opportunity to register their weapons.
Solomon Islands
A recent rapid assessment by UNICEF on the situation of children working, walking, and living on the streets in Honiara, Solomon Islands, has unveiled concerning insights into the hardships faced by vulnerable children. The assessment included 115 boys and 55 girls, all under the age of 18. The assessment revealed 60 were found to be working in the informal sector, with the youngest worker being just six years old. The survey also uncovered alarming instances of child exploitation: five girls were involved in commercial sexual exploitation, and three boys were engaged in the worst forms of child labour.
Tonga
The proportion of women in business leadership has mostly remained steady since 2021 in Tonga, where men still hold over four out of every five board director positions, and the number of boards with no women directors at all has increased, from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2024, according to a new report published by the Asian Development Bank. “This signals that continued efforts are required to create more inclusive and diverse corporate cultures in Tonga,” said the report’s author, PSDI expert, Sarah Boxall.
Tuvalu
Tuvalu and thirty other nations have joined the call for a precautionary pause on deep sea mining at the 29th International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly meeting in Kingston, Jamaica. The representative for Tuvalu said the government remained cautious of seabed mining developments and that there is not enough scientific information to understand the “complex web of life” in the deep sea. In 2022, Tuvalu’s government rescinded its support for company Circular Metals Ltd to explore seabed mining in the country’s waters.
