Page 7 - IB February 2024

Briefs Briefs
in the Marshall Islands last month, causing damage that will
take months to repair, according to a US Army report. A video Papua New Guinea
posted on X showed the terrifying surge of water rushing
into a dining facility on Roi-Namur island, the second-largest PNG’s Department of Information and Communications
island of Kwajalein Atoll. Colonel Drew Morgan, Commander Technology is working on amending the country’s media policy
of US Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll (USAG-KT), said there to include holding persons accountable for misreporting.
were only minor injuries. But the island’s housing, automotive ICT Minister, Timothy Masiu, said one of the government’s
complex, theatre and chapel were damaged, according to priorities at the moment is looking at ways to curb
the statement from USAG-KT. The report did not mention any misinformation in the country. He said the policy will be
damage to military infrastructure. presented to Cabinet. “We don’t want to tighten up on
media so much, but we want to make sure that reporters
are responsible for what they report, and it’s about time this
should be implemented,” he added.
Nauru
Nauru’s national carrier, Nauru Airlines, will soon launch a
new flight from Majuro, Marshall Islands to Honolulu, Hawaii Samoa
after a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed
between the governments of Nauru and the Republic of Samoa’s Satitoa Slipway in Aleipata has reopened and is
Marshall Islands. The announcement follows the recent launch operating under the new name of Henry Silva Shipyard. The
of Nauru Airlines’ weekly Island Hopper Service connecting Silva Group, which also operates in American Samoa, said the
Palau to Brisbane, Australia, with stopovers in Nauru, Kiribati, slipway is an important infrastructural service for the country.
the Marshall Islands, and Pohnpei in the Federated States of The company has a 10- to 20-year lease with the government.
Micronesia. Salā Leslie Silva confirmed the shipyard can hold 1000 tonne
boats.

New Caledonia Solomon Islands
New Caledonia’s Congress has endorsed the postponement of New Zealand has pledged SBD35 million (US$4.21 million) to
provincial elections from the initial date of May 2024, to no support the Solomon Islands general elections in April this
later than December 15 this year. 38 Congress MPs voted in year. New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands,
favour of the postponement and 16 against. The endorsement Jonathan Schwass, said New Zealand is pleased to be able
comes as part of preparations to a French government Bill, to meet the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission’s request
currently being drafted and to be tabled soon in the French for assistance to help deliver this year’s general, provincial
Parliament, to effectively postpone the provincial polls in and city council elections. The support will help train civic
New Caledonia. coordinators and educators, recruit and train polling booth
staff, and set up an operation centre.

Niue Tonga
Niue has had to ration electricity after lightning strikes caused Tonga is getting an upgrade to its seismic network. Matangi
extensive damage to power equipment. On January 27, the Tonga reports the upgrade will cover five strategically
Niue Power Corporation (NPC) had to turn the power off for positioned stations at Nukuhetulu, Mt. Talau, Hihifo in
the southern side of Niue due to an unexpected fault with one Ha’apai, Niuafo’ou High School, and Hihifo in Niuatoputapu.
of the generators, Television Niue reported. NPC urged the The work is being funded by the World Bank through the
public to conserve power whenever possible as they work over Pacific Resilience Program. Tonga’s Ministry of Lands and
the following weeks to restore the solar and battery system. Natural Resources said existing seismic stations will be
Television Niue and Radio Sunshine also experienced damage upgraded to improve their functionality and reliability,
to transmitters. “ensuring more accurate and efficient earthquake-related
data collection.”

Palau
Palau has become the first nation to officially ratify the UN Vanuatu
Ocean Treaty. “They’ve already shown leadership in opposing The people of Torres Islands in Vanuatu are reportedly facing
deep-sea mining in the Pacific Ocean and have now set the a serious shortage of medical supplies. The community
bar for what it means to be an ocean champion,” Laura reportedly relies on a single clinic in Lunhariki village on Loh
Meller, Project Lead of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans Island. A resident who requested anonymity, told the Vanuatu
campaign said. Adopted in June 2023 and signed by 84 Daily Post that the clinic only had panadol and penicillin
countries in September 2023, the treaty will only enter into tablets left. The people are asking the government, especially
force once it is ratified by at least 60 countries. the Ministry of Health, to help.

Islands Business, February 2024 7