Page 7 - IB Jan 2024

Briefs Briefs
impacts of a 500-pound World War II unexploded ordnance
(UXO) discovered in Aiwo on November 30. Australia Defence
Force Army explosive ordnance disposal technicians worked Samoa
with Nauru authorities to render the UXO safe and move it to Samoa Airways has been fined over US$1000 dollars for
a safe location. The cordon has since been lifted and people allowing a second foreign national in a month to board one
have returned home. This includes households in Aiwo within of its planes to American Samoa without a proper permit.
the first 140m, a government statement said. The fine stemmed from a New Zealand passport holder who
was allowed to travel to the US territory without a permit.
Samoa’s Minister for Public Enterprises, Leatinuu Wayne
So’oialo, confirmed the airline has to pay a total of US$1,500
New Caledonia for both immigration breaches. The first incident last month
New Caledonia’s nickel industry has accumulated debts of involved Samoa’s former Associate Minister for Police, who
about $1.5 billion Euro. Radio New Zealand Pacific reports bypassed the check-in desk in Apia using his diplomatic
this was disclosed during French Economy Minister Bruno passport to enter American Samoa.
Lemaire’s recent visit to New Caledonia. In the face of what
he termed a “critical” situation, Lemaire hoped an agreement
could be signed by the end of January. This would involve Solomon Islands
drastic reforms in terms of profitability, market adaptation Breast cancer is the highest cancer killer in the Solomon
and productivity from all nickel mining companies. Islands, according to Dr Andrew Soma, Head of Oncology
at the Solomon Islands National Referral Hospital (NRH).
While handing over a new mammography machine at NRH,
Niue Dr Soma said the number of new cancer cases in Solomon
Expect more services from Telecom Niue in 2024, Telecom Islands in 2020 was 122 (20.1%) and of these, 38 were breast
Niue Limited Chief Executive Officer, Anurag Tandon, has cancer cases. Dr Soma said a study by local medical expert,
announced. “There are a few services which Telecom Niue Dr Michael Buin, found that 25.4% of deaths in women in
is looking at bringing in the new year. Some of them being Solomon Islands were caused by breast cancer.
international roaming, upgrading the network to build
redundancy in case of outage and taking care of the increasing
data utilisation,” Tandon said. He also said the copper lines on Tonga
the island will be replaced with fibre, to enable Telecom Niue Tonga has launched an overseas mission to inform the Tongan
to become a triple player service provider by providing voice diaspora about their land rights in the Kingdom. The ‘Toe
data and Internet protocol television in collaboration with the Tala-tala-noa Overseas Program’ aims to raise awareness of
Broadcasting Corporation of Niue to customers’ homes. land disputes that start when Tongan nationals living overseas
claim inheritance rights in Tonga. A number of Land Court
rulings have prevented overseas-based Tongans from evicting
tenants. The program, organised by Tonga’s Ministry of Lands,
Palau targets the Tongan diaspora in Australia, New Zealand, and
Another airline is expected to begin direct flights to Palau. the United States.
Cambodia’s Angkor Air is expecting to begin flights between
Hong Kong and Palau in February, adding to Palau’s list of
flights. Nauru Airlines recently started flights from Australia, Tuvalu
and Alii Palau Airlines started a weekly service from Flight services to and from Tuvalu have resumed after being
Singapore. United Airlines offers six flights from Guam and briefly suspended in December due to damage to the runway
two from the Philippines weekly. China Airlines operates twice at Funafuti International Airport. Passengers were left
a week, and Air Niugini offers a weekly link, connecting Palau stranded after Fiji Airways cancelled all flights to and from
and Australia through Papua New Guinea.
the tiny island nation indefinitely due to the state of the
airport’s runway. The airline is the only international carrier
that services Tuvalu.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea has announced the extension of Visa
on Arrival (VOA) privileges to all Pacific Island States and
Territories. The entry requirements for VOA include an Vanuatu
authentic passport with at least six months validity, a return Vanuatu seasonal workers will no longer be allowed to extend
ticket, and a completed arrival card. Qualified Pacific their visa periods in Australia and New Zealand. The Vanuatu
Islanders will be issued an Easy Visitor Visa for a 60-day stay Daily Post reported the country’s Commissioner of Labour
per visit, a government statement said.
as saying the department is in the process of making policy
changes. A directive was issued last year disallowing contract
extensions and ceasing COVID-19 visas. This decision was
made in collaboration with the Australian government.

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