Page 7 - IB November 2024

Briefs Briefs

last month, they receive AU$230 fortnightly from the
Australian government, which barely covers basic necessities
due to high island prices. They are prohibited from working or Samoa
leaving Nauru, and most await refugee status determination New Zealand’s Parliament has passed a bill that restores a
with no clear timeline. pathway to NZ citizenship for a group of Samoans whose
citizenship was stripped away decades ago. Parliamentarians
say anyone born in Samoa between 1924 and 1948 will
be eligible to apply for citizenship. The bill was passed
New Caledonia unanimously and will affect some 3500 people, aged 76 to
Two major pro-independence parties, UPM and PALIKA, have 100.
announced their withdrawal from the FLNKS independence
movement umbrella organisation. Both moderate parties
support independence talks aimed at establishing a Solomon Islands
partnership with France but cite dissatisfaction with FLNKS’s Scientists have discovered the world’s largest coral in the
current operations. The development comes six months after Solomon Islands’ waters. The mega coral, measuring 34
riots in the French Pacific territory. metres wide, 32 metres long, and 5.5 metres high, could
be over 300 years old. Climate Minister Trevor Manemahaga
emphasised the coral’s importance to the nation’s economy
and marine resources, calling for its protection amid climate
Niue
Niue’s Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi has announced a change challenges.
reshuffle to the government’s ministerial portfolios following
the public referendum on constitutional amendments held in
August last year. The Prime Minister will now be responsible Tonga
for the Department of Taoga Niue. Associate ministers will Scientific findings continue to emerge as experts study the
now apply to the four current members of Cabinet, with the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption of January
Prime Minister and the three ministers assisting with each 2022. A team from the University of Tokyo has uncovered a
other’s portfolios. The PM also flagged impending changes to geological “whisper” about 15 minutes before the volcano’s
state-owned enterprises to be presented to the Assembly over explosion, a new journal article reveals. Scientists say that
the coming months. the detection of such signals could provide a crucial early
warning system prior to such eruptions, especially in remote
areas.

Palau
Palau’s President alleges Chinese vessels are working in its Tuvalu
territorial waters ‘uninvited’. President Surangel Whipps Jr The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and Tuvalu
says Chinese officials earlier this year named two underwater government have signed an MOU to support Tuvalu’s green
mountains already claimed by Palau. He made the claims growth and climate resilience efforts on the sidelines of
following his recent re-election. Under Whipps Jr, Palau is COP29. The partnership will focus on strengthening green
one of very few countries that recognised Taiwan’s claims to growth frameworks, increasing green investments, promoting
statehood. South-South cooperation, and addressing climate challenges.

Papua New Guinea Vanuatu
Indonesia’s planned conversion of over 5 million acres of Vanuatu’s parliament has passed an amendment to its
conservation and indigenous lands into agriculture along its Marriage Act, explicitly defining marriage as a union between
border with Papua New Guinea has raised environmental a male and female. Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat
concerns. The project, affecting the TransFly region shared announced that same-sex marriages cannot be registered, and
with PNG, could cause significant environmental damage officiants conducting non-compliant ceremonies risk licence
and indigenous conflict according to a feasibility study by revocation. The government is also establishing a committee
Sucofindo. to draft a policy banning LGBTQIA+ advocacy.

Islands Business, November 2024 7