Samoa Covid-19 infections start to soar

RNZI: Covid-19 numbers are climbing quickly in Samoa. Health officials have now indentified 45 cases of community transmission of coronavirus. The National Emergency Operations Committee said 34 new positive cases were confirmed last night after the announcement by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa of 11 cases and the upgrading of the alert level to level…

Australian zero carbon exports could slash emissions across Asia and Pacific

SYDNEY, 18 MARCH 2022 (RENEWABLE ECONOMY) — Australia has the potential to drive significant emissions reductions across the Asia Pacific region – by as much as four times its own emissions – by decarbonising Australia’s major export industries, new research has found. The research, undertaken by academics at the Australian National University’s Crawford School, has…

Alarm bells over police training

A former Australian high commissioner to Solomon Islands says the involvement of Chinese officials in training local police is setting off alarm bells in Canberra. The move from Beijing follows last year’s violent riots which targeted Chinese-owned businesses in the capital, Honiara. James Batley, who led the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and…

Aust gov’t to review Pacific seasonal worker absconding posters after public backlash

CANBERRA, (ABC) –— The Australian government is reviewing a recent campaign aimed at stopping Pacific seasonal workers from absconding from their jobs. Around 12,000 seasonal workers have come into Australia over the past year from Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga and Solomon Islands but of those, more than 1000 have absconded. However, the government’s campaign, which featured…

Children’s day marked

SUVA, FIJI – Children in the Pacific region on Saturday join millions more around the world to celebrate World Children’s Day, together with government ministries, schools, and communities, as part of UNICEF’s global day of action for children, by children. “I am happy to be one of the children in the world to stand up…