Niue's only hospital Photo: Supplied/ Dr Penny McAllum
New Covid-19 cases on Niue
18 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the latest 24-hour reporting period in Niue.
There are 169 active cases in the community.
439 cases have been reported in total since March this year.
Voter registration opens in Tokelau
Voter registration in Tokelau is open ahead of the 2023 national election.
Election day is January 26.
The Tokelau government says registrations close on January 12 next year.
CNMI's AG files lawsuits against officials
The Northern Marianas Attorney General is filing lawsuits against current and former Cabinet members of the Torres administration, for the allegedly excessive overtime pay they received from Super Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts.
The list is led by the former Department of Finance secretary who allegedly received more than US$36,000 in illegal overtime compensation.
The Current Department of Public Works Secretary has also been named after he allegedly received more than US$32,000 in typhoon premium pay that he should not have been entitled to.
A former Department of Community and Cultural Affairs secretary was the first to be sued after allegedly receiving more than US$17,000 in illegal overtime compensation following the damage brought about by the Category 5 storm in 2018.
The attorney-general's office argues that all three were not entitled to overtime and so should be directed to return all the money.
Super Typhoon Yutu wreaked havoc in the Northern Marianas in 2018.
Quake strikes Vanuatu
A magnitude-6 earthquake has struck south of Vanuatu, but no tsunami warnings have been issued.
The US Geological Survey gave the quake a green alert rating, meaning there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
It said the quake struck around 3.30 AM Vanuatu time, 288 kilometres southeast of Isangel, Vanuatu.
It was 10 kilometres deep.
An advisory from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu said no action is required.
CNMI tourism industry still struggling
Tourist arrival numbers to the Northern Marianas are still not at the same level as it was pre-pandemic.
While tourist arrivals grew more than threefold from last year, visitors' arrivals to the CNMI are still 73 percent lower compared to before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) said the islands welcomed about 11,000 visitors in November 2022, an astronomical 340 percent increase from the same period last year.
However, while the numbers are trending positively, the Commonwealth's tourism body said the nearly 11,000 tourists are just a drop in the bucket compared to the 39,717 visitors who visited the CNMI in November 2019.
A total of 8,723 visitors arrived from South Korea in November 2022, compared to 2,127 visitors in November 2021 following the July 2021 implementation of the MVA's tourism resumption investment plan.
The Marianas also received 453 visitors from Japan in November 2022, another exponential increase compared to only three visitors in November 2021.
The CNMI also received 1,065 visitors from Guam, 441 visitors from the U.S. mainland, and a combined 234 additional visitors from all other destinations in November.
Solomon Islands 2023 Pacific Games secures funding
The Solomon Islands 2023 Pacific Games Organising Committee has secured a sponsorship deal with Solomon Breweries worth around US$115,000.
However, Inside the Games reports the Games boss saying there will be no beer sales at the venues.
Solomon Islands 2023 chief executive Peter Stewart said the responsible use of alcohol is an important message that the Games can assist with sending throughout the sporting community.
But SolBrew beer will be used exclusively at Pacific Games VIP and corporate functions, both in the lead-up to and during the Games.
Solomon Islands has experienced difficulty in funding the Pacific Games but has received financial support from Australia, China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, and South Korea.
Tahiti hosts first volunteer seminar for 2027 games
Tahiti has hosted its first volunteer seminar to get its workers prepared for hosting the 2027 Pacific Games.
Inside the Games reports, there are to be 4,000 volunteers at the event in French Polynesia.
Attendees had an introduction to how the event is held and the structure of the Organising Committee.
Tahiti was named the host of the 2027 Pacific Games last year, beating Vanuatu in the race at the Pacific Games Council General Assembly.
