Photo: AFP/Kevin Wolf
PNG - United States
US President Joe Biden has personally called Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape after cancelling an historic meeting in Port Moresby.
Reuters reports Biden told Marape that Secretary of State Antony Blinken (above) would travel in his place.
Pacific Island leaders will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a high-level US delegation in Papua New Guinea on Monday.
Marape told a press conference on Thursday Biden had called him and invited him to a US-Pacific island summit in Washington in September.
West Papua - arrests
Indonesian police have met West Papua community leaders to explain the arrests of 22 people during a raid in Dekai District, the capital of Yahukimo Regency.
Jubi TV reports Lazarus Giban, the deputy chief of the Ngalik Tribe, questioned the extent of their alleged involvement in criminal activities.
Leo Giban, the coordinator of the Ngalik, Hubla, and Intan Maya tribes, raised similar concerns.
Yahukimo Police head of Operations Alwi Wairooy said the house was raided on Tuesday because it was suspected of being the headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army.
He said the raid was the result of the development of an investigation into a murder case.
Solomon Islands - airline
Solomon Airlines is working with regional fuel suppliers to look into the contamination problem which grounded the airline's single international aircraft last month.
The airline's Airbus A-320 was not operational for nearly two weeks, requiring the hiring of additional aircraft capacity and creating delays and flight cancellations.
Solomon Times reports airline boss Gus Kraus saying the investigation involves collaboration with aviation regulators, fuel supply companies in the region, aircraft manufacturer Airbus Industries, and examining their own processes.
Kraus said laboratory testing results showed South Pacific Oil's fuel supply system was not the source of the contamination.
Aotearoa/Tonga - murder sentence
A man of Tongan descent, who kicked and punched his partner to death as she lay on the floor, has been jailed in New Zealand.
In the High Court at Hamilton, Peter Vi was sentenced to life in prison - with a minimum term of 11 years and 9 months - for the 2021 murder of his partner.
The NZ Herald reports Vi launched his frenzied attack of kicks and punches after getting into an argument with his partner while drinking.
Justice Mathew Downs applied sentencing discounts for Vi's late guilty plea, just days before the March trial was due to start, and his personal circumstances.
Pacific - food security
The Pacific Community (SPC) has signed funding agreements with the Adaption Fund for $18 million US dollars for projects in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
The Nauru project relates to resilient coastal fisheries and aquaculture, while the PNG funding will go towards adapting small-scale agriculture for improved food security.
SPC said that as climate change continues to impact local communities, countries such as Nauru and PNG will need greater investment in resilience-building measures.
Pacific - energy
A recommendation has been made to set up a Pacific Energy Commissioner.
Pasika Environews reports this came out of the 5th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers meeting.
Chairperson of the meeting and Vanuatu's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Ralph Regenvanu, said the Pacific Energy Commissioner would negotiate and advocate energy issues on behalf of the region.
Regenvanu said the establishment of the commissioner would be presented to the Forum Economic and Ministers Meeting, and the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting.
