Pacific/NZ
Twelve New Zealand Defence Force personnel are joining the US Navy ship USS Pearl Harbor for an exercise aimed at preparing Indo-Pacific countries' responses to a large-scale disaster.
This year, the New Zealanders are joining Exercise Pacific Partnership in a staggered fashion for the leg that will take them through the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga.
The deployment planted 4000 mangrove seedlings on the banks of a Fijian estuary, where as the climate changes the village of Matainoco experiences flooding and salt water contamination of farm land.
The Kiwis join nearly 1500 personnel from other nations in the exercise.
The Defence Force said the exercise was developed as a way to improve on the disjointed humanitarian aid and disaster relief response to the 2004 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami.
Solomon Islands - plastic
A regulation to ban single-use plastics in Solomon Islands comes into force on September 1.
The ban prohibits the importing, manufacturing, distribution, sale and general use of single-use plastics.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology's chief environment officer, Wendy Beti, said there will be a six-month grace period to allow business who have already placed orders to get their products into the country.
She said the manufacturing, distribution, sale, or supply of these banned items will also be allowed during this period to give time for importers and users to use up the items.
Solomon Islands plastic ban comes into force September 1. Photo: Copyright: vetre
Pacific - fisheries
Member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency or FFA have failed to finish an agreement for distributing $US60 million.
The US government announced last year it plans to extend the long-term US Pacific Islands Treaty by providing $60 annually for 10 years to the FFA, for the US fishing fleet to have access to fish in the waters of FFA members.
This funding is included in President Joe Biden's budget that is awaiting Congressional approval.
The FFA will meet next week in Papua New Guinea for the third time in an effort to resolve differences over a new distribution system.
Australia at Pacific Games
Two Olympic weightlifters will head Australia's weightlifting squad for the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.
Inside the Games reported Kiana Elliott and Matthew Lydement are among 13 weightlifters which will form part of a team expected to feature 85 Australian athletes.
In the women's events, Elliott is due to be joined by Commonwealth Games champion Eileen Cikamatana, Darcy Kay, Brenna Kean, Sarah Cochrane, Jacqueline Nichele and Olivia Kelly.
Lydement will compete in the men's side alongside Rory Scott, Oliver Saxton, Kyle Bruce, Leon Vogeler-Schmid and Jackson Roberts-Young.
In addition to the weightlifters, a team of eight sailors has been chosen.
Evie Saunders, Ellen Sampson, Thomas Farley and Isaac Schotte are each set to contest the one-person dinghy, while Amelia Wilson, Charlotte Wormald, Jarrod Jones and Lachlan Vize are scheduled for the sailboard class.
Solomon boxers return
The Solomon Islands Amateur Boxing Association boxing team has returned home with one gold medal and five silvers after competing at the 'Golden Gloves' championship in Queensland last week.
Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports said the five member team has done well, as they prepare for the Pacific Games in Honiara in November.
It was the first time that Solomon Islands boxing team had competed at the event.
Boxers from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Nauru also joined their counterparts from Australia at the event.
