Photo: ANDREW KUTAN
Papua New Guinea - reshuffle
Papua New Guinea police commissioner David Manning has announced a police reshuffle in an effort to strengthen security and combat criminal challenges.
Manning said a special policing zone has been created for Enga, Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.
He said along with promotions and demotions, this is a significant announcement which he hopes will bring back law and order.
Manning said security in those areas has shifted considerably in the last decade.
Marshall Islands - health
The US government Office of Insular Affairs is injecting US$2.2 million into healthcare in the Marshall Islands.
International Affairs assistant secretary Carmen Cantor said funding is set aside for the four nuclear-affected atolls every year.
The money will go towards primary and special healthcare services for people on nuclear-affected atolls, Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap, and Utrik.
The US tested nuclear devices at Bikini Atoll, including 20 hydrogen bombs, in the 1950's.
Meanwhile, US$90,000 has been granted to the Association of Pacific Islands Public Auditors, for an external peer review and quality control review of ten of the thirteen Association member offices.
Solomon Islands - election
Nominations for election candidates in Solomon Islands have closed on Wednesday, 6 March.
Today, Friday 8 March is the last day for anyone wishing to withdraw their name to do so.
Officials at the commission confirmed to RNZ Pacific they are going through the validation process.
The country's first ever joint national and provincial elections is scheduled to take place on 17 April, and campaigning in the country is well underway.
The commission said the final list of election candidates will be made public during a ballot draw, which will be conducted on Monday next week.
Cook Islands - EVs
The Cook Islands Government has decided to keep all of the 25 electric cars purchased for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting last year - because no one wants to buy them.
The Cook Islands News reported the vehicles cost the government NZD$1.7 million to buy.
Seventeen were allocated to replace ageing government vehicles, and the remaining eight were offered for sale but there were no bites.
The feedback from interested buyers was that the cars were too expensive.
There are seven charging ports dotted around Rarotonga.
New Zealand Pasifika - building
The Aotearoa New Zealand building sector wants more Pasifika to take up apprenticeships.
Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation director, Greg Durkin, said while there are many Pacific people working as labourers in the sector, they are under-represented when it comes to qualifications.
Durkin said his agency is working to change that.
"One of the things that we have identified is that it is very difficult to be what you can't see," he said.
"There aren't as many Pasifika role models in construction as we would like. So one of the things we have been doing about that at the moment is we have been profiling some successful Pasifika people in the industry."
He said apprenticeships can open up great careers and potentially lead people into running their own businesses.
