Air Vanuatu Office, Port Vila. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor
Vanuatu - flights
Air Vanuatu is gearing up to restart domestic flights.
Liquidators Ernst & Young Australia said domestic flights will be back "in the short term", with no timing as of yet for the return of international operations.
Australian Aviation reported Ernst & Young announced the restart of pilot training flights last Thursday, with the support of the Vanuatu government and civil aviation authority.
Morgan Kelly of Ernst and Young said domestic flights by Vanuatu's national carrier represent "critical infrastructure" for approximately 300,000 people living across more than 60 islands, and demonstrate that there is a future for the airline.
Samoa - overseas working
Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa says she is supportive of labour opportunities in American Samoa.
Fiame told the Samoa Observer the significance of the American Samoa labour scheme is its proximity and economic benefits due to the higher value of the US dollar.
Her comments came amidst ongoing evaluations of existing labour agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile last month, Tongan Ambassador Dr. T Suka Mangisi - who is a leading figure in representing the interests of Pacific Island nations in Tokyo - said Japan's aging population had created the need for foreign workers there.
"We would support any opportunities for our people to earn money, but there is also that part of losing human resources," Fiame said.
Guam - cannabis
The cultivation and sale of recreational cannibas has been given a green light in Guam.
The US Territory legalised recreational cannibas in 2019 but a requirement that products be laboratory certified stymied commercial interest.
Pacific Daily News reported Guam's governor Lou Leon Guerroro has now signed into law a waiver of the safety requirement.
It has been waived for two years or until a certified testing facility was established.
Leon Guerrero told the Daily she recognised the apprehension of investing in an expensive facility without knowing the value of the market.
Senator Will Parkinson, who was behind the bill, previously told RNZ Pacific cultivators did not want to grow cannabis because there were no labs available, and labs did not want to open because they could not guarantee demand.
Northern Mariana Islands - flights
A Tinian-based airline has threatened to cease inter-island air service in the Northern Marianas, due to a long-standing dispute with the Commonwealth Ports Authority over fees.
Star Marianas Air last week informed leaders, including the governor, of its intent to cease its scheduled flight service for the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota by October 15, should nothing be done about the ports authority's current fee structure (or means of collecting fees).
The airline's board chair Robert Christians wrote they are prepared to work collaboratively to find a resolution that benefits all parties involved.
Northern Mariana Islands - dengue
The Northern Mariana Islands has confirmed a travel-related dengue case on Rota.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, which was investigating the case, said specimens were collected and sent to a Guam laboratory for testing.
As a precautionary measure, the corporation's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention team conducted inspections to identify and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites to prevent further transmission.
The patient's residence was being closely monitored.
Marshall Islands - climate grants
The Marshall Islands, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, will receive US$21 million in grants from the World Bank to strengthen fiscal management and enhance disaster and climate resilience.
The Marshall Islands faces substantial long-term uncertainty due to climate change, population decline, and a limited private sector, and critical reforms are needed to ensure long-term economic sustainability.
The grants aims to support these reforms and contribute to the country's sustainable and resilient development.
World Bank resident representative for the north Pacific, Omar Lyasse, said this is the first operation of its type in the Marshall Islands, and it comes at a critical time to support the country's resilience and sustainable development.
