Samoa
Samoa’s
FAST Party has two more seats in parliament following
by-elections in Vaisigano 2 and Safata 1.
Motuopua’a
Henney Papalii won Vaisigano 2 – the district he resigned
from in January as an independent, to join the FAST
Party.
Tunumafono Clare Tai Tin narrowly took the
Safata 1 seat.
Talamua Online reported the
results also required the formal writ from the Head of
State.
Palau
Palau has distanced itself from
an oil tanker formerly on their ship register after it was
struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.
Palau
said the MT Skylight was deregistered at the beginning of
January 2026.
The tanker has
been sanctioned by the US and is understood to be servicing
Iran as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
Shipping
registry Equasis lists the Skylight’s flag status as
unknown.
Fiji
Australia’s High Commissioner in
Suva says his country is committed to standing with Fiji in
its fight against drugs.
Peter Roberts’ comments come
after a major talanoa in Fiji on the country’s response to
what authorities are desribing as an “escalating drug
crisis”.
Roberts said the talanoa showed there’s huge
political will in Fiji to combat the problem.
He said
Australia stands with Fiji on this serious issue which is a
shared challenge that requires a shared response.
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As
well as an Australian Federal Police base in Suva, Australia
works closely with Fiji on financial intelligence and
maritime surveillance to track drug deals and
trafficking.
Samoa
A 300-metre radius around
the wreckage of the HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa has been
declared a no-go zone.
Samoa’s government has
announced that the area is prohibited for safety reasons,
until the wreckage of the New Zealand naval vessel, which
sunk in late 2024, is secured.
The ban includes ships
in the area and aircraft, which must fly more than 500 feet
above sea level within the zone.
The hazards listed
include structures prone to collapse, sharp metal edges,
ropes and cables, and disorientation or entrapment from loss
of visibility.
Fiji
Fiji’s Great Council of
Chiefs (GCC) wants the removal of the two-year residency
requirement that bars some overseas-based Fijians from
contesting elections.
The Fiji Sun reported
chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula confirming the GCC passed a
resolution urging the Government to amend the Electoral Act
2014, and remove the residency rule for those registered in
the Vola ni Kawa Bula, the official register of indigenous
Fijian bloodlines.
Under the Electoral Act 2014,
anyone wanting to stand in elections must have lived in Fiji
for at least 18 months out of the two years before
nominations.
Ratu Viliame says the requirement was
preventing capable individuals from standing for
office.
However, opposition MP Premila Kumar has
warned that removing the two-year residency rule for
overseas-based iTaukei candidates could open the door to
outside interference.
MP Kumar said while she
understands the intent, eliminating the rule could open the
door to undue external interference or granting undue
advantages to privileged
expatriates.
Solomon
Islands
The parliamentary opposition group in Solomon
Islands is calling on the government to sort out delays in
the confirmation of national scholarships.
Acting
leader Dean Kuku said this is resulting in students starting
their studies late, struggling to secure accommodation, and
missing critical academic instruction.
Kuku said the
government must finalise all outstanding scholarship awards,
sort logistics for affected students, and provide remedial
academic support for those who have missed commencement
dates.
Tonga
Tonga has begun discussions with
the United States to support marine scientific research, to
inform seabed exploration.
The two governments issued
a joint statement, outlining plans to strengthen
collaboration on advancing the “responsible exploration of
seabed mineral resources”.
Pacnews reported the
two governments saying they’re also looking at the
development of global regulatory frameworks and
standards.
Both governments say they are committed to
responsible and transparent exploration.
Solomon
Islands
The Solomon Islands government says the
country will again contribute to United Nations peacekeeping
efforts, this time to South Sudan in mid-March.
The
Permanent Mission of Solomon Islands to the UN has confirmed
that eight Solomons police officers have been selected for
deployment.
The government said prior to deployment,
the officers completed pre-deployment training in Australia,
with support from the Australian Federal Police, and
undertook all mandatory UN pre-deployment
assessments.
Solomon Islands previously deployed
police officers to UN peacekeeping missions in 2016, 2017,
and
2018.
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