Papua New Guinea – drugs
Papua New Guinea’s
deputy police commissioner Donald Yamasombi says the country
is sitting on a dangerous stockpile of illegal drugs – as
much as three tonnes.
The Post-Courier reported
Yamasombi warning international cartels see PNG as a
convenient gateway into regional markets.
He said the
danger is not only in the trafficking networks, but in the
risk of drugs entering local communities.
Yamasombi
said PNG is strategically located, 30 minutes from the
Australian coastline.
Vanuatu – cough
The
Vanuatu health authority says unvaccinated children at risk
as a whooping cough outbreak hits Erromango Island in Tafea
and Efate in Shefa.
The Ministry of Health has
reported 179 cases from those areas.
All communities
are asked to stay on alert and get their vaccinations up to
date.
The Ministry warned that cases are increasing
and spreading to more islands.
Northern Mariana
Islands – disaster
National partners from the
mainland United States are helping the Northern Marianas
strengthen disaster recovery.
When typhoons batter the
Marianas, recovery often stretches years beyond the
headlines.
Families patch roofs with tarpaulin,
neighbours share generators, island leaders navigate a maze
of federal aid, and high school and college students go to
class in temporary fabric structures.
Disaster
recovery experts told local CNMI authorities that they do
not have to face the next storm alone.
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They say there
is support available from the likes of the US National
Low-Income Housing Coalition and Emergency Legal
Responders.
Pacific – women
Women leaders,
youth advocates, and parliamentarians from across the
Pacific are in Fiji, in an effort to address what’s been
described as a persistent gender gap in political
representation.
In Fiji alone, female parliamentry
representation dropped from 20 per cent in 2018, to 10.9 per
cent four years later.
The Women’s Leadership Regional
Intergenerational Dialogue brings together women and youth
from across the region to share their experiences, reflect
on progress, and find solutions to improve women’s
participation in politics.
Alison Davidian from UN
women Fiji said the Pacific is not short of female leaders,
but what is missing are the systems, political will and
accountability to ensure women’s leadership is
recognised.
Fiji – scam
Fiji police are
warning people about a scam phone message purporting to be
the Commissioner of Police.
The Criminal
Investigations Department is investigating the circulation
of Viber messages claiming to be the Commissioner of Police
requesting assistance for the funding of various small
projects.
Police are warning people not to share any
personal information via messaging platforms to anyone
claiming to be an official of either a private or public
organisation.
Vanuatu – police
The Vanuatu
Police Force has reminded the public that it is a serious
offence attack, obstruct, or injure police officers who are
performing their duties.
This comes after two police
officers were stabbed while responding to a call last
week.
The Force said police officers serve under the
mandate of the people, and violence against them is violence
against the safety and security of all citizens.
One
person has been arrested following the attack on the
officers.
Tuvalu – appointment
Reverend Sir
Tofiga Vaevalu Falani has been reappointed as Tuvalu’s
Governor-General for another year.
He took his oath of
office on Tuesday.
The ceremony was administered by
Acting Chief Justice Sir John Muria and attended by Prime
Minister Feleti Teo, secretary to government Dr Tufoua
Panapa, and officials from the Attorney-General’s Office and
the Office of the
Judiciary.
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