Vanuatu – airline
The Vanuatu government has
received assurances that funds paid to Airbus for the
purchase of A220 aircraft will be returned once the matter
of domestic services of Air Vanuatu is resolved.
This
comes after the Vanuatu Daily Post received
information revealing that funds raised under the Capital
Investment Immigration Plan were used to finance the
acquisition of aircraft for Air Vanuatu.
A total of
US$20 million was reportedly paid directly to Airbus for the
planned acquisition of up to four A220 aircraft as part of
the airline’s fleet expansion.
Vanuatu Government
Public Relations Officer Kiery Manassah said the funds
remain with Airbus and will be recovered once the government
finalises its plans for domestic air services.
French
Polynesia – mining
French Polynesia’s president has
issued a stark warning over the risks of deep-sea mining,
saying it will be allowed in his territory “over my dead
body”.
Moetai Brotherson argued the potential for
environmental damage outweighs any benefits.
His
comments to the Guardian come as countries in the
Pacific and elsewhere grapple with whether to extract
minerals from the sea floor.
Deep-sea mining has not
yet begun, but some companies and countries are exploring
the practice, which could start in the coming
years.
Brotherson said “we’re playing gods with the
cradle of life” – and that’s way too
dangerous.
Vanuatu – arrest
Vanuatu’s Health
Minister has been arrested and charged with intentional
assault and causing public disorder .
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Local media
reportsed John Still Tari Qetu was arrested in Port Vila and
charged over an alleged incident in July last
year.
The complainant said the investigation has taken
time due to national emergencies including the devastating
December earthquake in Port Vila and the snap
election.
He alleged he was punched him in the head,
causing him to fall.
Minister Qetu has appeared in
court for remand and has been granted bail.
Pacific –
customs
Customs administrations across 14 Pacific
Island nations are intensifying their efforts to halt the
influx of counterfeit goods.
Oceania Customs
Organisation secretariat head, Nancy Oraka, said an
eight-week Brand Protection and Product Identification
Workshop is underway.
This is an effort to equip
frontline customs and intellectual property officers with
skills to find counterfeit goods.
Oraka said the
proliferation of counterfeit products across the region
poses serious threats to public health, consumer safety, and
economic development.
Pacific – media
There
are hopes that a formal meeting of journalists from Tonga
and Papua New Guinea will lead to the development of a
collective media voice in the Pacific.
Eight of
Tonga’s senior journalists met with their counterparts in
Port Moresby to discuss issues affecting them and look at
solutions to issues.
Among those involved was RNZ
Pacific’s Tonga correspondent, Kalafi Moala, who said it was
a productive week and he wants to see more of the Pacific
learning from the Pacific.
“There could be an
interaction between the Micronesian media team, with
Melanesia, with Polynesia,” he said.
“I think this is
a pathway to the future in which the Pacific media learn
from each other.
“Good fellowship, good learning, and
to become a Pacific voice, to try to have a Pacific voice in
the
world.”
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