Cassidy Airport, Christmas Island, Kiribati Photo: RNZI Walter Zweifel
Kiribati - rotavirus
Kiribati's Ministry of Health and Medical Services on Christmas Island says a child has died from rotavirus.
Aritu Iotia from the ministry there told Radio Kiribati more than 100 people on the island have symptoms of the virus.
The public have been asked to wash their hands, eat well-cooked food while it's still hot, and visit the nearest clinic or hospital if they develop symptoms.
Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.
Vanuatu - referendum
The State Counsel in Vanuatu says referendum amendments are unlikely to end government instability.
Junior Joe Natuman said the changes would make it difficult to change the government.
He said if to change the government if the referendum passes, it would require politicians to convince their political party, not do it individually.
Local media is reporting him saying there are positive and negative sides to the changes and it is now up to the people of Vanuatu to vote for what they want, come 29 May.
Fiji - drainage
The Fiji government is preparing to resolve long-standing problems with the drainage infrastructure in the country.
It comes in the wake of heavy rain and flash flooding over the last couple of weeks.
State broadcaster FBC reported Agriculture Minister Vatimi Rayalu said a new drainage board has been named and gazetted, which will be responsible for the repair and maintenance.
Papua New Guinea - funding
The French Goverment is funding an K$80 million (US$43m) climate change project in Papua New Guinea.
The Post-Courier reported the project is kicking off this week, following an event on Monday.
The goal of the event was to contextualise climate objectives by coordinating the efforts of public, private, bilateral, multilateral, scientific and civil society players, including non-government organisations and philanthropies.
Samoa - money
The Samoa Ports Authority (SPA) presented SAT$3,991,448 to the Minister for Public Enterprises, Leatinuu Wayne So'oialo last week.
In a press release, SPA said the dividend represents 35 percent of a net profit of around SAT$11.4 million for the last financial year.
This is the seventh consecutive year where the Authority has made a net profit allowing it to pay dividend to its shareholder, the Government of Samoa.
Since 2017, the authority has paid an accumulated dividend of about $23.6 million tālā to the Government.
Meanwhile, the Australian government has given the Samoa Tourism Authority a grant of SAT$1.8 million to support tourism marketing.
Pacific - fisheries
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency has launched an upgrade to their monitoring and surveillance efforts.
The electronic vessel register and the electronic port state measures, or e-PSM, system was unveiled by FFA Director-General Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen at a meeting in Honiara.
The Agency said these systems mark a significant advancement in the FFA's efforts to move from paper-based to electronic reporting in the fisheries sector.
Pacific - climate
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has submitted its statement to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on a case related to climate change responsibilities.
The intervention focuses on agreed Forum regional collective positions to date on the issue of climate change-related sea-level rise.
States and organisations who have presented written statements to the court, may submit responses on others' written statements by the 24 June deadline.
The oral proceedings of the ICJ will be notified in due course.
