Pacific News In Brief For 25 April
Papua New Guinea - election
The writs for the Local Level Government elections in Papua New Guinea have been signed by the Minister for Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs, Soroei Eoe, on Thursday, marking the beginning of the election process.
Nomination are now open as people prepare to contest for 374 local level government (LLG) spots, and 6,916 wards across PNG.
In the seven Highlands provinces, along with Morobe, the LLG presidents will be chosen indirectly by ward councillors.
But in the other provinces voters will elect both the ward councillors and LLG presidents.
This marks the first time the Electoral Commission will implement both voting methods simultaneously.
Samoa - shooting
A man has admitted fatally shooting a 12-year-old in his sleeping net, when he appeared in the Supreme Court in Samoa.
The Samoa Observer reported the 27-year-old from the Salelavalu in Savai'i could face a minimum of 17 years in jail.
The newspaper said the defendant became angry after the boy reported an extramarital affair the man had with the youth's sister.
The accused has been remanded in custody for sentencing.
Pacific - climate
A high-level Pacific Islands Forum delegation has met with US officials.
The chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Prime Minister of Tonga, 'Aisake Eke, and the Forum's Secretary-General, Baron Waqa, are in the US as part of efforts to secure funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility.
The facility is a Pacific-based climate fund for community resilience building.
A meeting with the US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz focused on strengthening engagement between the PIF and the US.
The Forum delegation also met with the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.
The United States has been a Forum dialogue partner since 1989.
Papua New Guinea - justice
Inmates in Papua New Guinea, who are in jail while awaiting court appearances, have appealed to the prime minister to consider releasing them as part of the country's anniversary celebrations.
PNG is celebrating 50 years of independence this year.
The Post-Courier reported their call was relayed to PM James Marape on Easter Monday by Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services, Bernard Nepo.
He said a lot of prisoners have been in the prison system for between 5-10 years "without having justice served on them".
Nepo said this group of inmates and others who qualify needed to be released on parole during the country's golden jubilee.
Marape said he does not have that authority but justice services will look into this process.
Fiji - economy
The Fiji government has achieved a fiscal surplus for the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, marking the first surplus since late 2019.
This is stated by Westpac in its latest quarterly update on the Fijian economy, published on Tuesday.
Westpac said that positive outcomes were driven by higher tax collections and effective compliance measures, resulting in government revenue exceeding forecasts, while expenditures lagged behind.
However, they also expected Fiji's economy to grow by 2.7 percent in 2025, lower than an earlier projection of 3.4 percent.
They noted that tourism arrival numbers are down compared to where they would normally be.
Westpac stated the downturn in visitor arrivals during the first quarter of 2025 raises concerns about the domestic economic outlook, compounded by global uncertainty.
Pacific - police
New Zealand's Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is travelling to Fiji and Samoa next week.
PMN reported Mr Chambers plans to meet with police leaders and teams in Fiji and Samoa.
Chambers said New Zealand Police is dedicated to being easy to work with and offering support, especially during challenging times.
He leaves for Fiji on 28 April.
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
US moves B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran options
By Thomas Bordeaux , Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen , CNN US stealth bombers were flying on 21 June 2025 across the Pacific Ocean, according to tracking data and media reports. Photo: US Department of Defense / AFP Multiple US B-2 bombers appear to have taken off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and are heading west, according to flight tracking data CNN has reviewed, as President Donald Trump weighs his military options over a potential airstrike in Iran. A US defence official said there has been no order given to move forward with any kind of operation against Iran using the B-2s. As of Saturday (local time), the planes are flying over the Pacific and appear to be headed toward Guam. Two US defence officials cautioned that any movement of B-2s does not mean an operation is imminent but rather is intended to provide the president with options. Another US official said moving aircraft can be a show of force and a deterrent as Trump deliberates. B-2 bombers are the only planes capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which experts have highlighted as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility. Each B-2 bomber is able to carry two of these "bunker buster" bombs, which weigh an impressive 30,000 pounds (13,600kg) each. An Air Force B-2 Spirit taxis on the flight line at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, 2018. File photo. Photo: Supplied/US Dept of Defense The movement of the B-2 bombers comes as Trump has spent much of the past week in the Situation Room, reviewing attack plans and quizzing officials about the potential consequences of each. The president indicated that his two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran is the "maximum" amount of time - and that he could make up his mind sooner. Trump is set to hold a meeting with his national security team in the Oval Office on Saturday and Sunday evening. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. On Friday night, eight US Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers took off from Altus, Oklahoma, according to data from FlightRadar24. Over Kansas, the tankers refuelled two groups of planes, identified on air traffic control audio by their callsigns MYTEE11 FLT and MYTEE21 FLT. The callsign MYTEE has previously been associated with special activity flights by B-2 bombers, and multiple flight trackers on social media said the planes being refuelled were B-2 bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Flight tracking data and air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN show the bombers refuelled again off the coast of California, and over Hawaii. Satellite imagery taken on Thursday showed six KC-135 refuelling planes stationed at Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean that could be used to refuel the bombers should they continue onward to Iran. - CNN
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Christopher Luxon concludes China trip: 'No evidence' of collaboration with Russia, Iran and North Korea
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Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
More clarity on impacts of gold mining called for
About 180 people attended a meeting opposing Central Otago's upcoming gold-mining project, as they called for more transparency on potential impacts. Local group Sustainable Tarras has held meetings in Dunedin and Wanaka over the past week and garnered significant support from the community in its opposition to the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project located in Tarras. The project is being carried out by Australian-based mining company Santana Minerals and will establish an open pit and underground gold mine on Bendigo and Ardgour Stations in Central Otago. The open pit will be 1000m long, 850m wide and 200m deep. The meeting held by Sustainable Tarras at the Wanaka Presbyterian Church on Thursday evening was attended by the Otago Daily Times, and featured industry experts and residents showing their opposition to the project. Sustainable Tarras chairwoman Suze Keith said about 100 people had indicated they would attend the meeting, but the turnout exceeded expectations, an estimated 180 people turning up. "It really reinforces that we're not on our own, because we are a small community, and that the Wanaka community do care beyond the boundary of their town," she said. The meeting also included videos sent in from Green MPs Scott Willis and Lan Pham as well as Dunedin MP Rachel Brooking, who all showed their support for the work the group was doing. One of the main speakers at the meeting was Sustainable Tarras member Rob van der Mark. Concerned about the impacts of the project, the Tarras local took it upon himself to do a deep dive into the impacts of this project several months ago and said he felt there were many gaps in the information available. Throughout his speech, he highlighted the lack of clear communication and transparency he faced when he approached Santana Minerals. "We've had good dialogue with Santana in the past ... We don't learn a lot, but I think they learn a lot from us," he said. Major concerns discussed at the meeting included concerns chemicals such as arsenic and cyanide could potentially be released into the air or seep into the ground and local creeks. The processing plant for the mine will be located in the lower Shepherds Valley and chemicals used to process gold such as cyanide will be held at a tailings storage facility. The storage facility is set to be 260m wide and will include a tailings dam. "Santana will do their best to clean it up ... but everybody who has large dams knows that dams leak and it's that long-term risk that we will be left with," Mr van der Mark said. In a statement released on the same day as the Sustainable Tarras Wanaka meeting, Santana Minerals said the processing plant would ensure cyanide concentrations were below the level deemed safe for wildlife before chemicals were discharged into the tailings storage facility. As the company prepares to finish its fast-track application, it stated many environmental assessments had been completed and several key ecological reports were still in progress. The Sustainable Tarras team are calling for the company to further involve the community by being more open about the reports it is undertaking. "They're telling their shareholders they've completed all these background reports. Well, when we ask for them, we get stonewalled," Mr van der Mark said. Santana Minerals said feedback from its regular drop-in sessions had been largely positive, and the company was committed to ensuring the project was beneficial to the community. "For many of our team this is our home too, and our focus is on listening, refining and working together to build a project that Central Otago can be proud of for generations to come," Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said in a statement.
