Pacific
Most Pacific countries were among 34 nations which did not vote on a decision to admit Palestine to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Leaders from across the region are making their way to New York for assembly week.
The UN said the vote became necessary in the wake of a US decision to deny visas to, and revoke visas from, representatives of Palestine.
Vanuatu voted in support of Palestine’s participation in the 81st UNGA, as did 151 other member states, while three were opposed and four abstained.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu is considering linking marine weather warnings to permissions for allowing varioius categories of vessels.
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that the proposal could see regulations potentially determining which boats can operate under particular weather and sea conditions.
Minister for Climate Change and Meteorological Services Ralph Regenvanu proposed the idea after last week’s MV Matui disaster in which dozens of passengers are feared to have died.
Regenvanu said the disaster reinforces the need to turn weather warnings into clearer guidance for sea travel.
He said vessel operators need clearer guidance on whether their vessels can safely operate under particular conditions.
The proposed approach would reduce the need for vessel captains to interpret general weather warnings themselves.
Fiji
A Fjian farmer has given up her cattle as water supply dwindles.
Sunita Devi said sometimes there is no water for the animals, and when they are thirsty, they cry and she also cries because she could not do much to provide water.
The Fiji Sun reports the family relies on a shared water tank, and Devi said she could not prioritise her animals and garden when neighbouring families also needed water.
She said the growth of the animals and the garden will be affected with El NiƱo and climate change.
Devi said the only solution they found was to quit the gardening and sell and give away the animals.
Federated State of Micronesia
The US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau says the US intends to give disaster relief to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
On a visit after the Pacific Islands Forum, Landau looked at the recovery efforts following Typhoon Sinlaku’s damage in Chuuk State.
He announced the US intends to provide over US$100 million to support disaster relief and reconstruction in FSM, delivering on commitments under the Compact of Free Association.
Landau also visited Solomon Islands and Kiribati, after earlier attending the Pacific Forum leaders summit.
Tonga
Deputy Prime Minister Dr Viliami Latu says no village should be considered too small to get weather warnings.
Islands Business reported Dr Latu spoke at the opening of the Pacific Meteorological Council.
He said the value of weather and climate services should not be measured by how sophisticated the technology is; but whether people receive information they can understand and act upon.
He said no community should be considered too remote to receive an effective warning.
Tonga
A Tongan man has been sentenced to life imprisonment on methamphetamine-related charges.
Teau ‘i Mo’unga Faletau was convicted of arranging the transportation of more than five kilograms of meth to New Zealand in 2024.
Matangi Tonga reported that a co-defendant, Mafi Fatongiatau Lutui, was acquitted of a similar count in this case, which involved police informants.
Because the quantity exceeded five kilograms, life imprisonment was the only sentence legally available.
Tonga Police generic
Facebook / Tonga Police
Meanwhile, Tongan police arrested three individuals on suspicion of importing drugs on Monday.
The arrests were made after police seized approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine during a raid.
In a statement, police said they have charged a 36 year old female from Halaleva and two males, aged 68 and 45, both from Vaini.
Fiji
Fiji says it has three key priorities for the COP31 climate talks, to be held in Turkey in November.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael, said Fiji will host the Pacific pre-COP negotiators’ meeting in Nadi on 1 and 2 October.
The Fiji Sun reported the government’s priorities are fairer access to climate finance; putting the ocean on the negotiating table; and keeping the 1.5-degrees Celsius warming limit goal within reach.
Michael, who co-chairs the Ocean and Climate Dialogue under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the Pacific is pushing to formally place oceans on the COP agenda for the first time.
Australia
Australia’s right-wing One Nation Party says it would preserve the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (PALM) while slashing in-bound temporary migration across the board.
One Nation has been the second-highest polling party in Australia since February.
The party said it wants to reduce the number of temporary visa holders, as well as those in the country unlawfully, by 750,000 over three years.
It would combine this with an annual cap of 130,000 in the country at a time.
Leader Pauline Hanson said both the Labor and Liberal parties have sacrificed Australian living standards to serve vested interests demanding continued mass migration.
However, working visas tied to employer demand, such as the PALM scheme, will be maintained.
The scheme has drawn in more than 32,000 participants from Pacific Island countries so far this year.
