Samoa's Ministry of Health Headquarters. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Dominic Godfrey
Smaoa - medicine
Continuing shortages of medicine at Samoa's Ministry of Health pharmacy has prompted the Director General Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma to find new sources to supply medicine on time.
TV1Samoa reports Aiono said he will be looking at companies in New Zealand and Australia to find a faster supply chain for much needed medicine.
He is also trying to speak with the private sector pharmacies to help ease shortages at the health ministry.
Samoa built a warehouse at Motootua to stock medicine to alleviate shortages but it does not seem to be working according to reports.
The 2022 budget for medicine supply was close to $US3 million.
Fiji - curfew
The Fijian government is considering implementing a night curfew for children to ensure they are not wondering the streets without supervision.
It is being spearhead by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection.
According to local media reports, Minister Lynda Tabuya will consult stakeholders before it is proposed.
Tabuya said if a child is found unaccompanied and loitering at night, a parent or guardian can be charged with neglect.
"It is usually during the evening hours, the night hours where children are facing exploitation, where children can be trafficked, where children are sold into sex work, by imposing this curfew which our ministry are proposing it will make parents and families more responsible to be keeping their children at home,' she said.
Fiji - exams
Ninety percent of the close to 8000 year 13 students passed their exams in Fiji.
It is a slight improvement on 2022 which saw 89 percent of students pass.
Minister of Education Aseri Radrodro said these results are provisional for 30 days which allows students to have their marks recounted at FJ$5 per subject or remarked for FJ$25.
Results can be accessed through exam result web page and also through district education offices.
Tonga/Japan - grant
Japan will provide US$2 million in grant aid to Tonga's Ministry of Agriculture.
An agreement for the grant aid was signed in Nuku'alofa on Thursday between Agriculture Minister Lord Fohe and Japan's Ambassador Hisao Inagaki.
Ambassador Inagaki said in a speech, the grant would provide Tonga's Agriculture Ministry with machinery such as freeze, drying and grinding machines.
"This equipment will help your ministry take goods steps towards the modernisation of crops to open up new domestic and international markets, Inagaki said.
"I am quite confident that Japan's technology in this area is one of the highest in the world due to its long history of developing such equipment."
Northern Marianas - homicide
Authorities in the Northern Marianas have identified the victims of a double homicide in Saipan last month as Wang Jingdong and Liu Shuping - both Chinese nationals.
The Department of Public Safety has identified several persons of interest in the double homicide but is hoping for more tips from the community.
Police had discovered that the couple had called for police assistance to report a break-in, two weeks before they died.
It said there is a possibility that the previous break-in may be tied to the murders.
Police also disclosed that a murder weapon had been identified but could not disclose further details to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
Pacific - climate
Developing countries are accusing wealthier nations of still not doing enough to curb the fossil fuel industry, nearly a month on from the end of COP28 in Dubai.
This week, India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav told the Hindustan Times that during COP 28 negotiations, his government rejected a request by richer nations for India to expand its coal industry.
Yadav did not name the countries.
Auckland Pacific studies professor Yvonne Underhill-Sem said despite the criticisms, Pacific Nations needed to attend COP28.
"The COP process allows our Pacific representatives to show up and tell our stories. The fact that our stories are not listened to or heard would be even worse if we didn't show up."
