Marshall Islands Red Cross Society has deployed a team to Alinglaplap for an assessment. Photo: Marshall Islands Red Cross Society
Micronesia - drought
Extreme drought conditions in Micronesia have forced residents to limit their water usage.
Three-hunred people are affected in the island state of Yap.
RNZ Pacific correspondent in Guam, Naina Rao, said water containers are being distributed to outer islands and the situation is tough.
"These situations can become a life or death situation just because of how remote these outer islands are geographically."
"Droughts can get a little more critical just because the islands don't have a wider or easier access to some of the resources we depend on to survive right."
She said weather services have forcast the drought continue for two more months.
Papu aNew Guinea - support
Flood victims in Papua New Guinea's Madang Province are calling for support after homes and roads were washed away in last month's floods.
The provincial disaster office told The National that the National Disaster Centre has committed around US$250,000 (one million kina) towards flood stricken communities.
Director Rudolf Mongalee said when the money is in the account his team will start visiting affected areas to provide relief.
But people are calling for the central government to step in and support communities still waiting for help.
Samoa - labour
A Samoan lawyer in Australia has warned Samoan seasonal workers are suffering because of the failure of authorities and their employment agents to get them properly insured.
Leota Simaumea Taufao told the Samoa Observer he has concerns about the lack of insurance awareness for seasonal workers in Australia and questioned the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility( PALM) over its insurance policy.
He says most of the workers going to Australia have very little knowledge of insurance.
Meanwhile, a recruiter for seasonal workers in Samoa, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale, said he was shocked by the insurance issue faced by Samoans working overseas.
He said under their district's seasonal work program as well as the government's schemes, no worker is allowed to leave the country for overseas employment unless they are insured.
Vanuatu - teachers
The Vanuatu Teachers Union says overcrowding in schools needs to be addressed promptly.
The union claims some classrooms may have as many as 50 students.
Vanuatu Education Ministry head Bergmans Lati told local media each school needs to tackle the issue on its own.
He says they can use school fees or government grants to build more classrooms.
Union members argued that a high number of student in classrooms burden teachers, leading to not giving enough attention and support for students, distracting their academic performance.
Cook Islands - fisheries
Cook Islands' fisheries revenue is projected to double following an historic Tuna Treaty between Pacific Island States and the United States last week.
The revised Treaty provides significant increases in funding, the Cook Islands News reports.
The US government will inject US$60 million into the Pacific annually for the next 10 years (2023-2033), on top of industry contributions.
Cook Islands alone is set to receive around four million of that.
In the last financial year (2022/23), Cook Islands earned over $4 million in fisheries revenue.
The projected earnings for this financial year now sits at US$9.2m.
Rapa Niu - plastics
More than 100 delegates from forty countries were in Rapa Nui for a Pacific Leaders' Summit on plastic pollution and microplastics last week.
Chile's Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente told La Tercera their main objective is to secure its protected marine areas, where she said millions of pieces of plastic waste accumulates.
These areas includes the waters around Rapa Nui.
According to the Northern Catholic University in Chile, between 20 per cent and 80 per cent of fish and birds on Rapa Nui have microplastics in their stomachs.
Hawaii - cannabis
Hawaii's House of Representatives has halted the progression of a bill that would have legalised the recreational use of cannabis for adults aged 21 and over.
House Finance chair, Kyle Yamashita, declined to hold a vote on Senate Bill 333-5, citing fiscal challenges and prioritizing wildfire recovery efforts as reasons for its halt.
Yamashita's decision was supported by majority of 'no' votes from committee members during discussions on the House floor.
Hawai'i Governor Josh Green told Hawai'i News Now he supported legalisation.
