Palau Photo: Caleb Fotheringham
Palau - search
The search continues for eight divers who failed to surface following a dive expedition.
Island Times reports the divers, seven tourists and one dive guide (three women, five men) did come up after a dive on Boxing Day at the Peleliu Corner Dive Site.
State rangers from Peleliu and Koror were the first responders at the site, later joined by two search and rescue vessels from Marine Law and a Pacific Mission Aviation aircraft.
The Peleliu Corner Dive Site is one of Palau's premier dive locations and is also recognized for its strong currents.
Tonga - new prime minister
The new Tonga Prime Minister 'Aisake Eke is expected to name his new Cabinet line-up next week.
Insiders say names are being proposed before the final list is sent to the King for his royal consent.
Twelve MPs will be made Cabinet Ministers, with at least two nobles expected to be in that line-up, as the Minister for Lands, Foreign Affairs and Defence, key Cabinet positions traditionally held by representatives of the King, are vacant.
Sixteen Members of Parliament chose Mr Eke as prime minister during a secret ballot vote on Christmas Eve.
Vanuatu - New Zealand assistance
A New Zealand medical team is heading to Vanuatu to provide mental health and psychosocial support to local communities affected by the devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
The team consists of psychiatrists, primary care nurses, mental health specialists, a general surgeon, and a general practitioner.
The Pasifika Medical Association's (PMA) PACMAT unit was mobilised at the formal request of the Vanuatu government to address urgent healthcare needs.
PACMAT has previously supported Vanuatu following Cyclones Judy and Kevin in 2023 and is actively engaged in a three-year mental health project in the region.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) specialists deployed to Vanuatu following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake returned home on Friday.
The team of 40 helped secure key strategic assets such as transport routes, building and geotechnical assessments and advice, and critical repairs to government infrastructure.
Commander Russell Wood said he's proud of the support provided to the people of Vanuatu.
New Caledonia - court
The mother of a four-year-old boy who was abandoned for 24 hours has escaped a prison sentence in New Caledonia.
France info says the boy's grandmother called the police after she saw him locked inside, crying at the window of his Noumea apartment.
Public prosecutor Yves Dupas said the boy was clearly disturbed psychologically and the case illustrates parenting problems which are pervasive in the French territory.
The mother was charged with evading her legal obligations as a parent and endangering the safety and health of a minor and received a suspended sentence of eight months in prison and 140 hours of community service.
She was also ordered to undergo drug rehabilitation and a parental responsibility course.
Fiji - navy boat incidents
Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the military is responsible for holding individuals accountable for incidents involving two patrol boats in the navy division.
Responding to questions regarding the incidents, Mr Rabuka said the RFMF (the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces) was governed by the RFMF Act, which ensures that the military is accountable for such matters.
The two incidents in question involved damage to the RFNS Timo while berthing at the Walu Bay Navy Pier last Thursday, and the grounding of the RFNS Puamau on a reef in June.
FBC News said these events highlight ongoing concerns about the navy's capabilities.
FBC News has reached out to the Commander of the military forces, Ro Jone Kalouniwai for comment, but he's yet to respond.
