Damages to South Pentecost villages in the aftermath of Cyclone Lola. Photo: Supplied/Save the Children
Vanuatu - food
Those affected by Cyclone Lola on the Vanuatu island of Pentecost have this week been receiving more food aid provided by churches on the island of Santo.
Melsisi Secondary School principal Joseph Molkis said the people of Pentecost are fortunate to receive fresh food to diversify their diet.
Molkis said this week they also got cuttings of cassava, taro and sweet potatoes to replant their gardens, which had been destroyed by Lola.
He said these have been purchased by Care International from Santo farmers.
Pentecost got its first consignment of food from Santo the week after the cyclone hit.
Samoa - weight
Nurses and doctors in Samoa have been urged to "practice what they preach" by living healthy lifestyles and losing excess weight.
Minister of Health Valasi Tafito Selesel voiced his concerns at a nursing orientation and graduation.
The Samoa Observer reports Valasi saying the public had praised the awareness messaging on losing weight and living healthy.
But they find it ironic that the ministry keeps asking people to lose weight when there are overweight doctors and nurses providing services.
The minister said his remarks are not to "body-shame" anyone but it's the reality of what's happening and that's what people are saying.
Samoa - election
It is set to cost more than one million tālā to have all eligible voters in Samoa re-registered, using a new computerised system and biometrics, in time for the next general election.
Electoral Commissioner Tuiafelolo John Stanley told TV1 Samoa they hope to start new registrations for the whole country in April next year.
The majority of the bill for the project will be picked up by the Australian government, he said.
Tuiafelolo said the majority of the costs will be for staff accommodation around the country as they will be travelling through the individual villages.
He said everyone must be registered under the new system if they want to vote in the 2026 general elections.
Tonga - injunction
Seven opposition MPs have failed to get an injunction on parliamentary proceedings as they take legal action against their house speaker.
Tonga's Supreme Court rejected the need for an injunction as House Speaker Lord Fakafanua undergoes a judicial review for a possible lawsuit against him.
The court ruled it was not in the public interest for Parliament to stop meeting.
Lord Fakafanua is accused of breaching the constitution when he declined a request by opposition MPs to debate a motion for a vote of no confidence against Tonga's Prime Minister in Parliament, after it had been read out.
The motion was rejected by 14 votes to 11.
It contained 46 allegations of mismanagement, incompetence and corruption against the Prime Minister.
Solomon Islands - transparency
A grant of US$6.5 million has been approved to support the Solomon Islands government to improve the transparency, data collection, and accountability of its statistics and auditing functions.
The money has been approved by the World Bank's board of executive directors.
Solomon Islands Minster of Finance and Treasury Harry Kuma said all Solomon Islanders will see impacts from this work.
He said it will provide better access to social data, information on income levels and poverty, and clear and timely information about how public funds are being used to address their needs.
Fiji - tourism
Fiji is anticipating the arrival of 12 cruise lines this season.
Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka told FBC News cruise liners have become an integral part of the tourism sector as interest has grown over the years.
Gavoka said they also want to grow more out of island visits like Kadavu and Dravuni.
He said this year, more than 36,000 cruise passengers visited Fiji, bringing in close to FJ$2 million in revenue.
Northern Marianas - projects
US$79 million has been earmarked for three US Air Force divert airfield projects in Tinian in the Northern Marianas.
The National Defense Authorisation Act requests have allotted money for airfield development, installing fuel tanks with pipeline and hydrant, and a parking apron.
The first and second phases of the divert airfield will allow the US Air Force to use Tinian as an alternative landing site or a divert airfield for its planes in case Anderson Air Force Base in Guam is inaccessible.
The project is expected to be completed by 2025.
Northern Marianas - utilities
The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation or CUC lost more than half the water it held in October, with earthquakes being blamed.
The corporation's deputy executive director Kevin Watson said they suspect ground movement had something to do with it.
The utility had stored more than 252-million gallons of water in October, but the total amount it billed was just over 90 million gallons.
Watson said that equates to a non-revenue water loss of 64 per cent on Saipan - meaning more than half of the water CUC is producing was lost and not earning money for the agency.
In October the utility had 66 work orders for leak repairs.
