CSIRO develops landmark framework to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining
Australia's peak scientific body the C-S-I-R-O has developed the first environmental frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining.
Changes to Vanuatu's information laws ring alarm bells for local media.
Ground handling staff face an uncertain future at Tonga's international airport.
In Solomon Islands the famous Trade Show is in full swing ahead of Independence Day.
An NGO pours cold water on Prime Minister James Marape's announcement that no more forestry licences will be approved in Papua New Guinea.
New Zealand opts out of the OFC Women's Nations Cup in Lautoka, setting the stage for an island team to etch their name on the trophy.
And regional rivalries flair, as the 3x3 basketball tournament heats up at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
a day ago
- The Australian
Clive Palmer accuses solicitor Sam Iskander of Mineralogy ‘theft'
Billionaire Clive Palmer says he has reported his long-time solicitor to police, alleging the lawyer stole $30m in legal fees from his mining company. In an explosive written statement released on Thursday night, former federal MP Mr Palmer alleged that Sam Iskander had stolen about $30m from the businessman's company Mineralogy between 2016 and last month. Mr Palmer said Mineralogy would launch legal action in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking an order to freeze Mr Iskander's assets and said he had reported the matter to police. 'This is the biggest individual fraud in Queensland history and it casts serious doubts over our judicial system,'' Mr Palmer said. A mobile number for Mr Iskander was disconnected and the website for his law firm Alexander Law was not functional on Thursday night. Mr Iskander did not respond to requests for comment via email and voicemail left on the firm's answering service. The Queensland Law Society said on Thursday night that the body was 'aware of the situation and can confirm that Mr Iskander has surrendered his practising certificate and is no longer in practice'. 'Our priority in this situation is to protect the public and execute our duties as co-regulator of the legal profession in Queensland,' a law society spokesman said. 'We are taking all necessary steps to do this in accordance with responsibilities under the Legal Profession Act.' The society's online register of solicitors said Mr Iskander was registered as a solicitor in 2004 and he had an 'unrestricted' practising certificate. Mr Palmer has, at times, made outlandish statements. In 2022, he and then West Australian premier Mark McGowan were both awarded minor damages for defaming each other. The Australian does not suggest Mr Palmer's allegations against Mr Iskander are true, only that they have been made. The Australian understands Mr Palmer claims the alleged offending was discovered when he was compiling a tax return and sought more details about a barrister's fees. He allegedly found that Mr Iskander had told him the barrister's fees were five times more than they actually were, and then pocketed the rest. A forensic audit going back to 2016 allegedly found Mr Iskander had taken $30m, by inflating alleged bills relating to legal cases that he ran for Mr Palmer. Mr Iskander has represented the former federal MP for years, including during Mr Palmer's chequered ownership of the Queensland Nickel refinery in north Queensland and the dismissal of hundreds of workers. In 2019, the refinery said Mr Iskander's law firm was managing the trust account for unpaid workers' entitlements. As recently as January this year, Mr Iskander was filing documents to the High Court on behalf of Mr Palmer in his legal action against the Commonwealth of Australia. That case related to the registration of Mr Palmer's United Australia Party and a dispute with the Australian Electoral Commission. Alexander Law was listed as Mr Palmer's solicitors when the judgment was handed down in May. The former member for the Queensland Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax lost and was ordered to pay legal costs. In an interview on Thursday night, Mr Palmer said the internal audit of legal fees had led to a complaint being made to police against Mr Iskander and civil legal action, which would be filed on Friday. 'Tomorrow (Friday) in the Supreme Court of Queensland, we're moving against him to get a freezing order against his assets, right?'' Mr Palmer said. 'And it's clear that he's applied a lot of our funds to purchase property throughout Australia, and we have launched caveats on those properties. I can confirm on the record that we've made a complaint to police, yeah, and that they're investigating right now.' Questions were put to Queensland Police but a response was not received before deadline. Read related topics: Clive Palmer Politics Anthony Albanese faces mounting pressure to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP ahead of his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. Defence Pentagon officials warn Australia must lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP to meet AUKUS commitments and defend itself adequately.
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Solomon Islands defends blocking almost two dozen leaders from Pacific Islands Forum
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has defended his move to block almost two dozen nations from a critical Pacific meeting in Honiara next month, saying he made a "sovereign" decision in the region's best interests. Multiple Pacific and Australian government sources have said Mr Manele has cancelled a gathering with dialogue partners at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting in September because he wants to avoid a damaging stoush over Taiwan's participation. His decision means the high-profile meeting will effectively be limited to PIF members, which includes Australia, New Zealand and a host of Pacific nations. But the prime minister insisted he was only "deferring" the dialogue because a bureaucratic overhaul of how PIF nations deal with outside countries during the leaders meeting was "unfortunately … not ready" in time for the meeting in Honiara. "The centrality of the PIF is important." Mr Manele also took a thinly veiled swipe at overseas media outlets that have been reporting on Taiwan tensions in the lead-up to the decision, saying they were driving their own "narratives". "The Pacific region must always lead, drive and own their own agenda and not be distracted by divisive issues pushed by external media," he said. "Our government acts in the best interests of our nation and the region." Solomon Islands has drawn close to China, which has been pressing Pacific nations to break with a decades-long precedent and block Taiwan from attending PIF leaders meetings. Several regional officials have told the ABC that Mr Manele has been under pressure from China on the issue, and the prime minister devised this compromise in order to avoid antagonising either Beijing or the three Pacific nations that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taipei. But the prime minister said he was simply trying to honour the "spirit" of the last PIF meeting, where leaders said they wanted the new "tiered" arrangement to be implemented in time for this year's gathering in Honiara. "We are not under pressure from any external forces," he said. Mr Manele also said decisions relating to the PIF leaders meeting should be made "collectively" — despite the fact only a handful of Pacific leaders have so far backed his proposal. While Taiwan's close ally Palau has publicly supported Solomon Islands' decision, other Pacific leaders — including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and PNG Prime Minister James Marape — have expressed unease. Mr Manele said restricting the meeting to PIF members would also help them focus on core regional issues of "paramount importance" like climate financing and the Ocean of Peace proposal put forward by Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. No dialogue partners have yet publicly responded to Mr Manele's proposal, although the ABC has been told the United States is very unhappy with its exclusion. China has so far remained publicly silent on the issue, while Taiwan has called on PIF to "maintain its existing arrangements" with partners. Mr Manele said his "message" to PIF development partners was that they were "valued" but that Pacific nations needed "time" and "space" this year. "We understand this decision requires sacrifice," he said. He also suggested dialogue partners might be welcome to Solomon Islands next year if the new dialogue partner mechanism was finalised in time, although he said that would depend on how quickly officials could implement it.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
"The emotional scars are lasting" - Tongan family responds to arrest of accused child molestor
Tongans are calling for child protection reforms following the arrest of former missionary James Purdy charged with sexually abusing minors in the Kingdom. Mr Purdy was meant to face a Tongan court on sex abuse charges back in 2023 but fled the country before his trial date. The arrest of 28-year-old James Purdy is a long time coming for the family of one of the alleged victims – who was only eight at the time of an alleged sexual assault. Mr Purdy was arrested by Tongan police in October 2022, after an eight-year-old schoolboy disclosed that Purdy sexually assaulted him during their tutoring sessions. In a written statement to Pacific Beat, the family who asked to kept anonymous, expressed relief at the arrest of a man they say has left them scarred. "Although these events occurred in 2022, the trauma remains deeply present in our lives, particularly for my young nephew. As a family, we have done our best to heal and move forward, but the emotional scars are lasting." the statement read. Court documents allege Purdy recorded minors in his apartment bathroom without their knowledge. This was based on 175 images found on his laptop that was seized in various apartments across Tonga. "Reading the case files was just so disturbing," said youth leader Elizabeth Kite. "Especially considering that Purdy continued his abuse while on bail despite multiple formal requests from Purdy to leave Tonga, there appeared to be no meaningful effort to monitor him closely or prevent his escape. That that's really disappointing to me. What disturbs me most is that he was actively assisted and supported by locals. People who we see around Tonga every day and you know, for me, I have no doubt that they were aware of his crimes against our children and that is just beyond disgraceful." Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Director of the Women & Children Crisis Centre in Tonga, is equally outraged. She says a weak prison system has resulted in rapists and child abusers being able to temporarily leave prison and even visit the families of their victims. "Well, we've got very weak internal security protocols and that's across the board from the police to the prisons. We've had child sexual abuse cases where the perpetrator has been found guilty, put away in prison and then turned up at the survivors house because the prison wardens have taken, and yes, because he says he wants to apologise<" said Ms Guttenbeil-Likiliki. Reforms in the justice system have been ongoing in Tonga long before Purdy's arrest. According to Ofa child abuse is on the rise in Tonga and that the news of purdy's crime has spotlighted the problem. "It's probably shocked the nation to hear that such a case has happened in Tola, but truth be told, this has been going on even with our own people in Tonga. You know, this person is a foreigner who's who's come outside, but the fact is it's happening in Tonga as well, and people are turning a blind eye to it. They're turning the they don't want to admit that. That its happening in Tonga."
