Pacific news in brief for 23 May
This handout photo taken and released on May 19, 2025 by Indonesia's search and rescue agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers recovering bodies after hours of heavy rain triggered flooding and a landslide near a gold mine.
Photo:
AFP PHOTO / INDONESIA SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCY (BASARNAS)
Indonesia's state news agency
Antara
has reported 10 people are confirmed dead in the Arfak mountains district of West Papua, following a flash flood and landslide.
The head of the Manokwari office of the national search and rescue agency, Yefri Sabaruddin, said the search and rescue operation involved 127 personnel from various organisations.
He said local residents and families of victims have also contributed to the search and rescue.
As of Wednesday, he said 10 people were still missing.
Reuters
previously reported the disaster engulfed temporary shelters used by miners.
Samoa's Ministry of Finance says its public debt stands at just over 800 million tala (about US$289 million), as at December last year.
The Ministry said it issued a press statement to address misinformation being shared.
This debt is as at the end of the second quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, which is last December.
It consists of 93.4 percent external debt and 6.5 percent domestic debt.
The three major external creditors for Samoa include the EXIM Bank of China, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, with the Unit Trust of Samoa being the only domestic creditor.
The ministry said one of Samoa's fiscal rules is the debt to GDP ratio of 50 percent, and as at December the ratio stood at 23.2 per cent.
The finance ministry said since 2017, Samoa has not borrowed but rather utilized grants received from all its development partners for its national development.
A new partnership between Australia and JCS Enterprise is set to expand cocoa sourcing and market access for Solomon Islands farmers in northeast Guadalcanal.
Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Rod Hilton, said this partnership is creating reliable markets for farmers, creating more local jobs, and enabling Solomon Islands cocoa to reach its full export potential.
The partnership will help with financing for a vehicle suited to the rough terrain in cocoa-growing areas east of the Bokokimbo River, as well as upgrading JCS's cocoa storage capacity and sourcing operations to improve cocoa quality.
As it prepares for the country's 50th anniversary celebrations, the Papua New Guinea Government has revealed plans for what has been dubbed Defence Week - the first week of September.
PNG Defence Force personnel have briefed the Prime Minister James Marape on what is planned, with up to 11 foreign defence forces taking part in activities on land, sea, and air.
An air show featuring fighter jets, helicopters, and military cargo planes will be held, while there will also be a naval display, and a military tattoo featuring all of the defence contingents.
The 50th anniversary events, throughout the month of September, are expected to attract thousands of citizens, dignitaries, and international visitors.
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