Pacific news in brief for 2 May
Photo:
DeepGreen Metals
New Caledonia has joined a list supporting a moratorium on deep sea mining.
The territory's parliament passed a law on Tuesday pausing mining in its waters.
The decision comes amidst growing uncertainty over the industry following US president Donald Trump's executive order fast-tracking a US mining licence process for international waters.
According to UN legislation, deep sea mining in international waters falls under the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority.
University of PNG chancellor Robert Igara told last week's graduation ceremony that this is likely to be the last from UPNG, with a standalone medical school set to open next year.
The standalone university comes amid serious concern at the shortage of medical doctors in PNG.
The
Post-Courier
reported the secretary for the Department of Personnel Management, Taies Sansan, highlighted this issue during her speech at the graduation.
She said there is a serious shortage of doctors and health officials throughout the country.
Fifty medical professionals graduate each year but Sansan said this is not nearly enough.
Fiji's Ministry for Health has received medical equipment worth FJ$10 million (approximeately US$4.4m).
The donation came from the Japanese government.
The equipment included a CT scanner, six ambulances, and incubators.
Former Papua New Guinea MP Anderson Mise is one of two former MPs contesting the by-election for Aitape-Lumi in West Sepik.
Mise lost the seat in a successful challenge at the beginning of last year.
The man he defeated in 2022, Patrick Pruaitch, is also running again.
Pruaitch, who had held senior roles in several governments, had held the seat for 20 years until that loss.
Several other candidates are also lining up for the vote.
Samoa's Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo has spoken to his New Zealand counterpart about the areas that local enforcement officials need support in.
New Zealand's Police Commissioner, Sir Richard Chambers is visiting Samoa.
Auapaau said they are requesting from NZ two K9 dogs - a sniffer dog and a tracking dog to support the the fight against drugs.
In January, Samoan authorities intercepted 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine reported as "the largest known drug smuggling operation" on the island.
Sir Richard told local media New Zealand is open to all sorts of new opportunities that make Samoa a stronger, safer country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Trump claims Washington's murder rate is higher than Bogotá or Mexico City. Here's what the stats from those countries say
President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of the security situation in Washington, DC. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource By Rocío Muñoz-Ledo , Germán Padinger , CNN US President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of the security situation in Washington, DC, now claiming that the US capital has a homicide rate higher than some Latin American capitals such as Bogotá, Mexico City and Lima. During a press conference on Monday, Trump announced that he would place the Metropolitan Police Department "under direct federal control" and deploy 800 National Guard troops in an effort to "take back the city." "The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogotá, Colombia; Mexico City, or some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth. It's much higher," Trump said. Trump said the move to "liberate" Washington was part of a broader initiative to "take back control" of cities he said were threatened by violence . "All is double or triple, so you want to live in places like that? I don't think so," the president said, referring to the fact that Washington surpasses Latin American cities like Brasilia, Panama City, and San José in homicide rates. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump's decision to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy the National Guard "alarming and unprecedented." While she said she wasn't entirely surprised, she warned in a press conference that she would not "minimize the intrusion on the autonomy" of the city. Bowser also assured residents that the local government continues to operate "in a way that makes citizens proud" and has since met with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who, according to the executive order, will have the authority delegated by Trump to coordinate actions with the city. The mayor also clarified that "nothing has changed" in the Metropolitan Police Department's organizational chart. Trump said the move to "liberate" Washington was part of a broader initiative to "take back control" of cities he said were threatened by violence. Photo: AFP Trump based his statements on a graph corresponding to 2024, which shows a homicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in Washington, a figure that - according to him - would place it above Bogotá, Colombia (15), Panama City, Panama (15), San José, Costa Rica (13), Mexico City, Mexico (10), Lima, Peru (7.7), and Brasilia, Brazil (6.8). Official statistics for all these cities, obtained from organizations such as Mexico's INEGI, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Panama, and the goverment of the capital of Brazil, Brasilia, among others, seem to confirm Trump's statement: Washington did surpass several Latin American capitals in the murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants in recent years, although this is only one of many other crime rates. However, the most recent official data reflect a more nuanced picture. According to an analysis by CNN journalist Daniel Dale, crime in Washington has declined significantly since a spike in 2023, when 274 homicides were recorded, the highest number in more than two decades. In 2024, murders dropped to 187, and so far in 2025, they continue to decline. Data from crime expert Jeff Asher, cited by Dale, indicates that homicides in Washington fell 34% compared with 2023 through July of this year. Furthermore, the violent crime rate in 2024 was the second lowest since 1966. A preliminary analysis by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department confirms this trend: Overall crime has also decreased so far in 2025, in line with the sustained decline seen in other major US cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. - CNN
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Trump's pick for BLS commissioner floated suspending monthly jobs report before apparently backing off
By Alicia Wallace and David Goldman , CNN Job seekers waiting to enter an auditorium for a job fair in Chicago on June 26. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource EJ Antoni, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is no longer considering suspending the monthly jobs report - one of the most crucial and historic measurements of US economic activity - after proposing the unprecedented action during an interview. Antoni would continue to publish monthly jobs numbers if confirmed, Heritage Foundation economist Stephen Moore told CNN on Tuesday (US Time). Moore said he discussed the issue with Antoni, who had since backed off the notion. Antoni had previously told Fox News Digital that the monthly jobs report should be suspended in favour of quarterly data, claiming the report was unreliable and frequently revised. In an interview with Fox News Digital that was published on Tuesday (US Time) but took place August 4, a week before his nomination, Antoni said the BLS should publish only quarterly data until BLS could ensure its monthly jobs data was more accurate. "Until it is corrected, the BLS should suspend issuing the monthly job reports but keep publishing the more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data," he told Fox. "Major decision-makers from Wall Street to D.C. rely on these numbers, and a lack of confidence in the data has far-reaching consequences." Moore, who recommended Antoni for the BLS commissioner role, told CNN's Danny Freeman on Tuesday (US Time) that the nominee changed his mind. "I think it's a bad idea to do that. In fact I've talked to EJ about it and he's not going to do that. We need monthly numbers," Moore said. "Now what he's talking about is we do a quarterly number that's much more accurate than the monthly one and he's saying maybe - but he's backed off that. We're going to continue to do monthly numbers." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier on Tuesday (US Time) acknowledged Antoni's suggestion to suspend the monthly jobs report but said the Trump administration intended on continuing to issue jobs numbers every month. "I believe that is the plan, and that's the hope, and that these monthly reports will be data that the American people can trust," Leavitt said at a press briefing. Trump fired former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the July jobs report showed weak growth that month and included revisions for May and June that were historically large. Trump claimed, without evidence, the revisions constituted a "scam" and a vendetta against his presidency. Trump says in a Truth Social post on August 11 that he is nominating Dr. E.J. Antoni as the next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photo: President Donald Trump/Truth Social via CNN Newsource Antoni told Fox he disagreed with Trump, saying he didn't believe the BLS intentionally manipulated the jobs data. But Antoni has criticised the BLS' approach to data collection, noting that revisions to monthly jobs reports had been significantly larger since the pandemic. However, the May and June revisions were not unprecedented. May's jobs total was revised lower to 19,000, down from an initial estimate of 139,000 - a total revision of 120,000 jobs. For the June jobs total, the BLS on Friday (US Time) said the US economy added just 14,000 jobs, down from a preliminary estimate of 147,000 - a revision of 133,000 jobs. The BLS tracks each month's revisions dating back to 1979, but introduced a new probability-based sample design for revisions in 2003. Between 1979 and 2003, the average monthly revision was 61,000 jobs. Since 2003, the average monthly revision is only a slightly more accurate 51,000 jobs. The BLS gathers troves of data from all corners of the economy and produces scores of reports tracking economic activity over varying timeframes. Especially these days, the economy moves fast, and businesses, investors and policymakers crave immediate but also detailed and trustworthy information. However, while high-frequency data like the monthly jobs report provides a more timely look at employment activity, it comes with some trade-offs: The initial survey-drawn estimates are not as comprehensive as other measurements, such as the BLS' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which is compiled from quarterly tax reports submitted by businesses to their states. (But that particular measurement, while more robust, is heavily lagged: The 2025 first-quarter county-level QCEW data is due out on September 9). Even so, scrapping the monthly jobs report would leave many flying blind as to how the economy was faring on a monthly basis, chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group Augustine Faucher said. "When we look at the jobs report in context; including the revisions, when we look at the industry mix; when we look at what's going on with average hourly earnings and weekly hours and so forth, all of that is very helpful in gauging where the economy is going," Faucher told CNN on Tuesday (US Time) in a phone interview. "I don't think the fact that we've had revisions, and even if the ones we got in July were larger than average, I don't think that's justification for not releasing the data on a monthly basis." He added: "The solution there is to improve the data, not to stop releasing it." Economic data is frequently revised - especially as more comprehensive information becomes readily available - to provide a clearer, more accurate picture of the dynamics in play. Measuring economic activity has grown more challenging in recent years because of the pandemic's seismic impact on global supply chains, US businesses and households, and the lingering effects that still continue to this day. To adjust to these economy-shaking shifts, the BLS implemented several methodological changes to help construct its seasonal adjustment models, which smooth out cyclical fluctuations in the economy. Still, one of the most illustrative examples of ongoing revisions is the BLS' labor market data and, specifically, the closely watched jobs report. The numbers in the monthly employment reports (which have a rich history stretching back more than 100 years) will change in the months (and years) to come. Revisiting and refining are just the nature of data collection, statistics and research. "Revisions are not a bug, they're a feature," former BLS commissioner at the Bureau of Labor Statistics Erica Groshen told CNN earlier this year. When the market-moving jobs report (which is composed of two large surveys) is released, that initial estimate is often based on incomplete data and thus will be revised twice further in the two jobs reports that follow, as the BLS receives more information. In addition to the surveying, the BLS also incorporates methodology to try to capture employment activity at new businesses and those that have closed. Even then, the monthly numbers aren't final and fully comprehensive. Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts an annual benchmark revision by making a thorough review of the survey-based employment estimates from the monthly jobs report and reconciling those estimates with fuller employment counts measured by the QCEW program. The first part of that process is due out on September 9, when the BLS will publish preliminary benchmark revisions. The final revisions is scheduled to be released in February 2026 alongside the January jobs report. Federal economic data is considered the "gold standard", because of its longstanding reliability, quality, comprehensiveness, history and transparency. However, that critical statistical infrastructure has long been at risk of crumbling. Economists, statisticians and policymakers have sounded the alarm bells for years, stating that federal data is in a precarious state, because of decreased funding, response rates and public trust. Those warnings have grown even louder this year. Trump, who criticised economic data when not in office, has continued to question the legitimacy of economic metrics during his second term. Additionally, his administration not only has shut down several data-heavy federal programmes and websites, but also made funding and employment cuts at statistical agencies. At the BLS, the most clear-cut example has been recent reductions in the price collections that feed into the Consumer Price Index, the most widely used inflation gauge that also is used to adjust Americans' payments (such as Social Security), set wages and deflate other economic series to adjust for inflation. Those reductions are likely to make the monthly CPI data more volatile and subject to revisions, economists say. "If you're concerned about the quality of the data, then spend more on data collection efforts to try to improve the response rates for the surveys," PNC's Faucher said. William Beach, who served as BLS commissioner during Trump's first term, previously told CNN that surveys, which serve as the backbone for many critical economic databases, "are dying … and it's not a cold, it's a terminal disease." Response rates for the monthly jobs survey have tumbled from 60 percent in January 2020 to under 43 percent in April 2025. Beach said earlier this year that the poor response rates lead to increased volatility in the data and larger revisions. He suggested that federal statistical agencies, when money was short, could focus on exploring partnerships with universities or other credible research institutions on critical surveys and cutting lesser-used programmes. On July 29, a bipartisan group of nearly 90 economists wrote to Congressional chairs, urging them to "safeguard" the US statistical system by investing in efforts to modernise it. "Our statistical agencies are outstanding - steadfast and prolific producers of the most consumed and scrutinised economic indicators in the world. The economy is changing rapidly, however," members of the Economic Innovation Group wrote. "Without focused and funded efforts to modernise how these essential statistics are collected and produced, the quality and quantity of the system's output are at risk." They called for Congress to issue flat or increased budget appropriations to statistical agencies. Leavitt said Trump's nomination of Antoni was aimed at improving the data. "As you know, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has made massive revisions after the last several reports that they have put out, and there has certainly been a decline in the quality and the reliability of data coming from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and there's been an increase in revisions," Leavitt said. "And this president and the administration is finally tackling this problem that so many have talked about, and the president is actually doing something about it." - CNN
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- RNZ News
Trump claims crime 'out of control' despite opposing stats
Washington DC correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump ordering hundreds of National Guard troops into Washington DC to tackle what he called a 'public safety emergency'. The president said crime is 'out of control' and that 'violent gangs' have taken over the capital. But the stats on crime rates show quite a different story. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
