Pacific news in brief for 7 August
123RF
A number of teachers in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea are owed over 45 million kina (US$10.8 million) in outstanding salaries.
NBC
reported these teachers are mostly new graduates or those who have re-entered the teaching service.
Acting executive manager for the Division of Education, Vincent Kalatia, said most of those affected are elementary school teachers whose wages have not been backdated.
He said these outstanding salaries date back as far as 2012.
Kalatia said the Provincial Government is doing its best to clear this backlog of claims but has limited funding.
The final farewell for Pacific music legend George "Fiji" Veikoso, who passed away on 24 July, is set to take place next Tuesday at Suva's Vodafone Arena.
Family, friends and the community are able to attend, with doors opening from 7:30am while the ground floor seating is reserved for close family and friends.
The funeral procession is expected to arrive by 8:30am, with the official service starting at 9am.
Fiji will then be laid to rest "among his ancestors".
His family has offered their thanks for the outpouring of love and support.
Samoa's acting general health director Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen says public updates on the dengue outbreak may be slow as all information must be verified before release.
There has been criticism over how quickly information is released by the Ministry of Health.
More than 5000 people have been clinically diagnosed with dengue fever since January, with new cases still coming.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is urging the public to avoid traditional healing methods, warning they could do more harm than good.
Tagaloa said the outbreak is expected to peak in the next three weeks before case numbers begin to drop.
As Papua New Guinea approaches 50 years of independence, Prime Minister James Marape is calling for greater Pacific solidarity in the face of growing geopolitical tensions.
Speaking to
PMN News
, Marape emphasises regional unity ahead of the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
This comes amid concerns hosts Solomon Islands, as an ally of China, may not allow Taiwan into the country during the event.
While Taiwan is not a Forum member, for many years it has attended the summit to speak with member nations on the fringes of the event.
Marape confirmed that PNG had sent official advice to Solomon Islands, reinforcing the importance of the Forum's collective approach.
The Supreme Court has found Vanuatu MP Seoule Simeon guilty of one count of theft in relation to a government-owned Mitsubishi L200 pickup.
Local media reported a second charge of deception against Simeon has been dismissed by the court.
Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 August.
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Pacific news in brief for 8 August
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Pacific news in brief for 7 August
Photo: 123RF A number of teachers in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea are owed over 45 million kina (US$10.8 million) in outstanding salaries. NBC reported these teachers are mostly new graduates or those who have re-entered the teaching service. Acting executive manager for the Division of Education, Vincent Kalatia, said most of those affected are elementary school teachers whose wages have not been backdated. He said these outstanding salaries date back as far as 2012. Kalatia said the Provincial Government is doing its best to clear this backlog of claims but has limited funding. The final farewell for Pacific music legend George "Fiji" Veikoso, who passed away on 24 July, is set to take place next Tuesday at Suva's Vodafone Arena. Family, friends and the community are able to attend, with doors opening from 7:30am while the ground floor seating is reserved for close family and friends. The funeral procession is expected to arrive by 8:30am, with the official service starting at 9am. Fiji will then be laid to rest "among his ancestors". His family has offered their thanks for the outpouring of love and support. Samoa's acting general health director Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen says public updates on the dengue outbreak may be slow as all information must be verified before release. There has been criticism over how quickly information is released by the Ministry of Health. More than 5000 people have been clinically diagnosed with dengue fever since January, with new cases still coming. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is urging the public to avoid traditional healing methods, warning they could do more harm than good. Tagaloa said the outbreak is expected to peak in the next three weeks before case numbers begin to drop. As Papua New Guinea approaches 50 years of independence, Prime Minister James Marape is calling for greater Pacific solidarity in the face of growing geopolitical tensions. Speaking to PMN News , Marape emphasises regional unity ahead of the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. This comes amid concerns hosts Solomon Islands, as an ally of China, may not allow Taiwan into the country during the event. While Taiwan is not a Forum member, for many years it has attended the summit to speak with member nations on the fringes of the event. Marape confirmed that PNG had sent official advice to Solomon Islands, reinforcing the importance of the Forum's collective approach. The Supreme Court has found Vanuatu MP Seoule Simeon guilty of one count of theft in relation to a government-owned Mitsubishi L200 pickup. Local media reported a second charge of deception against Simeon has been dismissed by the court. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 August.
