Pacific

The El Nino has caused severe drought through much of the region including Vanuatu which is still recovering from Cyclone Pam.

UNICEF Pacific Representative Karen Allen says affected children are showing signs of malnutrition and diarrhoea which could lead to greater developmental issues in the future.

Dr Allen says although governments have said there is no need for any mass appeal, there is a pressing need to look at the potential costs of the system.

A draft chapter titled "Development and Economic Cooperation" from the regional free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus has been leaked by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), Link: http://tinyurl.com/nvk242n

"The leaked material confirms that Australia is using its aid programme against Pacific nations, offering only weak voluntary commitments under PACER-Plus whilst demanding ever growing market access for Australian companies," said Greens spokesperson for international aid and development Senator Lee Rhiannon.

The Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is set to take place from October the 4th to the 25th and will look at the role of the family in the church and the world.

The bishop of Tonga, Cardinal Soane Patita Mafi, and the Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong, will join the bishop of Kundiawa, Anton Bal, who will represent Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

Cardinal John Dew, of Wellington, will also travel to Rome.

Tsunami warnings were in place for much of the Pacific following yesterday's massive 8.3 earthquake in Chile.

The earthquake has claimed at least 11 lives in Chile.

The Pacific Tsunami warning Centre has now advised that there is no further tsunami threat for American Samoa as a result of the massive earthquake in Chile.

However residents have been advised to be observant and exercise normal caution if you are in or near the ocean.

There are about 1700 lawyers in the Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand, and about 100 of them are expected at the two-day conference being run by the South Pacific Lawyers Association.

Its chairman, Ross Ray QC, says the meeting will include sessions on issues such as document drafting, case analysis, commercial law and legal aid.

He says the conference is a good opportunity to promote ties between the different law societies across the region.

The multiple-national operation, called Tropic Twilight, will provide relief to the remote islands of the Pacific, such as the northern Cook Islands atoll of Manihiki.

In 1997, Cyclone Martin sent waves reportedly higher than coconut trees over the small island, killing 19 people.

And preventing future disasters has become a priority for the New Zealand Defence Force, which has been strengthening existing building on the island.

The developing El Nino is stronger than the last major event of its type in 1997.

According to the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the UK Met Office, this El Nino is shaping up to be the strongest since records began in 1950.

El Nino is a natural phenomenon which occurs every two to seven years and lasts between six and 18 months.

The people of Papua New Guinea stand to benefit from the new agreement between their government and the Pacific region’s principal scientific and technical organisation which will strengthen ties to address the country’s complex development challenges in a more holistic way.

“This agreement is based on a genuine spirit of collaboration in which our government and the Pacific Community will seek to complement one another’s efforts more and embrace the contributions of other partners to achieve development outcomes that will assist the people who need it most,” Minister Pato said.

Rongelap Mayor James Matayoshi said this week that the first harvest is just a few weeks away. The fish farming work is being run by the Atoll Technologies of the Marshall Islands or ATMI, a local company in partnership with off-shore investors that was developed by the Rongelap Atoll Local Government with the aim of developing fish farming export ventures on remote atolls around this western Pacific nation.

“I hope over the next three to five years, we will mature as a big company for export markets,” he said. “The market is there in the United States and Asia.”

Researchers from the Australian National University surveyed Australians about their opinions of foreign aid and what they expect from their aid programme.

One of the authors, Terence Wood, says in a nutshell, the research found most Australians support the government giving aid, even though many don't actually know how much Australia gives or where.

However, he says the public is also fairly comfortable with the amount of money given being reduced - but not to the Pacific.