Kiribati

PNA happy with ‘finalist’ selection in industry competition

The finalists for the prestigious industry award were unveiled last week at the sixth edition of Seafood Expo Asia in Hong Kong. Dawn Martin, President of SeaWeb, was joined by Suzanne Gendron, Director of the Ocean Park Foundation in Hong Kong and a 2016 Seafood Champion Awards Judge, to make the announcement to a crowd of seafood industry professionals and media.

Kiribati's Tong slams Dutton over joke

On Friday, Mr Dutton was making small talk with Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who had just returned from the Pacific Islands Forum in Papua New Guinea.

Noting that a meeting was running late, Mr Dutton remarked it was running to Cape York time, to which Mr Abbott replied: We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.

Mr Dutton then quipped: Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door, a comment caught on a television microphone.

COP our last hope - Kiribati

This week its President Anote Tong told LOOP news the World Climate Change Meeting in Paris at the end of this year would be their last chance to get the world to listen to them.

He had hoped for Australia and New Zealand to make new commitments at the Pacific Island Forum meeting this week but  this did not happen 

 "Whether we accept it or not is a different question," he said.

“Those islands barely 2m above sea level were the ones on the "frontline" dealing with the issues of climate change,” he said.

Kiribati President Tong warns of split in Forum over climate change

Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, a member of the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum, told journalists who are in Port Moresby to cover the Forum Leaders summit that changes in Forum membership may be the way out of getting a uniform position on climate change.

Either Australia leave the Forum, or countries like his and perhaps that of the six other members of the Forum's smaller island states (SIS) exit the Forum membership.

Kiribati urges Australia, NZ to be 'real friends' on climate change

Kiribati president Anote Tong made the call at the Pacific Islands Forum — which started in Port Moresby on Monday — where Pacific nations have gathered to form a united position to take to the Paris COP21 meeting in December.

“What we are talking about is survival, it's not about economic development... it's not politics, it's survival,” Tong said.

Tong said Australia and New Zealand should use their relative regional power to advocate for smaller countries.

Small islands call for global moratorium on coal mines

The leaders of the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu caught up on Monday before the wider 16 nation Pacific Island Forum leaders summit in Papua New Guinea later this week.

They issued a special declaration on climate change that demanded the world limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and that countries uphold the principle of polluter pays.

Kiribati bill to keep children out of jail

There are ten young offenders being held in adult prisons in Kiribati for crimes such as stealing bike parts.

The Juvenile Justice Act will set standards for the youth justice system, including a new youth court and a focus on diverting children into community led rehabilitation programmes.

UNICEF's child protection specialist, Salote Kaimacuata, says surveys conducted in Fiji show separating youth and adult offenders is important to reduce the risk of reoffending.

Kiribati passes Juvenile Justice Bill

At present, there are 10 young offenders being held in adult prisons in Kiribati. These children and adolescents, and others before them, had to navigate the adult justice system, being held alongside much older offenders and tried as adults. 

Tuvalu looking at buying NZ and Aust land for displaced

Tuvalu and Kiribati both say upcoming climate talks in Paris are vital as rising sea levels threaten their existence.

Fourteen Pacific Island nations have been meeting in Jaipur in India to discuss rising sea levels.

Enele Sopoaga says failure is not an option.

He says the nation may be able to purchase land in other places, such as New Zealand and Australia if necessary.

However he says that won't stop climate change and its impact on Tuvalu, whose nine coral atolls are home to about 11,000 people.

 

Five athletes represent Kiribati for the Commonwealth Youth Games

KNOC's Sport Education Officer, Tenoa Betene told Radio Kiribati News Kiribati will only be competing in three sports - Tennis, Weightlifting and Boxing.

Competing in Tennis are Tabera Bonteman and Kaoa Fakaofo. Takirua Betero and Toonga Tokitebwa will take part in weightlifting while Tevi Steven will compete in boxing.

The team is expected to depart for the Games on 03 September and to return on 17 September.