Nauru

The grant, made by the ADB board of directors on January 25, 2018, completes the funding required for the $79.5 million project and comes only three months after the decision by the United Nations Green Climate Fund to contribute $26.9 million.

The balance will be funded by the Governments of Nauru and Australia.

Minister for Finance David Adeang has thanked the ADB and called it a wonderful and exciting day for Nauru.

“Due to our remoteness and size, we rely so much on shipping, and the current port is inadequate, expensive and dangerous,” he said.

A Government statement said, in 2015 the Government put in place a temporary restriction on Facebook due to ongoing exploitation of women and children on the site.

No other social media platforms were restricted.

The statement said this decision received some criticism from international media and the then Nauruan opposition, however the Government stood firm in our commitment to protect vulnerable people from those with wrong and malicious intentions.

South Ossetia's government information service said Taimuraz Bitiev was chosen by President Anatoly Bibilov as part of moves to extend international ties.

The president said he has instructed his officials to ask Nauru's foreign ministry to accredit Mr Bitiev.

South Ossetia's foreign minister Dmitry Medoev and his delegation are due in Nauru today ahead of next Wednesday's celebrations marking Nauru's 50th anniversary of independence.

Three years ago the Nauru government introduced a $US6400 non-refundable fee for foreign journalists wanting to report from the country.

The Forum's deputy secretary general Cristelle Pratt said the secretariat had been assured by the Nauru government that accredited media would be exempt from the usual levy.

"Those media that are accredited to observe and report on the Pacific Islands Forum will have their visa fees waived," she said.

Dmitry Medoev told reporters that he will lead a delegation to Nauru which is one of only four countries recognising the Caucausian territory as an independent state.

The South Ossetian government news service said the visit followed an invitation by Nauru's president Baron Waqa who met South Ossetia's leaders in Moscow in November.

The South Ossetian president Anatoly Bibilov said at the Moscow meeting Mr Waqa confirmed that nothing would get Nauru to change its intentions and it was ready to promote South Ossetia's interests at the United Nations.

The teachers, who are part of the Fiji Volunteer Service Programme, received their travel documents in Suva Tuesday.

Three of the teachers will be based in secondary schools while the others will teach primary school students.

Fiji TV reports the volunteer service programme began in 2013 and the agreement was renewed last year.

The high commissioner presented the letter of recall from her predecessor and her own letter of credence appointing her as High Commissioner to Nauru.

President Waqa welcomed High Commissioner Tierney and hopes for continued mutual understanding and partnership between their two countries during her tenure as high commissioner to Nauru.

Tierney also paid courtesy calls on the deputy Speaker of Parliament Asterio Appi and Cabinet Ministers.

We have much to be thankful for – health, family, friends, our lifestyle, financial blessing and the freedoms we enjoy as part of a Christian democracy.

At this time we also remember – with sadness and fondness - those family and friends we lost from this life over the past twelve months, but we are comforted in the knowledge that they are now enjoying eternal peace. We also celebrate the many new lives created across our island nation. Our children are indeed our future. 

New Zealand withdrew the justice aid of $US878,000 in 2015 amid concerns about the independence of the judiciary.

Nauru was unmoved by New Zealand's actions and a former Nauru secretary of justice, David Lambourne, said at the time Nauru was mocking New Zealand.

He said the rule of law on Nauru had broken down and called for stronger international action.

Pulvera was one of five officers under the Nauru Police Force to undergo the Basic Recruitment Training in Suva this year.

He said he was overjoyed after yesterday's pass-out parade at the Nasova grounds.

A timely occasion for the 21-year-old as he considered his return home as the perfect Christmas gift for his family.

He said he has sealed his spot with the Nauru Police Force which is what he had come to Fiji to achieve.

“Ever since I was a boy, I didn't expect this would be real. I didn't know I would be chosen to be here,” he said.