Pacific

A US Navy submarine carrying nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles is visiting Guam for the first time since the late 1980s and US and Japanese troops will practice amphibious landings on Pacific islands.

The submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) is making what the Navy formally calls a "scheduled port visit" to the US territory in the Pacific, according to a Navy press statement.

But a US defense official says that both Japanese and South Korean delegations are in Guam at this time and will be offered rare tours of the submarine.

This is the second regional training workshop in as many years and falls under the Pacific Early Age Readiness and Learning (PEARL) Program.

Over 50 participants are taking part in the workshop, representing eight Pacific Island countries as well as development partners, and practitioners. 

RBZ reports fifty percent of Pacific island people are now under the age of 25, a phenomenon called the "youth bulge."

PhD candidate, Aidan Crany, said the youth bulge is an untapped resource for the Pacific that if disregarded could cause social instability.

He said skill gaps in Pacific economies are not being filled by local students who are not encouraged to become trades people.

"The problem there seems to be as much as anything, skilled trades," he said.

Disaster managers from 15 Pacific Island countries, disaster risk reduction experts and humanitarian response partners are coming together to help create a more disaster-resilient Pacific. They aim to strengthen national and regional collaboration on disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from disaster.

RNZ reports that is the typical annual number over the past 30 years and the agencies say conditions are likely to be near average over most islands through this time.

They warn that all countries should remain vigilant in case conditions in the equatorial Pacific change during the cyclone season.

They warn that intensification, especially late in the season, is common.

The partnership involves the certification of 14 Digicel staff as MoneyMinded trainers to deliver the programme to their staff and community partners.

ANZ Regional Executive Pacific, Tessa Price, welcomed the partnership, describing the initiative as one that would help build financial management skills across the region.

This was the message of CTA Director Michael Hailu at the recently held Brussels Briefing on “Agribusiness development in SIDS: the potential of tourism-related markets”. The Briefing delivered a strong impetus for the strengthening of linkages between local agri-food and tourism sectors, in order to support sustainable economic development and employment, and reduce the dependence on cheap imported foods which has led to dangerous rates of non-communicable diseases in many SIDS.

But the celebrations have reflected an urgency among Tuvaluans who are trying to keep their culture alive and strong, while their small island nation is sinking.

This comes as Australian funding for the existing Climate and Ocean Support Program is scheduled to end in June 2017 and many of its activities are transferring to SPC, (South Pacific Community), and SPREP, (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme).

RNZ reports SOE portfolios in eight Pacific countries examined contribute only 1.8% to 12% of gross domestic product, despite having very large asset bases, ongoing government cash transfers, and monopoly market positions.

The ADB said productivity levels of the SOEs were also well below that found in developed countries.

But the Bank noted some successes in pursuing commercially-oriented reforms.

It said that over the past 14 years Solomon Islands has improved significantly, with Tonga also doing better.