Oceania

The government has begun to address the issue of the tax on church ministers, considered one of the key reasons why the FAST party won the election

Ms Christina Lasaqa is the first female Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Telekom Company Ltd; the formal announcement has been made by the chairman of the board of directors

The country administered 12.114 doses, reaching 5.884 fully vaccinated people, or 49,9% of the population

Australia, Japan and the US have pledged to work in partnership with the country - as well as Kiribati and Nauru - to improve internet connectivity by providing funding to build a new undersea cable for about 100,000 people in three countries

A pro-biodiversity event was held at the Palasia Hotel in Koror, showcasing local producers, entrepreneurs and artists, which was a big hit with the public

A group of the country's sailors have had a pandemic-induced career change and have become fruit pickers in South Australia's Riverland after spending the last six months in a Brisbane hotel, unable to return home after working on foreign cargo ships

The Nauru Police Force and Media Creative are working together to generate awareness about the importance of wearing helmets on motorbikes

A huge leatherback turtle was rescued in Bougainville after a local schoolteacher, Anne Lydia Dandava, helped raise the alarm; stuck in the dense undergrowth, it was freed and released into the sea, saving it from poachers

Large metal sheets hanging dangerously from the roof of the SGT Solomon Sam Memorial Court at the College of the Marshall Islands for several weeks had been removed; it is one of the most popular basketball and volleyball courts

The value of e-money grows by 76,4%; in July, the country had $54,4 million in e-money and 749.587 registered mobile phones with e-money accounts as at 31 July 2021, the Reserve Bank of Fiji says in its annual report tabled in Parliament recently

The government has signed a grant with the Asian Development Bank to help finance the preparation of land transport projects; the ADB will give $5 million, while the country will contribute $500.000

The vast majority of 8000 zero emission buses to be procured before 2030 would be made in New South Wales, a solution to respect the government's transport plan as the pandemic is delaying the overseas purchases of trams, trains and ferries