Pacific Beat

Vanuatu's caretaker Foreign Minister tells Pacific Beat that he has been concerned about the government's 'citizenship for investment' programs for some time. He has confirmed that a program review has been handed over to the caretaker government, with three options outlined — including the option of entirely scrapping the lucrative schemes.

On the program: Serious concerns have been raised about the safety of refugees who remain in Papua New Guinea, after two attacks on a Port Moresby hotel used to house some of the men, and could Vanuatu's lucrative "citizenship for sale" policy be dumped by the new government after next week's election? Some industry insiders think it could be and have been encouraging people to sign up beforehand.

Could Vanuatu's lucrative "citizenship for sale" policy be dumped by the new government after next week's election?

A young Samoan rape survivor who shared her story at last week's historic UN meeting on children's human rights in Apia, says she is doing so to help "save lives". "I don't want other children to be abused like me," 20-year-old Leilua Lino told Pacific Beat.

On the program: Marshall Islands takes unprecedented steps to stop the coronavirus outbreak from reaching its shores, by completely stopping all incoming air travellers for the next fortnight and Indigenous Australians warn governments they are among the most vulnerable to severe climate change impacts are calling for them to do more to equip them, and Pacific islanders as well.

The small Pacific island nation of Marshall Islands is banning all incoming travellers over the next fortnight, in a bid to protect its people from the growing global coronavirus outbreak.

The mayor of Cairns is pitching for his city to become a Pacific hub as part of Australia's so-called 'Pacific Step-up', suggesting it could host a special economic zone, see increased flights to Papua New Guinea and be part of a joint Cairns/PNG team in Australia's National Rugby League competition.

On the program: As governments in Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Cook Islands close some, or all of their ports to cruise ships because of coronavirus, cruise lines are adamant that their ships are safe, and PNG's national court orders the police minister to stay out of operational matters, amid concerns he has interfered in a case involving the former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, with his posts on Facebook.

In March 2015 the strongest cyclone to ever hit Vanuatu wreaked havoc on the Pacific nation, claiming the lives of 11 people. Five years later, the island nation is still trying to rebuild.

A Pacific technology expert says governments and health authorities need to be online and leading social media conversations to stop the flow of coronavirus rumours and dangerous information.