The Lautoka High Court in Fiji heard from witnesses in the opening days of the nation's largest-ever drugs trial last week. Photo: ABC News / Lice Movono
Fiji - charges
Two police officers have appeared in the Lautoka High Court in Fiji on illicit drugs charges.
fijivillage.com reports a senior customs officer is also among the accused.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between March and July this year.
The customs officer also faces two other charges for breaching secrecy under the Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs Service Act 1998.
All six have been granted bail under strict conditions and remanded until 25 November.
Kiribati - tributes
Tributes have been made to Kiribati's First Lady, Teiraeng Tentoa Maamau, who has died.
Nauru's president David Adeang has expressed his condolences to Kiribati president Taneti Maamau.
Adeang said over the years he developed a close, respectful bond with President Maamau and his wife, who became like family.
Adeang said Teiraeng Maamau was an "exceptional woman whose grace, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the welfare of the i-Kiribati people will be remembered with profound respect".
French Polynesia - shark
A three-metre shark attacked a swimmer in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia on Sunday.
French TV channel Polynesie la Premiere reported he was swimming in Hakahau Bay in Ua Pou when he was bitten on the arm.
He managed to swim to shore with a serious injury to his bicep and was helped by bystanders.
The man was flown by helicopter to hospital in Nuku Hiva.
Shark attacks are considered to be extremely rare in the area.
Pacific - NZDF
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) says it is on standby should help be required during the southwest Pacific cyclone season.
The frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and the multi-role ship HMNZS Canterbury and their crews, the Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Task Unit consisting of land forces, and various Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft are all on standby.
Two NZDF personnel have also joined the Brisbane-based Pacific Response Group to help coordinate military response efforts to weather events.
The NZDF assisted in the response to 2015's Cyclone Pam, 2016's Cyclone Winston, and the Tonga volcano disaster in 2022.
Pacific - history
A new programme to digitise Pacific history from as far back as the 1950s has been launched.
It is called 'Pacific Echoes / Pasifika Echoes, Stories of our people, by our people'.
The SPC said it aims to centre the importance and preservation of Pacific-owned and led storytelling and oral history safeguarding through the audiovisual sector over the coming years.
Funding comes from multiple sources, including AUD$1.5-million-dollars over 3 years from Australia.
Northern Mariana Islands - campaign
The Marianas Visitors Authority has launched a tourism campaign with a new mascot - Mira, a Dumbo octopus inspired by the mysterious depths of the Marianas Trench.
Authority managing director Jamika Taijeron said they've invested in laying the foundation for a brand that can carry them into the next 20 years and beyond.
Early testing across Japan, Korea, and China showed strong positive response to the campaign's emphasis on authenticity and cultural storytelling.
