Kiribati

Russian monarchist eyes Kiribati for Romanov revival

Anton Bakov, a businessman and the founder of Russia's Monarchist Party, said the project involved setting up the capital on Malden Island, where he planned to build hotels.

The proposed empire also included Caroline Island and Starbuck Island.

Mr Bakov, who used to be a parliamentarian, visited Kiribati last year, and claimed the government had approved the establishment of the empire on its territory.

He has reportedly also been in talks with Montenegro to get land for a royal state.

Kiribati makes progress on preventing cervical cancer

This is according to New Zealand gynecologist, Dave Peddie, who has been travelling to Kiribati every six months since 2010 to assist local doctors.

RNZ reports Dr Peddie said with each trip he saw progress being made by local health authorities despite the significant challenges.

He said the cervical screening programme in Kiribati was about 50 percent of the way to becoming a good programme and more work needed to be done.

"They need medical technical equipment. They need the training to use it and a screening program needs coordination," he said.

Kiribati sets up shark sanctuary

RNZ reports Vice-President Kourabi Nenem  at the sanctuary's launch said that the nation was committed to protecting sharks from exploitation and overfishing.

Kiribati has banned commercial shark fishing in the sanctuary, which is about the size of India.

Palau established the region's first shark sanctuary in 2009.

The Marshall Islands and Tokelau followed suit in 2011 and a year later French Polynesia and the Cook Islands created adjacent shark sanctuaries spanning almost 4 million square kilometres of ocean.

Rescued Kiribati sea-drifters arrive in Marshalls

The group left the capital of Tarawa on the 23rd of March in a small wooden boat powered by an outboard engine and were not heard from until a Taiwanese fishing vessel picked them up several hundred miles to the south on the 18th of April.

The men - Tatika Ukenio, Boiti Tetinauiko, Bonibai Akau and Moamoa Kamwea - were last seen when they left Tarawa on the 23rd of March.

Kiribati officials probing fatal freak wave incident

Four men died instantly when a five-metre wave hit their car by the port.

The team is led by the permanent secretary of the President, Saitofi Miika.

It will spend one week on the island to find out exactly what happened and assess the extent of the damage.

Kiribati's Anote Tong to bow out of politics

Tong was first elected president by his parliamentary colleagues in 2003 and has now completed the three allowed four year terms.

Kiribati goes to the polls next week with other three former presidents, Ieremia Tabai, Teatao Teannaki and Teburoro Tito standing among more than 130 candidates.

     

Lawyer for Kiribati deportee to lay UN complaint

Ioane Teitiota was deported from New Zealand in September after overstaying his visa.

Lawyer Michael Kidd says Teitiota, his wife and three New Zealand born children, are struggling to settle and want to look at moving to Timor-Leste.

He says Teitiota, his wife and three New Zealand born children, are living with his brother-in law in Kiribati.

Kidd says the children have been struggling to adapt to life there, and  Teitiota's son has been in particularly bad health.

Climate woes fuel labour mobility calls

Kiribati, with help from the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation, is hosting a conference to consider how to prepare for climate migrants to move in a dignified way.

The Kiribati Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Akka Rimon, says it is part of the gradual process of preparation for something that will become inevitable.

She says one thing they will want to look at will be extensions to existing labour mobility arrangements with countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Kiribati meeting to make plan for climate migrants

Kiribati will next week host a summit that will also involve the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, the Maldives, Tokelau and others, brought together under the aegis of the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation.

The Kiribati Government says the 'High Level Meeting on Climate Induced Migration' is about the countries affected taking action.

The Kiribati Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Akka Rimon, says sea level rise is happening and becoming more severe, and the atoll states want to ensure climate induced migrants are catered for in a dignified way.

Climate induced migration focus of Kiribati conference

The country's foreign affairs secretary, Akka Rimon, says the meeting is the outcome of recent talks between President Anote Tong and Monaco's Prince Albert II.

He says Prince Albert, the leaders and representatives of Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the Maldives, and Tokelau, as well as representatives from 17 United Nations agencies are expected to attend.

Mr Rimon says the meeting will highlight the impacts of climate change and ways affected countries plan to deal with climate induced migration with dignity.