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Pacific News In Brief For 8 January
American Samoa - health
American Samoa's Department of Health says there's been an increase in respiratory illnesses such as covid-19, RSV and the flu.
The Department of Health is urging people to take hygiene precautions.
It said vaccinations are available at the Tafuna Health Center.
Hawai'i - fireworks
Hawai'i's state Department of Law Enforcement says it will host a fireworks amnesty event this weekend in Halawa.
This follows a fireworks explosion on New Year's Eve which killed four people and injured others.
Aerial fireworks are illegal in Honolulu.
Anyone with unused fireworks is asked to bring it to Aloha Stadium on Saturday, January 11.
The department said all fireworks will be safely disposed of, with no questions asked.
Fiji - flooding
Multiple roads across Fiji were closed or affected by flooding on Tuesday morning.
Cloud and rain is expected to affect the country until Thursday.
The weather station at Navua received 107.5 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 8pm Tuesday.
Marshall Islands - water
Six Majuro schools now have access to safe drinking water systems that use filtered rain water.
The Marshall Islands Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) implemented the pilot progam with support from the Pacific Community and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Each station is equipped with 4,500 gallons of storage.
The EPA and the schools involved are expected to monitor how these stations operate, with the information to go towards building a case for more schools to have them.
Fiji - rape
Concerns over marital rape in Fiji have grown, with more than 700 cases reported between 2016 and 2023.
The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre says the issue remains deeply rooted in the country's culture despite legal advancements that now recognise marital rape as a crime.
Coordinator Shamima Ali said many victims are still too fearful to come forward.
She said violence in the home and the control that men exert over their wives is stopping women from advancing.
FBC reported the Nadi magistrate's court handed down the country's first jail sentence for rape within marriage last November.
A 44-year-old farmer was sentenced to 10 year's jail for the abduction, wrongful confinement and repeated rape of his estranged wife.
Meanwhile, Fiji's public prosecutions office reported a rise in the number of sexual offences involving youth in December.
The Fiji Times reported there were 12 people charged with 26 counts of sexual offences including rape, attempted rape, abduction with intent to commit rape, indecent assault and sexual assault.
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