Federated States of Micronesia

Reuters reports this follows a spate of child deaths linked to similar syrups in some countries last year, but the WHO statement did not say whether any children in the Marshall Islands or Micronesia had fallen sick.

The WHO said samples from a batch of imported cough syrup was contaminated with unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

These are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.

Guaifenesin is an expectorant used to relieve chest congestion and the symptoms of cough.

Panuelo has directed the National Task Force to assist Yap in emergency hiring of medical personnel and explore the possibility of bringing back the doctors and nurses.

Thirty-nine doctors and nurses resigned from the state hospital last week after their attempts to negotiate with state leaders were rejected.

Health care workers in Yap, who are paid lowest salaries in Micronesia, sought to negotiate a benefits package and pay raises.

The government didn't release the name of the suspect, who has been charged with "making threats of bodily harm" and "retaliation for official action" in his Facebook posts.

According to a statement from the government, with help from the FBI, police investigators were able to link the defendant to the Facebook account, which appears to have been taken down.

The government said citizens are encouraged "to freely express differing views on matters of public importance".

“As the FSM is itself a democracy,” President David W. Panuelo said in a statement, “that both upholds and promotes democratic values, it is imperative that we show our friends—especially during their darkest hours—that we stand with them. Samoa is a cherished friend and Pacific neighbour; recent weeks have been very troubling for the Samoan People, who have been witnessing what is arguably a Constitutional and Political crisis.”

Nicole Yamase, a PhD candidate in the University of Hawaii's Marine Biology Graduate Program, went to a depth of 10.7 km in the area known as the Western Pool of the Challenger Deep.

The location of the dive, which took place earlier this month, was about 320 kilometres southwest of Guam.

Yamase boarded the vessel DSSV Pressure Drop at Apra Harbor in Guam, which transported a submersible known as the Limiting Factor to the Marianas Trench location.

"The submersible was piloted by its owner, Victor Vescovo," Yamase said Tuesday after returning to Hawaii.

A diplomatic note has gone to Fiji as the host for the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, beginning a one-year process for the FSM to withdraw from the PIF, concluding on 14 February next year.

The move comes after the Micronesian Presidents' Summit of the FSM, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati and Nauru.

All said they would leave the Forum in protest at their candidate not securing the position of Secretary-General of the group, despite what they deemed a gentlemen's agreement to allow the position to be rotated among the sub-regions of the Pacific.

David Panuelo last week announced the sailor on the government ship, MV Chief Mailo, had tested positive after it returned from the Philippines.

He said the ship and its crew are isolated in the Pohnpei lagoon under heavy watch.

In a national address, Mr Panuelo said the crew was tested before they left the Philippines, and he allowed them to return because they feared for their safety.

The US geological service said the quake was at a depth of 46 kilometres and was 54 kilometres of Fais, in Micronesia.

Forecaster Katherin Tun said the quake felt short and sharp, but no reports of damage had come in so far.

She said the location of the earthquake had been plotted and confirmed by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre but there had been no tsunami activity observed.

Samoa takes over the chairmanship of the Forum at the 48th Forum summit in Apia early next month.

But Mr Christian will still be an integral part of the organisation, becoming one of the Forum Troika Leaders, made up of past, present and incoming Forum chairs.

At a recent meeting with the Forum secretary general, Dame Meg Taylor, Mr Christian spoke of the socio-economic and related development issues facing the region.

A critical matter for him is air transport, which has long been seen as a barrier to island nations' attempts to strengthen their economies.

The men were moved to the island state of Pohnpei at the end of June after arriving with a boat load of others from Nepal and India on neighbouring Yap.

They were detained on Yap for 18 months and were the only ones among the 34 men determined to be refugees.

An American living on Pohnpei, Mark Dvorak, who has been visiting the men said they were now confined to Pohnpei's dock on a boat that needed constant pumping to stay afloat.

He said he was concerned for their welfare.