Kiribati

National week of prayer after tragic Kiribati ferry loss

In his address aired nationwide on the national radio, Radio Kiribati, President Maamau called on all churches and their members to join together in prayer for those who have lost their lives and their families.

“Based on this incident and unconfirmed reports, the Government has declared this week as the national week of prayer to help our fellow citizens who have been caught up in this tragic ordeal and all their families,” said President Maamau.

“The Government is requesting all Churches and their members including all the people of Kiribati to join hands in prayer”.

Three missing Kiribati fishermen found

The New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre said the men were lucky their family raised the alarm quickly when they did not return home as planned over the weekend.

Search and Rescue Officer Chris Wilson says the boat the men were in did not have a motor but did have a sail which took them in an unexpected direction.

Kiribati vows to fight and adapt to climate change

Speaking at the COP23 climate change conference in Germany, Mr Maamau said Kiribati like many countries was continuing to witness the detrimental impacts of climate change.

But he said Kiribati wanted to put aside the misleading and pessimistic scenario of a sinking/deserted nation, and would replace it with a desire to fight and/or adapt to climate change, for which it would need international help.

He said his government was launching an ambitious 20-year plan or the KV20, to build and develop the nation in the face of climate change.

More cervical screening needed in Kiribati

The Kiribati Family Health Association and Volunteer Services Abroad interviewed 90 people in South Tarawa to find out how much they knew about the second most common cause of women's cancer.

A VSA researcher, Holly Coulter, said it soon became clear much more education was needed.

Scores of dolphins stranded in Kiribati outer island

The dolphins were spotted after the construction of the village’s maneaba ‘Bibitoinikarawa’ was completed.

One resident, Tabukinikai Tabwanou told Radio Kiribati News the incident occurred between 10am and 12pm on Tuesday this week.

Tabukinikai said this is not new because it has been happening over the past years.

He said every time a new ‘maneaba’ is constructed or renovated, scores of dolphins will be seen swimming towards the shore.

He said the occurrence is part of the Kabuna village tradition for many years.

Kiribati tops smokers' stats

The study found that the Danish territory of Greenland has the highest incidence of female smokers at 44 percent.

The findings, published by The Lancet, point to smoking rates worldwide declining but because of population growth there are now more smokers than ever.

China has most male smokers and the US most female smokers.

Globally, the daily smoking rates of men has dropped from 35 percent to 25 percent in the period 2000 to 2015.

Among teenage smokers, Iceland and New Zealand have seen the most significant drop.

 

Photo: 123rf.com

EU and Germany working together in Kiribati

The work, for which $US686, 000 had been provided, would be implemented by Germany's International Co-operation agency.

The climate change project entails strengthening capacities of Kiribati's technical agencies and some communities to help them to undertake coastal-land use vulnerability & adaptation assessments.

The sustainable energy project entails the design, installation and sustainable management of solar energy systems, at two boarding schools.

I-Kiribati teen, three men rescued after drifting 100s of kms

The two 15-foot boats had drifted from Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati.

The Marshall Islands Journal reported that all four were currently in Majuro awaiting repatriation to Kiribati, which is expected to happen this Sunday.

Although the three fishermen in a wooden boat drifted for 28 days and a 14-year-old drifted by himself for 11 days in a fiberglass boat, they ended up within five miles of each other when spotted by the helicopter from the purse seiner Kwila 888, a Papua New Guinea-flagged vessel, earlier this month.

Bakov expands on plans for new empire in Kiribati

RNZ reports Anton Bakov wants to revive the Romanov empire, which ended in 1917 with the Bolshevik revolution.

Mr Bakov plans to use three uninhabited islands in the Southern Line Islands of Kiribati, making one of the islands, Malden, his capital.

He's currently visiting Kiribati at the invitation of its Government, which is yet to agree to his proposal.

Mr Bakov's wife, Marina Bakova, who translated for her husband during the interview, spoke to Amelia Langford, about their plans.

Russian plan in Kiribati finds support 'in principle'

RNZ reports Anton Bakov, a businessman and the founder of Russia's Monarchist Party, wants to use three uninhabited islands in the Southern Line Islands.

Mr Bakov plans to set up a capital on Malden Island, where he will build hotels.

Teburoro Tito said the multi-million dollar project could benefit Kiribati by providing jobs and attracting tourists.