Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Most government offices in the Marshall Islands began enforcing a new policy this week of closing by 3pm daily as a way to conserve fuel given uncertainties of fuel supply globally.

The move is to save energy and reduce the strain on the Marshalls Energy Company's diesel fuel resources with both fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices seen on world markets due to the US and Israel's attacks on Iran and its retaliation by closing the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.

The 3pm daily closure directive for all non-essential government services was issued by the government's Cabinet on 10 April as an Emergency Electricity Savings Policy.

Aside from the government office closure to reduce energy use, the emergency directive is expected to help the private sector through the mandate of government contracts for air conditioning maintenance and repair.

Government offices are expected to remain open during the lunch hour, allowing workers to operate seven hours daily instead of the usual eight.

A key provision about the shutdown of government offices by 3pm daily is that they are required to shut off air conditioners, lights and any other equipment drawing power. The aim is to reduce energy use by 30 percent over the 90 days of the emergency decree.

The 90-day emergency order mandates the Marshalls Energy Company, the government's power utility company, to provide detailed monthly electricity bills to every government ministry, state-owned enterprise, and subsidized agency that detail each government offices power consumption compared to the 30-day period immediately prior to the emergency declaration.

"Compliance with the 90-Day Emergency Electricity Savings Policy is mandatory," the declaration said.

"The National Energy Authority will monitor the monthly MEC baseline reports to verify progress toward the 30 percent reduction goal."

KNOWN DRUG DEALER DIES IN CUSTODY

The Fiji military has found itself at the center of a national firestorm following the death of a well-known drug peddler Jone Vakarisi in military custody last Thursday.

Conflicting reports have emerged over the weekend regarding the death of Vakarisi, who was reportedly linked to major criminal networks.

News of his death broke while top military and police brass were gathered on Bau Island, paying their final respects to the late President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), in a statement on Saturday, said Vakarisi's death was due to "a sudden and severe emergency" during questioning at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua, approximately 10 minutes' drive from Suva City.

RFMF commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai said Vakarisi, in his late 30s, had "voluntarily presented" himself alongside three others to the RFMF headquarters "to assist with investigations".

Kalouniwai attributed Vakarisi's death to "a pre-existing condition". However, Vakarisi's family has disputed the military's account, telling local media that he was "not a sickly person at all".

Queenie Osbourne, the mother of Vakarisi's children, told The Fiji Times, that Vakarisi and others were taken from their home to the army barracks on Thursday night without any formal explanations.

A leaked death certificate, which first appeared on Fijian social media on Saturday, has now been verified by Fiji Police commissioner Rusiate Tudravu to be an official police document.

According to the document, the causes of Vakarisi's death are listed as asphyxia, aspiration of gastric contents, severe traumatic head injuries, and blunt force trauma to both the head and chest.

"No one informed us of his death from the night he died. We found out when he was in the morgue," Osbourne was quoted as saying by The Fiji Times.

Vakarisi's family is calling for justice.

TONGA DECLARES DENGUE OUTBREAK

Tonga's Ministry of Health says there are 24 confirmed dengue fever cases in the country.

As of Monday, two people were in hospital with dengue after a dengue fever outbreak was declared on Friday.

Those between the ages of 11 and 15 were most affected, the ministry said.

The Health Ministry said rain and adverse conditions favored breeding sites for mosquitoes, which carry the disease.

The declaration of an outbreak comes seven months after Tonga declared its previous dengue outbreak over.

In the previous one, declared on 19 February last year, 907 cases were recorded and three people died.

The Ministry of Health is urging people to stay calm and follow Ministry advice.

SAMOA PM

Samoa's Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Polataivao Schmidt was to be medivaced to New Zealand last night for overdue medical checks.

The Samoa Observer reports Laa'uli saying that he will be flown on a private plane for assessments at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland.

The prime minister flew to Auckland on the same aircraft last September for what the High Commission in Wellington said was archilles tendon surgery.

La'auli said he will stay in touch with the people of Samoa during his one-week stay in Auckland.

VANUATU CRIME PATTERNS

Census figures show that sex and drug related offences continue to dominate crime patterns in Vanuatu.

The Daily Post reports the director of correctional services saying that the country has struggled to reduce crimes in these categories.

Speaking on the trend, Johnny Marango said that since 2011, more than half of Vanuatu's offenders have committed sexual or drug-related crimes.

Marango said tackling crime requires addressing its root causes, especially among youth.

FIJI LACKS PARAMEDIC WORKFORCE

Fiji's Health Minister says there is no dedicated paramedic workforce in the health ministry to respond to emergencies outside hospital settings.

fijivillage.com reported that Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu made the comment amid growing public concern over emergency response times.

A popular social media writer had alleged that delays led to a man dying from a heart attack during a party at the Grand Pacific Hotel.

The writer claims party-goers did CPR for 30 minutes after being told no ambulances were available, but firefighters finally responded to the call.

PACIFIC FOSSIL FUELS

Pacific leaders are calling for urgent and "real" climate finance ahead of major talks on phasing out fossil fuels.

PMN reports Ministers from Pacific Small Island Developing States met in Port Vila this week for their Dialogue on Global Just Transition.

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels will be held in Santa Marta, Colombia, later this month.

The group behind it says it's the crucial first step toward formal Fossil Fuel Treaty negotiations.

Tuvalu's Minister for Climate Change, Dr Maina Talia, says they are not asking for handouts, but for help to save their Blue Pacific continent, which will save the future of humanity.

Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu told the conference the fuel crisis has caused a moment of realization, that they have to scale up and fast-track as much as possible on their National Energy Road Map.

(Source: RNZ Pacific)