Nauru announces Sept 24 election date

The people of Nauru will vote for their national government on September 24. The Nauru Electoral Commission (NEC) says candidates’ nominations open at 9 am on September 4 and close on September 10 at 5 pm.

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Mark Evans appointed as Fijian Drua new CEO

The Fijian Drua has appointed highly experienced sports leader Mark Evans as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mark brings 30 years of experience and sports leadership, administration, coaching, and education to

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Vanuatu’s parliament dissolved

Vanuatu’s new President, Nikenike Vurobaravu has dissolved the country’s parliament just over halfway through the current four-year-term. President Vurobaravu signed the instrument for the dissolution of

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Kiribati on Lambourne deportation attempt

The Government of Kiribati has confirmed that a joint operation between Immigration and Police on Thursday morning was carried out to execute a deportation order against David Lambourne. A statement released by the

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Forum Economic Ministers Meeting: a marriage of national priorities and regional strategies

Islands Business reporter Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti has been talking to Pacific Islands ministers and officials at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting about their economic priorities and regional opportunities.

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Fiji at the FEMM: “We’re all about regionalism”

Islands Business reporter Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti has been talking to Pacific Islands ministers and officials at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Vanuatu about their economic priorities and regional

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Tonga at FEMM: disaster risk financing the priority

Islands Business reporter Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti has been talking to Pacific Islands ministers and officials at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting about their economic priorities and regional opportunities. Here are

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Cook Islands at FEMM: tourism and crisis recovery finance

Islands Business reporter Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti has been talking to Pacific Islands ministers and officials at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Vanuatu about their economic priorities and regional

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PNG at the FEMM: Supporting regional solidarity on climate finance

Islands Business reporter Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti has been talking to Pacific Islands ministers and officials at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Vanuatu about their economic priorities and regional

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Attempts to deport Kiribati High Court justice lead to airport stand-off

Attempts to deport a Kiribati High Court judge back to Australia have led to a lengthy airport stand-off, with Justice David Lambourne having since been placed in immigration detention.

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New approach needed on climate finance

From international climate conferences to regional meetings, Pacific Islands have consistently lamented the difficulties of getting access to climate finance over the past few years. “Our climate finance needs are

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Vanuatu at the FEMM: fuel prices, climate costs and supply chain challenges

The Vanuatu government hopes moves to set up fuel depot locally will help stabilise fuel prices in the country. Discussions in the leadup to the Forum Economic Minister’s Meeting which gets underway in Vanuatu today,

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Three Tongan Cabinet Ministers lose appeal, elections void

Three Tongan Cabinet Ministers have lost their appeals against court decisions that declared their election results void. Eight judgments from a Special Court of Appeal session, held last month, were released late

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James Marape elected unopposed as PNG Prime Minister

Tari Pori MP and Leader of PANGU Pati James Marape has been elected as Papua New Guinea Prime Minister for the 11th Parliament.  Marape was elected unopposed, 97 for and none against.  Among those that voted were

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Regional economic ministers to meet: “the sense of urgency is real”

The 2022 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting which gets underway in Vanuatu this week will see regional ministers and officials discuss post-Covid economic recovery, alongside improved access to important dialogues for the

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Construction begins at Fukushima plant for water release

The construction of facilities for the planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant began last week, despite opposition from the local fishing

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VNPF receives VT15M in dividend from Unit Trust of Fiji

The Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) has received around VT15 million(US$127,299) in dividend from the Unit Trust of Fiji (UTOF) Tuesday. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UTOF, Vilash Chand, presented the cheque

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PNG’s election a violent event

Bitter experience should have been a warning that elections need to be properly planned and administered. Violence is a mainstay of Papua New Guinea’s elections. As I write this article, tensions are high in the PNG

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Forum stabilises, but hard problems remain

It was a busy time in Suva this month, as Presidents and Prime Ministers arrived in the Fijian capital for the 51st Pacific Islands Forum. Well, most of them – the absence of key Micronesian leaders and the withdrawal

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Whispers

Communique semantics  New Caledonia's delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting was not impressed when Australian officials tried to water down a resolution at the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting,

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“We want to engage with our neighbours”

New Caledonia at the Pacific Islands Forum “The future of New Caledonia is not in Europe – the future of New Caledonia is in the Pacific region.” That’s President Louis Mapou, the first pro-independence Kanak

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PNG’s election woes

PNG: As Papua New Guineans followed the counting for the Port Moresby Northwest Seat this week, they were shocked to see a video of a machete-wielding mob attacking two men across the road from the counting centre.

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Pirate Queens

The Seaka II pioneers When the ‘Seaka Pirates’ all-female deck crew cast off on their first fishing trip on a tuna longline vessel last month, they were fulfilling the ambitions of a program devised by the Pacific

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A new chapter for tuna treaty

The United States has pledged to almost triple its funding to the region under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty. “I feel excited,” said Forum Fisheries Agency Director General, Dr Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen,

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