PNG eyes China for more ‘cheaper’ loans
Cheaper loans will be a key agenda for PNG officials when Prime Minister James Marape leads a delegation of government and business leaders to China for bilateral talks next week. The Post Courier said Treasurer Ian
Pacific Small Island States ramp up efforts for COP28
Less than two months ahead of the upcoming COP28 meeting in Dubai, leaders and officials from Pacific Small Islands States (PSIDS) are meeting in Samoa to consolidate their positions ahead of the annual, global climate
Typhoon Bolaven passes Northern Marianas without major damage
Typhoon Bolaven missed directly hitting any of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) travelling between Rota and Tinian. Typhoon Bolaven was upgraded to a Category 1 typhoon before passing through the CNMI, bringing
Vanuatu Opposition labelled Salwai Government as unconstitutional, MP Gracia Shadrack suspended
Vanuatu Opposition bloc of former Prime Minister, Sato Kilman, has raised concerns over the election of Charlot Salwai, Member of Parliament of Pentecost and President of the Reunification Movement of Change (RMC), as
Indonesia cancels West Papua rights meeting with Melanesian nations, delegate says
Indonesia cancelled a regional meeting this week on the human rights situation in its Papuan provinces on the grounds that the leaders of Melanesian nations weren’t attending it, a member of Papua New Guinea’s
Patriot missile plan stirs debate in Palau
Stationing a U.S. missile system in Palau would be for security not aggression as the Pacific island country’s close relationship with the United States means it is already a target of possible attack, President
Tonga bow out with World Cup win over Romania
Solomone Kata scored two tries as Tonga gave retiring coach Toutai Kefu a winning send-off with a seven-try 45-24 victory over Romania as the two canon-fodder teams of the Group of Death served up a cracker after
Quarterfinals for RWC 2023 confirmed, Portugal secure historic win over Fiji
The fixtures for the quarterfinals of Rugby World Cup 2023 have been confirmed with Fiji just squeaking through to meet England. Host nation France will play reigning and three-time champions South Africa and the
Charlot Salwai elected prime minister of Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s prime minister Sato Kilman has been voted out through a motion-of-no-confidence in the country’s parliament Friday in Port Vila. Radio New Zealand reports that the motion was carried by a show of
COP28: Boiling Point
It’s taken 70 years but some of the life is slowly coming back around Bikini atoll, ravaged by the United States’ nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands immediately after World War Two. For a team from the
Opinion: Regenerate forests and save humanity
“The era of global boiling has arrived,” UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, recently warned. It looks as if the climate change tipping point has been activated and all hands are required on deck to mitigate the
Chinese grifters tie up UN, Marshalls in scam
The stakes could scarcely have been higher for Hilda Heine, the former president of the Marshall Islands. For years, her remote archipelago nation of just 40,000 people was best known to the world — if known at all
Fiji rugby want more. Will they get it?
Fiji rugby finds itself at a pivotal juncture in its storied 110-year history. In recent years, the nation's beloved sport has been making a steady drive towards international success, each successive phase taking
Whispers
Confused, changing tunes So, in boycotting US President Joe Biden's annual summit with Pacific leaders in Washington DC late September, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wasn't the only one hitting the headlines after
De-banking having a ‘severe impact’ on Pacific Islanders
The region’s economic ministers say the expiry of correspondent banking relationships (CBR) is having a severe impact on the lives of Pacific Islanders, including seasonal workers, micro, small, and medium
Voice. Treaty. Truth
Across Australia this month, voters will decide whether to change the Constitution and create a Voice to Parliament – a body to advise the Australian government on laws and policies that affect Aboriginal and Torres
Addressing the Pacific housing crisis
The authors of recent housing ecosystem assessments conducted in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga say that improving access to habitable, affordable and secure housing requires more widespread training in construction skills
The urgent need to cut emissions in construction
The building sector, responsible for an astonishing 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has been grappling with a severe lack of climate-focused development funding, according to a report published by the United
Building a social entreprise
A London-based design and construction social enterprise responsible for innovative community-based buildings in Fiji and Vanuatu, is looking to expand its regional footprint. In Fiji, Caukin Studio has partnered with
Opinion: Kikibakiki – Reflections on PNG at 48
We sat down in the forever blackout Port Moresby city, I hear the neighbours playing the famous Saugas song, Sindaun Bagarap, echoing the windy night, and buai buyers complaining about the hike in the prices,
Chinese scientists point to indigenous knowledge
A group of marine scientists from China have used a high-level forum in Fiji to highlight years of research undertakings in the Pacific and to warn of the urgent need to take climate action, pointing to the value of
The science we need for the ocean we want
Ocean scientists, technical experts, policymakers, donor agencies, traditional knowledge holders, and young people gathered at the Pacific Islands Conference on Ocean Science and Ocean Management in Fiji last
VegFest Pasifika comes to Samoa
VegFest Pasifika, a festival promoting local plant-based diets for health and environmental reasons, came to Samoa for the first time in June. The festival has been running in Fiji since 2018, with more than 55 events
