We hope to co-host 3rd India Pacific Cooperation Forum: Jaishankar
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday said India hopes to co-host the third summit of the Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in the coming months. “We hope to
U.S. Coast Guard moving cutter to Pacific as regional missions expand
Driven by greater demand for its partnerships and presence in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Coast Guard is growing its operational presence in the vast region that’s unsettled by continuing incursions from
Award-winning play takes NZ Fringe on Pacific waka voyage
Award-winning theatre show My Grandfather is a Canoe is about to take NZ Fringe audiences on a voyage around the Pacific. On stage at the Hannah Playhouse on February 24-26, the show won five awards at the Dunedin and
Marine protected areas don’t help tuna, new paper shows
A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science has found that Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), which banned all fishing in 2015, has not had a significant impact on the skipjack and bigeye tuna
‘We must act now’: NZ Minister of Climate Change
New Zealand’s climate change minister has made a furious speech excoriating parliament for lost decades of “bickering” over the climate crisis, as Cyclone Gabrielle devastates the country. “As I stand here
Australia announces 3,000 visas for Pacific workers
A new visa will allow up to 3,000 people from the Pacific region to migrate to Australia as permanent residents each year, under a scheme modelled on a New Zealand immigration programme. The Pacific Engagement Visa has
Solomon Islands report show ‘internal control failures’ of COVID-19 funds
The Solomon Islands Auditor General’s Office (OAG) has identified a range of internal control failures in its recently released Audit reports into the administration of Disaster Relief Funds during the COVID-19
Hiring of new Bangladesh workers now allowed in Palau
The ban on hiring new workers from Bangladesh in Palau has been lifted under Executive Order No. 478. In 2009, EO 274 prohibited persons from Excluded Countries, including Bangladesh, from entering Palau without a visa.
Australia to build Vanuatu’s national security centre
Australia will build a new national security hub for Vanuatu and beef up its economic support for the Pacific island nation’s key sectors. In a joint statement released after a meeting in Canberra, Vanuatu Prime
PNG PM to launch “constitutional review”
The constitutional law review of the forms and system of Papua New Guinea government for the election of the prime minister by the people will be launched by Prime Minister James Marape. The government has directed the
Moana Pasifika aim for playoffs in second season of Super Rugby
A year wiser and no longer rookies, Moana Pasifika are realistically expecting to finish higher up in Super Rugby Pacific 2023. The Pacific team finished bottom of the table in their debut season in 2022 with two wins
Pacific Island leaders expect Biden visit in near future
The leaders of five Pacific island nations said on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden would soon visit their region for a leaders’ summit, in what experts said would be a significant move in U.S. efforts to push
Nauru passes Micronesian Summit chairmanship to FSM
Nauru President Russ Kun has passed over the chairmanship of the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit (MPS) from Nauru to the Federated States of Micronesia at the 21st meeting of the MPS in Pohnpei this week. President
MSG responds to “misrepresentation”
The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat says there are no Indonesians recruited at the Secretariat, nor has it made any decision nor an official announcement to this effect. The Secretariat has 30 positions on
NZ visa process ‘heartbreaking’: Samoa Minister of Police
The processing of New Zealand visa applications lodged by Samoans keen on visiting family is in the spotlight again, with a Cabinet Minister describing it as “embarrassing and heartbreaking”. Samoa’s Minister
Fiji to host Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat
The Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat will be held in Nadi, Fiji on 24 February 2023. The retreat will be preceded by a traditional welcome ceremony and a welcome dinner on 23 February 2023. The meeting
Micronesian fishing boat sinks off Majuro
Twenty-two fishermen and one fisheries observer narrowly escaped with only the clothes they were wearing when a purse seine vessel sank off the coast of the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro Atoll Friday morning.
Cook Islands carry out consultations on seabed minerals
Cook Islands Seabed Minerals (SBM) Authority have confirmed that Prime Minister Mark Brown recently visited Aitutaki to carry out consultations on the seabed minerals (SBM) sector. The consultations are part of
Opinion: Where now for Tokelau after the 2023 election?
The voters, fewer than 1000, selected the 11th Parliament (General Fono of Tokelau) on January 26, 2023 during the general election. Twenty members, a mixture of experienced elders, new young blood, and including three
PNG and Solomon Islands seal policing deal
Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have signed an agreement to formalise the deployment of Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) members for policing duties there. Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko
NFL star Jordan Mailata shows Pacific kids ‘anything’s possible’
Samoan league player-turned-NFL star Jordan Mailata has overcome the odds to play in Monday’s Super Bowl, but his rise to the sport’s pinnacle shows kids across the Pacific what’s possible, a Kiwi gridiron pioneer
French Senate committee questions Indo-Pacific Strategy
The French Senate in Paris has issued a report sharply critiquing France’s official Indo-Pacific Strategy, highlighting the lack of capacity of French military forces deployed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The
Pacific PhD candidates receive Norway scholarships
Ten PhD candidates from the Pacific have been named as recipients of the Norway Pacific Ocean Scholarship Programme (N-POC). This first cohort of the N-POC scholarship includes Peter Emberson (Fiji), Laura Williams