Samoa Court quashes appointment of Leota
Samoa’s Court of Appeal has found the appointment of Toomata Norah Leota as the 7th woman MP to be illegal and her subsequent swearing in as a member of the Legislative Assembly as invalid. “We declare that no
‘For my people’: The inspiration behind Samoa’s World Cup win
“For my people”. Those three words written on Stephen Crichton’s wrist tape were the inspiration for his World Cup semi-final heroics, which included a rehearsed field goal ploy that earned Samoa an historic place
‘Action begins now before it’s too late’: President Maamau
Kiribati has called on the 27th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP) to be more ambitious about the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Speaking to world
COP27: Tuvalu leads call to phase out fossil fuels
Tuvalu has become the first country to use United Nations climate talks to demand an international fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, which would phase out the use of coal, oil, and gas. The small Pacific island
Vanuatu Govt network paralysed by cyber attack
The Office of the Vanuatu Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) has confirmed the Government’s Broadband Network has been compromised since Sunday, November 6, 2022. A statement from the OGCIO relayed that
Air Vanuatu is ‘a mess’: Prime Minister Kalsakau
Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau has labelled the current status of Air Vanuatu as a ‘mess’. He made the remarks in his maiden speech as PM, during the appointment of the new Ministers at the
Tuvalu’s drought crisis
Tuvalu declared a State of Public Emergency Tuesday for the prolonged drought throughout the islands. The Government is mobilising efforts to respond to both the drought and the COVID-19 outbreak. “Testing times
Pacific groups welcome call to ban deep sea mining
The Pacific Blue Line collective has welcomed the call by France for a ban on deep sea mining, a call that Pacific civil society groups and movements have been pushing for since 2012. French President Emmanuel Macron
‘Tears in our eyes’: Inside Samoa’s shot at history
“You’ve just made history, boys!” Samoan players were in tears after their 20-18 defeat of Tonga as coach Matt Parish told them that they were the first team from the Pacific nation to qualify for a World Cup
Fiji 2022 elections: the road to Dec 14
The count down is on. Fiji is heading to the polls on December 14, 2022. Nine registered Political Parties will be vying for a seat in the 55-member parliament. They are: All Peoples Party, FijiFirst, Fiji Labour Party,
The Pandemic, War and the Effect on Island Travel
It’s an early Tuesday morning in the seaside town of Levuka. A fish salesman is busy opening his doors to suppliers as they bring in their catch after the night’s fishing. A shop owner scurries around preparing to
Marshall Islands confirms membership in the Pacific Islands Forum
The Marshall Islands ended two years of being at the centre of controversy over the possible break up of the Pacific’s premier regional organisation when its parliament adopted resolutions reaffirming its membership
Vanuatu’s new cabinet named
Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau has named his cabinet after he was sworn in on Friday. The line up of ministerial portfolios saw a former Prime Minister and President of the People’s Progressive Party
COP27: leaders urged not to ‘backslide’ on commitments
World leaders have been urged not to backslide on commitments to cut emissions and to deliver on pledges to help smaller countries deal with the impact of the climate crisis. The messages came from speakers during the
New UN climate report ‘a chronicle of chaos’: UN chief
The latest report from the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), released on Sunday, shows that the last eight years have been the warmest on record, fuelled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations. The
Australia dominates Fiji to win Hong Kong 7s
Australia clinched a thrilling final 20-17 to claim the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens crown and bring to an end Fiji’s dominance that had seen them take the last five titles in Hong Kong. A pulsating end-to-end
Keeping the Paris promise alive: Henry Puna
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna says the pressure is on major emitters and all other G20 nations to ensure COP27 keeps the Paris promise alive. “More than any other COP since the 1.5 net zero
Pacific nations want compensation commitment at COP27, Samoa MP says
Samoa’s environment minister says Pacific island nations want the international climate talks in Egypt this month to establish a basis for compensating developing countries for losses caused by climate change. Pacific
Kalsakau elected new Vanuatu PM
After more than six hours of the first sitting of the new Vanuatu Parliament, former Vanuatu Deputy PM Ishmael Kalsakau was elected by an overwhelming majority of 50 out of 52 Members to be Prime Minister of the Pacific
Japan’s recycling town: Can it inspire the Pacific?
When the residents of Osaki in southern Japan were first told about new plans for waste management and recycling in their small town, some were unhappy. “They threw cans at us,” said the Assistant Section Chief and
Pacific Elders Group calls for action in Cairo
The Pacific Elders Group is calling for urgent action at upcoming climate talks in Egypt “to enable nations to implement the agreed goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement.” The group is calling for the
PIANGO: Prioritise progress on loss and damage
The Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (PIANGO) wants greater action on mitigation, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the COP27 climate conference. PIANGO says this requires the
Three new MPs for Tongatapu decided in by-election
Three new Tongatapu People’s Representatives have been elected into the Legislative Assembly, after the by-elections on November 3. Electoral Commissioner Pita Vuki has announced the by-election results for the