Vanuatu Govt revise visa to rebuild tourism sector
The Vanuatu Government, through the Department of Immigration and Passport Service, has amended the Visitor Visa to Tourist Visa to allow tourists the opportunity to come to Vanuatu and stay longer. Previously a tourist
PNG election candidates demand fair polls
The impartiality of officials who have been appointed to manage the Papua New Guinea 2022 election in the National Capital District (NCD) has been questioned. In a first-of-its kind meeting in Port Moresby Tuesday,
French Polynesia president says election win ‘catastrophic’
French Polynesia’s president Edouard Fritch has described the election of three candidates of the pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party to the French National Assembly as catastrophic. They won all three seats
PCRIC meets with its reinsurance partners
The CEO of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company(PCRIC), Aholotu Palu, has met with a representative of Hiscox Syndicate at Lloyd’s in London to discuss expansion plans. PCRIC secures the lowest pricing
Leaders of today: Declaration endorsed at youth forum in Rwanda
Young leaders representing 54 Commonwealth countries have presented a six-point action plan on youth development to Heads of Government gathered for a seminal meeting in Rwanda. The 25-page declaration makes
COVID on the rise in Nauru
Nauru, one of the world’s last COVID-free nations, reported its first COVID community transmission case last Thursday. And President Lionel Aingimea in a statement yesterday said the total number of positive cases
Pacific tourism workers resilient in adversity
Pacific researchers assessing the wellbeing of tourism-reliant communities in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands amid the COVID-19 pandemic have found these communities are mainly resilient in the face of
PNG ready for polling, coalition govt in the making
Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says all election materials for the 2022 General Election have been shipped to the provinces to prepare for polling. He said his office had started sending materials
Pohnpei officials arrested for breaching quarantine rules
Five Pohnpei officials, including the acting governor, were arrested last week after being criminally charged for allegedly bungling the quarantine protocols that resulted in an extended stay of repatriated passengers
International travel to resume in Kiribati this August
All international travel to and from Kiribati will return to normal on August 1st this year, reports Radio Kiribati. Incoming passengers are required to have a valid COVID-19 test 24hrs before departure. The number of
U.S., Marshalls aim for Compact wrap-up by year end
United States and Marshall Islands leaders say they hope to complete negotiations to renew provisions of an economic and security treaty by the end of this year. They completed the first round of talks last week.
Pacific Mini Games Update
A Successful Opening Ceremony The official opening ceremony of the Pacific Mini Games 2022 was a huge success on Friday night with over 3000 spectators attending the opening ceremony at the Oleai Sports Complex in the
Opinion: Australia’s international health funding: commitments and challenges
by Cameron Hill and Huiyuan Liu While commentators have remarked on how little attention Australia’s domestic COVID-19 situation received in the 2022 federal election campaign, discussion of the global pandemic was
World Bank may include ICT in Vanua Levu tourism initiative
The success of boosting tourism demand in Vanua Levu will depend on its ability to manage essential tourism-related services, of which ICT is an important element, said the World Bank as work gets underway to develop
Additional US$20m for Disaster Recovery in Tonga
Five months on from January’s volcanic eruption and COVID-19 outbreaks, an additional US$20 million (approximately TOP46 million) will help strengthen Tonga’s fiscal, disaster and social resilience, the World Bank
Binance wants to make the “Palauan Dream” come true
Palau is hoping its new partnership with the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange company Binance will create the “Palauan Dream” to help curb the brain drain among its young people. Binance
Mate Ma’a Tonga stacked for the Pacific Test Series
Tonga Rugby League coach Kristian Woolf named a 25-man squad to play against the New Zealand Kiwis ahead of the June 25 Test in Auckland. The team will feature the likes of hard running forwards Jason Taumalolo, Addin
Northern Marianas aim high at Pacific Mini Games
Members of the CNMI National Athletics Team will have their work cut out for them with the region’s titans of track and field competing in the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022. CNMI will be hoping to provide
Tonga Parliament passes largest annual budget
Tonga’s Parliament passed the 2022-2023 annual budget this week, reports Tonga Wires. Totalling $764.7 million pa’anga (US$328.36 million), it is the Kingdom’s largest ever annual budget. According to the Tonga
U.S-Marshalls resume long-stalled talks
Nearly three years after the first in-person preliminary discussions were held between the United States and the Marshall Islands for a third funding agreement in the Compact of Free Association treaty, negotiations
5000 Pacific Islanders offered NZ residence visa
Up to 5000 Pacific Islanders will be offered New Zealand residence visas under a government policy aimed at addressing a pandemic shortfall. Over 1700 places a year offered to Pacific Islanders were canned when COVID-19
PNG PM appeals for peaceful election
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has appealed to Papua New Guineans, especially those in Tari-Pori and Hela, to help ensure a peaceful General Election 2022 (GE22). “All have the right to campaign
Air Vanuatu to focus on domestic fleet expansion
Vanuatu’s national carrier Air Vanuatu has decided to cancel its order for Airbus A220s and instead plans to add more regional turboprop aircraft. “Air Vanuatu will not be proceeding with its order for
