Palau secures $12.5 million ADB financing for resilience drive
THE Asian Development Bank has approved $USD12.5 million in concessional financing for Palau to shore up public finances, improve disaster readiness and back sustainable growth.
VILIAME TAWANAKORO
New Zealand and PNG sign defence pact to boost military ties
NEW Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a new defence cooperation agreement aimed at deepening military ties, including more dialogue, training, exercises and personnel exchanges.
Naoero’s diplomatic leap towards Israel
THE Republic of Naoero (Nauru) plans to establish an embassy in Israel and has approved a scoping mission to examine the diplomatic, operational and logistical steps needed to open an embassy.
Taiwan reassesses PNG gas imports amid diplomatic tensions
TAIWAN is weighing possible economic steps against Papua New Guinea after Port Moresby ordered the closure of Taipei’s representative office, a move that could spill over into LNG trade and deepen an already sensitive
Solomon Islands and US move to restore Peace Corps partnership
PEACE Corps volunteers could strengthen specific areas of need in Solomon Islands after Prime Minister Matthew Wale and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau signing an agreement this week.
PNG eyes new wave of mining and gas projects
PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape earlier this week pitched PNG as a stable destination for foreign capital, saying the country was “open for business” as it moves toward a wave of mining and gas
PNG and Solomon Islands expand economic ties
PAPUA New Guinea and the Solomon Islands will deepen cooperation in mining, fisheries, trade and investment after talks between Prime Ministers James Marape and Matthew Wale in Honiara.
Wale pushes for stronger US partnership in Washington
SOLOMON Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has used an official visit to Washington, to advance priorities on development, investment and maritime security.
Air Niugini restores direct PNG-Japan route after pandemic suspension
AIR Niugini has restored direct flights between Port Moresby and Tokyo’s Narita airport, reopening a route that first linked Papua New Guinea and Japan in 2018.
Building bridges to the future
FOR a nation of over 980 islands, the sky is not the limit – it can, at times, be the only lifeline.
The Tongan way
KING Tupou VI’s increased involvement in governance, framed as a political regression, rests on a narrow interpretation of democracy and a misreading of Tonga’s cultural and political landscape.
Fiji’s coups, and the decrees that hollowed out the state from within
FIJI’S coups triggered a wave of decrees that transformed Fiji's public service.
Vengaboys lead proud of her Pacific roots
SOME of the most popular dance and disco songs of the nineties were sung by the Dutch group Vengaboys. “We like to Party” and “We’re going to Ibiza” are just two of their most well-known hits among a host of
2006 Militarisation left Fiji’s civil service fearful and broken
FIJI’S 2006 military takeover did more than topple a government.
Liberation of Fiji Party files registration
THE proposed Liberation of Fiji Party has submitted a fresh application to the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) after earlier failing
Australian survey finds dozens of wartime bombs in Nanumea lagoon
TUVALU has received the findings of an Australian underwater survey in Nanumea Lagoon which identified dozens of unexploded wartime bombs and other ordnance but found no immediate threat to residents.
Solomon MPs vote for pay rise
SOLOMON Islands MPs have voted themselves a second salary increase in two years – despite the economic
Cook Islands ready for election
ONE seat has been confirmed in the Cook Island general election after Agnes Helen Armstrong secured the Ivirua seat unopposed.
Church leaders call for genuine peace
IN an impassioned plea, church leaders have called for national leadership in the Pacific to lean toward courses of action that facilitate lasting and meaningful peace in our region.
Fiji’s drug crisis forces new rehab push
FIJI'S Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officially opened the Salvation Army’s new Drug and Alcohol Recovery Programme facility as part of the country’s wider fight against a worsening crisis.
PNG LNG landowner stakes will not be diluted, Marape says
PAPUA New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape, has sought to calm concerns over the PNG LNG project, saying the government will not dilute landowners’ and provincial governments’ equity stakes.
Vanuatu strengthens measles outbreak defences
VANUATU has moved to sharpen its measles outbreak response as Pacific countries work to protect communities from the disease which was declared eliminated in the region in 2025.
