Marape says new electoral chief will support PNG vote reforms
PAPUA New Guinea says the appointment of Dr Nicole Haley as Electoral Commissioner is the opening move in a broader reset ahead of the 2027 national vote.
VILIAME TAWANAKORO
The Pacific cannot reimagine the ocean without speaking to its scars
CONVERSATIONS are a big deal in the Pacific. Sometimes the hardest decisions are made without words at all, carried in the spaces between, the silences, and the relationships in the room.
Taiwan backs Blue Pacific Strategy
TAIWAN continues to demonstrate solid commitment to its partnership with Pacific Island Forum member states. This is after yesterday handing over $USD2 million in funding for development cooperation at the Secretariat
Pacific tourism trade converges in Fiji
FIJI is set to host the Pacific's biggest tourism business week in 2027 and generate new partnerships, attract international buyers, and strengthen the Pacific's visitor economy.
Time for a big idea to secure Solomons partnership
THE Solomon Islands is one of the most contested environments in the Indo-Pacific with respect to China’s political warfare
ASEAN can manage a typhoon – a Taiwan contingency is another matter
THE ability of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to respond to crises has become a new focus as the region faces a growing set of geopolitical risks: maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Taiwan
China boosts Pacific Forum with $1.08M
CHINA has reaffirmed its support for Pacific regional cooperation, contributing $FJD2.4 million to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) for priorities under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
PNG nature pact to turn forest protection into local income
PAPUA New Guinea has launched a push to secure more international money for forest protection, biodiversity conservation and climate action.
Vanuatu, Australia sign landmark Nakamal Agreement
AUSTRALIA and Vanuatu have signed a new treaty which will deepen security, disaster response, and economic ties between the two countries.
PNG rolls out digital recruitment system to tackle nepotism in public service
PAPUA New Guinea has rolled out a new electronic recruitment system for senior public service appointments, a move the Marape government says will eliminate paper files, speed up hiring and harden the state against
Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) help or hinder the survival of minority languages into the next century?
According to Ethnologue, a database of the world’s 7,168 living languages, almost half are endangered. Over 88 million people speak a language that may not survive this century except in historical
Naoero remembers start of war time exile
NAOERO marked Remembrance Day, with a solemn ceremony honouring the 83rd anniversary of the people’s
Japan backs Fiji Navy with patrol boats, security support
JAPAN has handed over a third batch of patrol boats to Fiji under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme, deepening a defence partnership both governments say is focused on maritime security, law enforcement
Movers and Shakers
GOVERNOR Pulaalii Nikolao Pula has appointed Fa’alana’ipupu Taase Sagapolutele as Acting Police Commissioner, following the resignation of Ta’aga Saite
Oil crisis options
THE fuel crisis will impact heavily on the stretched and strained maritime service industry, even as Fiji and the Marshall Islands host the inaugural PBSP Ministerial Council meeting in Majuro.
We declare: Energy crisis fuels call to action
BEHIND the polished communiqués and diplomatic language that came out of the Sixth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting (PRETMM6) in Port Moresby, one message echoed repeatedly.
Race to save crops
TRADITIONAL crops, giant swamp taro, breadfruit, local yams, and banana varieties are disappearing from Pacific homes – not because people have stopped caring, but because the conditions that once made them ordinary
Writing on the wall: Why Pasifika rugby is in trouble
FOR rugby union fans in Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific Islands, the news that Moana Pasifika will be disbanded at the end of the 2026 season would have come as a big disappointment.
Milestone for Niue: Elected women signal new era of Pacific leadership
NIUE has marked a historic milestone in its democratic journey, with the election of seven women into Parliament.
Devi’s gold
AT 38, Archana Devi’s graduation was more than a personal milestone; it was a moment of healing, pride and long awaited
Island squabble: Disbelief in Paris over native detente
DIFFERENCES between the French State and the independence movement were again highlighted last month over the status of Umaenupne (Matthew) and Umaeneag (Hunter) – two uninhabited volcanic islands located to the east
Reading PALM numbers with care – pay, deductions and hours edition
A PACIFIC worker putting in 30 hours on an Australian farm, earning $AUD937 and taking home just over $100 after deductions, as put to a Senate committee in 2022, became, for many people, a defining image of the Pacific
When time is up
PAPUA New Guinea and Fiji have started preparations for general elections – the former in 2027 and the latter this year or early in 2027.
