U.S. opens Embassy in Tonga in new pushback against China in Pacific

The United States has opened a new Embassy in Tonga, the State Department said on Wednesday, part of efforts to step up the U.S. diplomatic presence in the Pacific region to counter China. The United States

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Expert explains why Special Economic Zone in PNG fails

No one knew what Special Economic Zone (SEZ) were and accordingly, what must be done to enable them to succeed, writes the Post Courier. The Japanese Development Institute (JDI), a think tank with more than 40 years of

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New forex strategy promises gradual return to a floating currency in PNG: IMF

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team will be in Port Moresby over the next few months to help the PNG government develop a jointly-agreed comprehensive reform roadmap for the country’s foreign exchange (FX)

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Australia invests to counter China’s influence in the Pacific

Australia will spend almost $2 billion(US$1.3 million) on improving relations with Pacific island nations as it seeks to counter China’s growing influence in the region. As well as spending $1.4 billion(US$947

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The Dixmude visits Suva port

It has been 22 years since France did a circumnavigation training around the world, and yesterday a vessel undertaking this exercise docked at the Suva harbour with the aim of strengthening regional partnerships and

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Papua LNG project: potential economic contribution, says ANZ

The ANZ bank says the proposed Papua New Guinea LNG project will deliver PGK18bn (US$5bn) in new spending (in constant prices or in real terms) during its construction phase. This is equivalent to 27.3% of PNG’s

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Pacific feminists: Doing work that matters

More than 150 feminists, women’s rights defenders and human rights activists from 20 countries in the Pacific region are sharing, learning and strategising at the 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum (PFF) this week. The

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Vaccinations low in PNG: UN

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says there has been a decline in children’s immunisation in Papua New Guinea over the last two years. UNICEF PNG representative Dr Claudes Kamenga reported this during the

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Samoa at high risk debt distress: IMF

A new debt sustainability analysis (DSA) prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Staff has shown that Samoa remains at high risk of external and overall debt distress, unchanged from the

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Pacific island countries are working to address mobility and sustainable transport

During the initial session of the 5th Pacific Regional Energy Transport Ministerial Meeting held at Le Lagon in Port Vila Monday, representatives from various countries shared their concerns and challenges with regards

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Inadequate evidence to revoke Gupta’s brothers’ Vanuatu Citizenship: Commission

Vanuatu’s Citizenship Commission has confirmed that corruption-accused fugitive Gupta brothers – Atul and Rajesh — are citizens of Vanuatu and there is inadequate evidence to cancel their Vanuatu citizenship

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Samoa visitor arrivals returning to pre-pandemic levels

Visitors to Samoa’s shores in the first quarter of 2023 totaled over 30,000 with data released by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS) showing arrivals beginning to get to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

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