U.S. President Biden to sign defence pact in PNG, with eyes on China
U.S. President Joe Biden will sign defence and surveillance agreements with Papua New Guinea, the island nation’s foreign minister said, on a visit that renews the strategic importance of the nation where
Dalton Tagelagi re-elected premier of Niue
Dalton Tagelagi has been re-elected premier of Niue beating opposition leader O’love Jacobsen by 16 votes to 4 during the first sitting of the new assembly in Alofi. During the meeting, Niue’s 20 assembly
A lasting legacy: Tui Kamikamica’s ultimate gift to family
To the untrained eye they are just hills, but to Tui Kamikamica they are the ticket to building generational wealth for his family. It’s here in the place the Storm front-rower was raised, on an island made up of
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Progress on PALM worker proposal for shearing industry
Pacific islands workers could be working in Australian sheds this Spring if negotiations with the Federal Government and industry groups can be finalised to allow training to start in August. Long-time Pacific Australia
Researcher examines criminal deportations to the Cook Islands
Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) last week hosted assisting researcher Henrietta McNeill, a PhD Candidate with the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU)
New dates for stalled Micronesian Games announced
The twice-delayed Micronesian Games will now be held from 15-24 June, 2024 in Majuro, Marshall Islands. The Micronesian Games Council said the new dates for the quadrennial event was decided following a special virtual
Employers say contract workers abandoning contracts; Using Palau as stepping stone to getting U.S. visas
Several employers in Palau complain that many foreign workers have abandoned their contracts in Palau after getting visas to the United States from the U.S. Embassy in Palau. They claim that obtaining U.S. visas from
IAEA Task Force issues new report on regulatory aspects of Fukushima water discharge
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force assessing the safety of Japan’s planned discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has issued its latest report. The report
WHO chief declares end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency
The head of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared “with great hope” an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat. “Last
Guam to compete with other states for Compact impact funds
The distribution of migrants from the freely associated states has shifted since 2003, with more than half of the total number now spread out across the mainland U.S., the Department of the Interior said in a bid to
PIF secretariat rues being left out of regional dialogue
The Pacific’s premier regional body, the Pacific Islands Forum, is concerned that it is being left on the sidelines of a regional dialogue between India and Pacific island countries in Papua New Guinea later this
