Gunmen attack Indonesian troops deployed to rescue NZ pilot

Separatist gunmen attacked Indonesian army troops who were deployed to rescue a New Zealand pilot taken hostage by the rebels in Indonesia’s restive Papua province, leaving at least six dead and about 30 missing,

Read More

NZ Deputy Prime Minister lead Pacific Mission

New Zealand deputy Prime Minister and Associate Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Minister Carmel Sepuloni is leading a Pacific Mission to Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga – the first to be undertaken since COVID-19.

Read More

Cook Islands Parliament decriminalises homosexuality

Cook Islands Parliament has repealed provisions in its Crimes Act that criminalised homosexuality. The Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill 2023 which, among other things, aimed to decriminalise homosexuality was

Read More

Force upset Fijiana Drua in Super W

Western Force have moved closer to an inaugural Super W finals appearance with a gritty 23-10 upset home win over defending premiers Fijiana Drua in Perth. Sunday’s game at McGillivray Oval was locked at 10-10 at

Read More

Larkham praises Brumbies’ composure against dangerous Drua

ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has hailed his team’s composure after they held off a surging Fijian Drua to stretch their Super Rugby Pacific record to seven wins from eight this season. Winger Ben

Read More

Mapou to welcome Australia’s foreign minister to New Caledonia

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to travel to New Caledonia this week, to meet with President Louis Mapou, the first Kanak independence leader to head the Government of New Caledonia in forty years.

Read More

South Africa’s wanted fugitives Guptas are now citizens of Vanuatu

South Africa’s Director-General of the justice department advocate Dr Mashabane said on Friday they only just learnt that the Guptas are citizens of Vanuatu in the Pacific islands. “In the communication we

Read More

Most meth labs foreign owned and run by Papua New Guineans

Intelligence reports detail Papua New Guinea allegedly has more than 15 methamphetamine (meth) manufacturing laboratories. About seven of them are operating in nation’s capital with clandestine laboratories, three in

Read More

Biden backs plan to restore benefits for COFA migrants

U.S. President Joe Biden has endorsed legislation sponsored by Hawaii’s congressional delegation to restore access to federal benefits for tens of thousands of Micronesian migrants living in the U.S. legally under the

Read More

China practices attacking Taiwan and Pacific, a worrying development

China’s newest aircraft carrier has for the first time practiced attacking Taiwan from the island’s east coast, demonstrating Beijing’s growing determination to project power beyond the Taiwan Strait and far into

Read More

Tongan court rules law does not apply to a noble

Tonga’s Appeal Court has upheld a decision saying a law did not apply to a nobleman. A member of Parliament, a nobles’ representative, was elected in 2021 despite the fact he had a court debt. It is

Read More

Palau to establish digital residency programme physical office

Palau’s Ministry of Finance has announced its latest regulation pertaining to the digital residency programme. In a letter to President Surangel Whipps Jr, The Ministry of Finance said the new regulation

Read More

PNG National Rugby League Competition rolls out five-year plan

The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) will introduce national competitions for women and Under-19s starting 2025 as part of its five-year strategic plan (2023-2027). The plan, headed by PNG

Read More

England No. 8 Nathan Hughes sets sights on Fiji spot

Former England backrower Nathan Hughes may turn his career arc into a full circle if he is chosen to play for Fiji at this year’s Rugby World Cup. Hughes was born in Fiji, moved to New Zealand on a high school

Read More

ADB: 6.3% economic growth projected for Fiji

Growth in the South Pacific economy of Fiji is projected to reach 6.3% in 2023 and moderate to 3% in 2024, according to a new economic report released today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Asian Development

Read More

Consultations on constitution begin outside Bougainville

The Bougainville Constitutional Planning Commission (BCPC) has begun consultations with Bougainvilleans outside Bougainville. The consultation is to gauge views and contribution of Bougainvilleans to draft an

Read More

IMF lowers global economic growth outlook as ‘fog thickens’

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast in their latest World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday, that global growth will bottom out at 2.8 percent this year before rising modestly to around three percent in

Read More

OEK joint to loan US$20 million approved in Palau

Palau Senate passed a joint resolution authorising President Whipps to execute a loan agreement between the Republic of Palau and Mega International Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. of Taiwan of up to US$20 million to fund

Read More

Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Kabua to meet President Tsai this week

Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua is slated to visit Taiwan on Wednesday for a week-long trip. Her delegation consists of government officials including Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Anjanette

Read More

PNG quake kills eight, injures 17 and damages 800 homes

At least eight people are dead, 17 recovering in hospital with injuries and 800 houses destroyed in Papua New Guinea by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake which hit East Sepik a week ago, according to Governor Allan Bird. It

Read More

Samoa ready for Moana Pasifika’s first home Super Rugby game

Samoa will turn on the fireworks when they welcome Moana Pasifika ahead of their Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Reds in Apia on Friday. A welcome parade is taking place today and will follow the Police Marching

Read More

Over 11,000 travellers visited Samoa in February

A total of 11,411 travellers visited Samoa in February of this year, which according to the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS) is a decrease of 34.4 percent over the previous month of January, 2023.  However, the latest

Read More

Guam now has 4,000 H-2B workers

Guam welcomed the 4,000th H-2B worker approved to work on island, representing a record-setting number of foreign workers since the hotel construction boom in 1995.  Originally from Quezon City, Philippines, Ronel

Read More

BSP customers in PNG told to repay money after ‘glitch’

A “technical issue” has allowed some customers with Papua New Guinea’s largest bank to overdraw money from their accounts, while others have watched their bank balances drop. In a statement posted to Facebook,

Read More