Fiji crowned Oceania 7s champions
Fijian 7s team was crowned the PacificAus Sports Oceania 7s champions after remaining undefeated and beating the All Black 7s 17-7 in their final match in Townsville. Coach Gareth Baber tried various combinations during
CDC expert says Palau has beaten COVID
A career epidemiology field officer for U.S affiliated Pacific Islands with U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr W Thane Hancock said Palau is one of the first countries to have beaten COVID.
Cook Islands passes budget
Cook Islands parliament has passed what Prime Minister Mark Brown has dubbed “a budget of revival.” The US$212 million budget includes an additional US7.7 million allocation for government agencies than was
Samoa HRPP seat declared void; election overturned
A Human Rights Protection Party(HRPP) Associate Minister has had his election in the seat of Sagaga No. 2 declared void by the Samoa Supreme Court following a legal challenge, triggering a by-election. This means
RMI, Solomons make a ‘lonely case’ for carbon price on shipping
Pacific island nations made the case for a carbon price to tackle shipping’s climate impact at the UN body responsible for seaborne transport on Wednesday, but found only tepid support. At a environmental committee
How an ASEAN ag visa would undermine Pacific seasonal worker programs
The Australian Federal Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud, announced yesterday morning on the ABC that the National Party had demanded and gained acceptance of a proposed “seasonal agricultural workforce visa”
Probe into Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone project financing
Papua New Guinea Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey has announced a new study aimed at resuming work on the long-delayed Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone project in Madang. PMIZ has been a white elephant sitting on the fringes
Cook Islands swimmer off to Olympics
Cook Islands swimmer Wesley Roberts has broken a national record and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Wesley Roberts, also known as the “Atiu Rocket”, broke the national record in the 400 metre freestyle (3.52.50)
Solomon Islands Opposition Leader calls for mining moratorium
Solomon Islands leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale has called for a moratorium on all forms of mining in the country until proper management and regulatory policies are put in place to safeguard the people and their
Violence against women in Pacific politics
As with their sisters around the world, many women in the Pacific Islands are victims of violence. While much of this violence occurs within the family, a socio-cultural environment accustomed to violence against women
Vanuatu Education minister now speaker
The Vanuatu Parliament has elected Seule Simeon as the new speaker just hours after Gracia Shadrack resigned from the position. To stand as candidate for speaker, Simeon resigned his education portfolio in the
Samoan weightlifter Iuniarra Sipaia through to Olympics
Samoan weightlifter Iuniarra Sipaia has confirmed her spot in the Tokyo Olympics next month and says she is honored to be representing the country. Sipaia told the Samoa Observer in an interview on Tuesday that she felt
Bougainville independence date set
Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama has set 1 September, 2025, as the tentative date for the declaration of independence for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. He told the House of Representatives that the
Hearing on Samoa swearing-in to start next week
A hearing on an application brought by the Samoa Attorney General to stop the ad-hoc swearing-in of a new Government from taking legal effect after the disputed election, will begin next Monday. The Fa’atuatua ile
PS looks to 80% vaccination rate before lifting of restrictions
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health says he’s looking at an 80% vaccination rate before restrictions on movement, gatherings and workplaces can be further relaxed. Currently 230,000 people have received their
Marshalls vaccinates fishermen in Majuro
The Marshall Islands has launched Covid-19 vaccinations for commercial fishermen temporarily in port Majuro — possibly the first Pacific island to vaccinate foreign fishermen. With the country vaccination programme
We need arrests
Testimony to the PNG Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence This is the edited testimony of Ms Denga Ilave, Lae Operations Director for Femili PNG, delivered on Monday 24 May to PNG’s Special Parliamentary
Aust gives another F$42.5 million to Fiji for budget support
Australia has supplied Fiji with direct budget support, vaccines, rations for front liners, funds for NGO emergency food distribution, medical supplies including thermal guns and other forms of support in responding to
Brisbane set to host 2032 Olympics
In a move that would prove a big boost to Pacific Islands athletes, Brisbane is set to be awarded the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games next month after clearing the penultimate hurdle in the International Olympic
Media Council condemns attack on the media at University of PNG
The Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) has condemned an attack by male students at the University of Papua New Guinea on media representatives who were covering a protest march staged by female students on
PNG vaccine expiring soon
With the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from the Covax facility expiring next month, Papua New Guinea health officials are concerned that some may waste due to the slow uptake among health workers and the public. Deputy
Wallis and Futuna to return vaccine stocks
Wallis and Futuna plans to return about a third of its Covid-19 vaccine stocks by the end of the month because of resistance to the inoculation programme. France sent 18,000 doses to Wallis in March when a community
Weightlifters Toua and Morea settling in well pre-Olympics: Coffa
Papua New Guinea Olympics hopefuls, weightlifters Dika Toua and Morea Baru have both settled in well in Melbourne, Australia for their preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games in July. Oceania Weightlifting Federation