Pacific nations strengthen ties at massive FestPAC celebration in Hawaii

A crowd of thousands bid farewell to the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture on Sunday during a large-scale celebration at the University of Hawaii that hosted delegates from 27 island nations.  FestPAC, hailed

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Papua New Guinea head count begins amid census preparation concerns

Counting is underway in a highly anticipated national census in Papua New Guinea that is hoped will dispel wildly diverging population estimates ranging from 9.6 million to nearly twice the number.  Just after midnight

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Pacific Netball Series: Tongan Tala secure ‘four-peat’ after overpowering Fiji for title

Tonga Tala’s head coach Jaqua Pori-Makea-Simpson predicted her team would be competitive before the Pacific Netball Series 2024 rolled off in Brisbane on 10 June.  And a weekend later, the young side named to

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At FestPAC, a call to preserve the ocean that separates — and connects

All of the 28 nation’s participating in 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture on Oahu are separated by miles of ocean. That same ocean, they say, connects them.  That’s why they’re working to protect the

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‘A Pacific notion of presence’: FestPAC attendees show solidarity for New Caledonia

When Fijian Mika Sela saw New Caledonia’s glaringly empty hale at the Hawaii Convention Centre, the Fiji delegate took his kava bowl and sat alone.  The Indigenous Kanaks of the French territory were forced to

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U.S Marines’ transfer to Guam from Okinawa to start in December

The transfer of U.S Marine Corps troops stationed in Japan’s Okinawa to Guam will start in December, a Marines official said Sunday, the latest development in a long-agreed Japan-U.S forces realignment plan aimed

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Micronesian Games open in Majuro

The Micronesian Games kicked off in Majuro Saturday night with a gala celebration that featured sports delegations from the 10 islands in the sub-region parading in uniform with flags and banners along a newly opened

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Samoa Anti-corruption body soon

An entity to look into corrupt practices in the Samoa government will be set up soon as the first National Anti-corruption Policy and Strategy was officially launched last Thursday at Tanoa Hotel.  The policy marks the

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FLNKS congress postponed, as independence movement debates the way forward

In a fast moving and complex situation, both supporters and opponents of independence in New Caledonia are preparing for the outcome of French elections later this month. Islands Business correspondent Nic Maclellan

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Fiji dominant start in the OFC Nations Cup after round 1

It was an exciting Sunday of Football in Suva, with a small but vocal crowd at the HFC stadium to witness the first round of Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) games for Group B. Tahiti and Samoa took to the field

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Budget should target Fijian diaspora, says investment body CEO

As Fiji launches a strategic initiative this week designed to showcase its outsourcing sector to potential investors offshore, the head of Fiji’s investment agency has called for the Fijian government to focus on

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Tonga’s $899.2 million budget for 2024-25

A draft budget of TOP$899.2 million (US$381 million) for the year 2024/25 was announced by the Government of Tonga, stating that it is the first balanced budget proposed by government to parliament since 2019/2020. The

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EU pushes for suspension of Vanuatu visa-waiver programme

An advisor to the Vanuatu government says the European Commission is pushing through with a suspension of its visa-waiver programme with the Pacific country despite concessions made by the government. The European

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Hokule’a’s babies: Cook Islands master navigator credits pioneers

In 2024 in Honolulu, the most venerated participants of the 13th Festpac are the voyagers who have arrived by reading the stars, the waves and winds, to close the circle begun by Hawaii’s Hokule’a canoe in the mid

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King Charles aims to defy health challenges to attend crucial Commonwealth meeting

King Charles will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa on October 21 and embark on a tour of Australia later this year. According to the Daily Express, Buckingham Palace officials are

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Vanuatu voters support constitutional change to end political instability

Vanuatu has voted to change its constitution in a bid to end years of political instability, results of the Pacific nation’s first national referendum showed on Wednesday. A grassroots push to alter the

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Solomon Islands arts and crafts fascinate FestPAC visitors

Solomon Islands traditional and contemporary arts and craft displays have captivated the hearts and curiosity of festival visitors heralding the originality, creativity and uniqueness of our arts industry. Despite

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FestPAC gathering strengthens Pacific identity

As the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) enters its second week, Cook Islands Consul General in Aotearoa New Zealand, Keu Mataroa, expresses his deep appreciation for the rich cultural artistry and

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Fiji, PNG call for UN decolonisation mission to riot-struck New Caledonia

Fiji and Papua New Guinea have urged the UN’s decolonisation committee to expedite a visit to the French-controlled Pacific territory of New Caledonia following its pro-independence riots last month. Nine people have

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NRL insists competitiveness part of PNG criteria

Andrew Abdo has emphasised the NRL must believe a Papua New Guinea team can be genuinely competitive before it is given the green light to enter an expanded competition. The league will take the next step towards

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FestPAC 2024: ‘Fight against the extinction of Pacific people’

The world’s largest event celebrating Pacific culture has united thousands of delegates, leaders, performers and spectators through uplifting marginalised indigenous groups fighting extinction and the right to

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Nine dead since start of New Caledonia unrest

A man in his thirties who was shot amongst the New Caledonia rioting has died of his wounds.  He was allegedly shot by a gendarme who responded after being targeted, according to initial investigations, the public

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Solomon Islands Finance Minister Sogavare identifies revenue leakages

Solomon Islands Minister of Finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare, has emphasised the ministry’s commitment to addressing significant revenue leakages within various government departments.  Sogavare candidly

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Census ready to roll-out after 13 years

The 2024 Papua New Guinea National Population Census is on track and ready to kick-off next week Monday, 17 June 2024.  The minister for Administrative Services Richard Masere and the stakeholders of the National

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