China promises to help Fiji tackle climate change as Beijing seeks greater Pacific role
China has pledged to support Fiji’s development in a world beset with “turmoil” and help tackle the impact of climate change during Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to Beijing, reports the South China
UN Secretary-General Guterres to start Pacific swing
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is making his first visit to the Pacific in five years, taking in Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga and East Timor. The centrepiece of Guterres’ mission will be the
Kiribati closes border to diplomats until 2025
Kiribati has banned foreign diplomatic visits until 2025 due to national elections in a move that has left officials scrambling for more information. A letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration sent to
Kiribati elections results: 58 percent turnout and a record five women elected into 45-seat parliament
A record five female MPs have been elected into the Kiribati parliament, the Maneaba ni Maungatabo, which is one more than the last polls, while 14 sitting MPs have lost their seats in this year’s election. The
39 runs scored from one over as Samoa batter breaks international record
History was created at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A event on Tuesday as Samoan batter Darius Visser helped break the record for most runs from one over of a men’s
Australian partnership to strengthen Pacific football
A new partnership will see Australian and Pacific national teams play regular international matches. The Australian Government and Football Australia have signed a new four-year investment through the PacificAus Sports
Kiribati, Niue and Tuvalu struggle to keep up with high cost of living
Purchasing basic commodities, such as food, has been a big challenge for residents of Kiribati, Niue and Tuvalu, which are most affected by global inflation, according to the Asian Development Bank’s latest economic
Kiribati elections: Voters wait for final results
Voters in Kiribati are awaiting the final results of the runoff round of elections on Monday. Twenty-five of the 45 parliamentary seats were confirmed in the first round on Wednesday last week, with those candidates
New Caledonia requests Australian aid for riot rebuild
New Caledonia is looking to Australia for aid to help rebuild its capital city after deadly riots. The French territory was marred by civil unrest and riots that left 10 dead in May after controversial voting reforms
Papua independence protestors seek papal intervention after clashes with Indonesian forces
Indonesian security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets in clashes with protestors marking the 62nd anniversary of a UN agreement that paved the way for Jakarta’s annexation of the Papua region. At least one
PRF expresses grave concerns following discovery of needles and syringes amidst rising drug cases
PRF Expresses Grave Concerns Following Discovery of Needles and Syringes Amidst Rising Drug Cases Amidst the rise in drug cases in Fiji, Pacific Recycling Foundation is issuing an urgent appeal, expressing deep concern
Chair of PNG NRL bid hoping for announcement by end of 2024
Papua New Guinea’s bid to have a team in Australia’s National Rugby League will “hopefully” be confirmed by the end of this year, bid chairman Wapu Sonk has told the 2024 Business Advantage PNG Investment
Vanuatu to bid for 2031 Pacific Games
Vanuatu plans to bid to host the 2031 Pacific Games in Port Vila, with a proposal expected by the end of the year. A high-profile government delegation is expected to travel to Palau to formally submit the bid, aiming
Vanimo prepares for Pope’s Visit, Panning gold to assist with preparations
Faithful Catholics and citizens in Vanimo, Sandaun Province are transforming the town in preparation for the Pope’s visit to the Papua New Guinea province next month. The preparations in the province is being led by
Kiribati poll results show Maamau retains parliamentary seat
Kiribati’s President retained his parliamentary seat in a landslide, according to the first results on Thursday of an election that hinged on worries about the cost of living, rising sea levels and closer ties
Elon Musk invited to Pacific Island Leaders meeting amid Tonga’s internet crisis
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, has been invited to attend the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting, scheduled from 26-30 August, 2024. The invitation reportedly comes from the Tongan government,
USP Fiji staff vote to go on strike for the second time in 5 months
University of the South Pacific staff in Fiji, where the University is headquartered, have voted to go on strike for the second time in five months, this time demanding to have Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia
Fijian writers launch new book on equality
Emerging Fijian writers, Stephanie Datt Wise and Asish Vinay Prasad, have launched a new chapbook to further conversations around the topic of equality. ‘The After’ is 23 pages of poems and short
New Zealand refugee resettlement deal likely to wind up
New Zealand is set to walk away from its agreement to resettle refugees from Australia, with about half the places on offer unfilled. In 2022, the governments agreed a deal for 450 people in Australian offshore
Some Islanders don’t want to leave homelands despite climate closing in – research
A Tongan researcher from the University of Waikato found that in the Pacific region, particularly in Tonga and Samoa, people don’t want to move despite what she calls the “stigma” associated with
Fiji Cabinet removes duties on EU goods under iEPA
Fiji’s cabinet has approved the implementation of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) with the European Union (EU) and decided to remove duties on certain goods from EU countries. This move is part of
Fiji reinstated to World Rugby Council after governance overhaul
World Rugby has reinstated Fiji to the World Rugby Council, effective immediately. This decision comes after the Executive Board approved the recommendation from the Fiji Oversight Committee, following the adoption of a
PNG jolts donors over power grid roll-out as China sale dismissed
The chairman of Papua New Guinea’s national power provider has called for a faster U.S. and foreign donor roll-out of promised electricity infrastructure while saying there is absolutely no plan to sell critical grid
