Pacific security race heats up as Australia and China court Vanuatu
CHINA has pushed back against Australia’s new security pact with Vanuatu, warning that bilateral agreements in the Pacific should not be aimed at third countries.
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Marape says new electoral chief will support PNG vote reforms
PAPUA New Guinea says the appointment of Dr Nicole Haley as Electoral Commissioner is the opening move in a broader reset ahead of the 2027 national vote.
The Pacific cannot reimagine the ocean without speaking to its scars
CONVERSATIONS are a big deal in the Pacific. Sometimes the hardest decisions are made without words at all, carried in the spaces between, the silences, and the relationships in the room.
Taiwan backs Blue Pacific Strategy
TAIWAN continues to demonstrate solid commitment to its partnership with Pacific Island Forum member states. This is after yesterday handing over $USD2 million in funding for development cooperation at the Secretariat
Pacific tourism trade converges in Fiji
FIJI is set to host the Pacific's biggest tourism business week in 2027 and generate new partnerships, attract international buyers, and strengthen the Pacific's visitor economy.
Time for a big idea to secure Solomons partnership
THE Solomon Islands is one of the most contested environments in the Indo-Pacific with respect to China’s political warfare
ASEAN can manage a typhoon – a Taiwan contingency is another matter
THE ability of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to respond to crises has become a new focus as the region faces a growing set of geopolitical risks: maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Taiwan
China boosts Pacific Forum with $1.08M
CHINA has reaffirmed its support for Pacific regional cooperation, contributing $FJD2.4 million to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) for priorities under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
PNG nature pact to turn forest protection into local income
PAPUA New Guinea has launched a push to secure more international money for forest protection, biodiversity conservation and climate action.
Vanuatu, Australia sign landmark Nakamal Agreement
AUSTRALIA and Vanuatu have signed a new treaty which will deepen security, disaster response, and economic ties between the two countries.
PNG rolls out digital recruitment system to tackle nepotism in public service
PAPUA New Guinea has rolled out a new electronic recruitment system for senior public service appointments, a move the Marape government says will eliminate paper files, speed up hiring and harden the state against
Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) help or hinder the survival of minority languages into the next century?
According to Ethnologue, a database of the world’s 7,168 living languages, almost half are endangered. Over 88 million people speak a language that may not survive this century except in historical
Naoero remembers start of war time exile
NAOERO marked Remembrance Day, with a solemn ceremony honouring the 83rd anniversary of the people’s
Japan backs Fiji Navy with patrol boats, security support
JAPAN has handed over a third batch of patrol boats to Fiji under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme, deepening a defence partnership both governments say is focused on maritime security, law enforcement
FCEF positive on new budget
THE Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) says measures in Fiji’s 2026-27 Budget aimed at relieving business cost pressures and strengthening skills development, will boost investment confidence. Under the
Drua win big against the Reds
A FEROCIOUS Fijian Drua women side continued their winning streak, taking down the Queensland Reds 50 - 17 in front of a small but
Loyalist surge in New Caledonia, but Congress remains balanced
IN a poll marked by low voter turnout, New Caledonia’s provincial elections have seen a significant increase of vote
Reading PALM numbers with care – pay, deductions and hours edition
A PACIFIC worker putting in 30 hours on an Australian farm, earning $AUD937 and taking home just over $100 after deductions, as put to a Senate committee in 2022, became, for many people, a defining image of the Pacific
UNESCO recognises Nino Konis Santana as Timor-Leste’s first biosphere reserve
TIMOR-LESTE'S Nino Konis Santana National Park has been designated Timor-Leste’s first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, marking an international recognition of the park’s ecological and cultural value and giving the
Vanuatu, Australia close to revised Nakamal Agreement
VANUATU Prime Minister Jotham Napat is expected to lead a delegation to Canberra this weekend ahead of the planned signing next week of the revised Nakamal
Timor-Leste welcomes Aero Dili’s new Darwin service
TRAVEL to Timor-Leste becomes easier with the introduction of Aero Dili’s direct flights between Dili and Darwin.
TNG Holdings Fiji appeals rejection of energy-from-waste project
EARLIER this month, Fiji’s Department of Environment rejected the EIA for The Next Generation Holdings (Fiji) Pte Limited’s proposed Energy-from-Waste plant and private port at Vuda Point, saying the assessment did
UN urged to treat New Caledonia elections as part of decolonisation pathway
UNITED Nations decolonisation talks on New Caledonia have come under renewed pressure after Pacific church leaders called for urgent action over unrest that killed at least 13 people in 2024.
