In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — ‘Spirit of talanoa’ called upon as COP31 opens in Türkiye
2. UN — UN Climate chief Stiell warns climate crisis is now a global health emergency
3. UN — WMO warns 2027 could break global temperature records as super El Niño intensifies
4. UN — Climate change killing more than three million people annually, Wellcome warns
5. PACIFIC — COP31 must deliver climate action as Pacific faces worsening El Niño impacts
6. PACIFIC — Fiji village leader carries Pacific voices to COP31
7. PACIFIC — COP31: Climate disasters hit nearly 50 percent more children a year in the last five years – Save the Children analysis
8. PAC — Mixed fortunes for Pacific candidates as MMP shapes uncertain NZ election outcome
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Former PM O’Neill says PNG loses major gas customer
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Radio New Zealand faces 58 job cuts after $11.8m budget blowout
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Former Fiji envoy calls for heritage mapping before iron sands project
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Committee set up for PNG SOEs’ El Nino efforts
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — COP31 opens in Antalya: Can climate promises finally deliver results?
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Ocean to Play Centre stage at COP31 Climate Negotiations
PAC – COP31: SPREP PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
‘Spirit of talanoa’ called upon as COP31 opens in Türkiye
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—A hundred and ninety-eight parties attending the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Antalya, Türkiye, including 14 Pacific countries, have been urged to use the ‘spirit of talanoa’ to ensure a successful outcome for the protection of lives and communities around the world.
Following the successful hosting of pre-COP31 by Tuvalu and Fiji, as part of the Australia Pacific COP31 Partnership, COP31 President of Negotiations and Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, said the “same sense of determination,” rooted in dialogue and cooperation, is needed in Türkiye.
“We saw the spirit of talanoa, of dialogue and cooperation, at the Pacific Pre-COP,” said Bowen.
“The message from the world that came out of Fiji and Tuvalu was clear: Keep 1.5 degrees within reach. Speed up our climate action. Make finance easier to access and deliver on our commitments. Strengthen the resilience of our communities, our economies and our ocean. And ensure no country faces climate impacts alone. I know that the same sense of determination is present here in Antalya.”
Bown made the call during the official opening of COP31 on Monday at the Antalya Expo Centre. COP31 is taking place at a time when many key indicators show the world is falling further behind on several climate goals.
According to the Limiting Overshoot Report, by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the planet is on track to officially breach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold within the next few years.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels surged to a new record high in 2025, surpassing 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
Since the 1960s, the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 has tripled, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 ppm per year to 2.4 ppm per year between 2011 to 2020. Concentrations of two other long-lived greenhouse gases linked to human activities, methane and nitrous oxide, also reached new record highs last year.
These greenhouse gases are the primary driver of human-induced climate change.
“The urgency of this moment must drive us forward,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell.
“Global heating is already costing the Earth, appalling tragedy has hit the Himalayas, adding to the ever-expanding catalogue hitting communities across every region.
“A monster El Niño is piling fuel on the climate fire that’s already burning through communities and economies everywhere. The vulnerable everywhere pay the highest price – underscored by the Pre-COP in Fiji, in partnership with Australia and Pacific islands.”
Pacific delegations have made the long trip to Anatalya to advocate for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts. From 9-20 November, Leaders, Ministers, government officials, negotiators and Pacific delegations will engage in crucial discussions in the negotiation rooms and pavilion spaces on tackling the climate crisis with urgency and ambition.
At the official opening, Pacific communities were referenced as people “who have done the least to cause climate change but have the most at stake.”
“Profound injustice threatens our solidarity and collective progress,” Stiell added. “Frustration is palpable. Fairness must be at the heart of a truly global shift to clean energy and resilience. Because it is right.”
For host country Türkiye, three principes guide its work.
They are Dialogue. Consensus. Action.
“We begin by listening to each other. We then build on what we share. And we turn that shared resolve into action on the ground,” said COP31 President, Murat Kurum.
“The world already has knowledge, technology, capital, science and human talent. Our task is to bring them to the people and places that need them.
“Together with Australia, we are ready to ensure the Pacific is heard and to help find solutions to the challenges facing vulnerable countries. We know that delay carries one of the heaviest costs in climate action.”
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), as Chair of the OneCROP, has the mandate as coordinator of Pacific climate change action to lead work on enhancing Pacific engagement at COP31.
In Antalya, SPREP is supporting Pacific countries and partners in highlighting Pacific leadership both in the negotiation halls and pavilion spaces, especially at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion.
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place from 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye….PACNEWS
UN – COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
UN Climate chief Stiell warns climate crisis is now a global health emergency
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The climate crisis has become a global health emergency of pandemic proportions, with extreme heat, pollution and climate disasters threatening lives and overwhelming health systems, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell says.
Speaking at a press conference hosted by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Stiell said the latest climate data showed the world was getting dangerously hot, with hundreds of millions of people exposed to extreme heat across southern Asia.
He said heatwaves during the northern hemisphere summer had broken temperature records and were estimated to have killed 50,000 people across Europe.
“For too many people, climate change is deadly,” Stiell said.
He warned that a super El Niño was intensifying climate impacts, creating what he described as a “deadly double-blow” for communities already exposed to rising temperatures and climate-related disasters.
“The climate crisis is now a global health crisis of pandemic proportions. From toxic pollution to extreme heat, and climate disasters slamming through health systems and infrastructure,” he said.
Stiell also highlighted the growing health risks facing pregnant women, newborns and mothers as temperatures continue to rise.
He said the impacts of extreme heat on pregnancy and maternal and newborn health represented another unfolding health disaster linked to climate change.
“The root cause is humanity still burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, and destroying forests,” he said.
Stiell thanked Wellcome, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations for raising awareness of the health consequences of climate change, including new findings from a survey of 1,000 maternal health professionals.
He said health would remain central to COP31 under the guidance of Türkiye and Australia, building on progress made at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
This includes work through the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, which has already awarded more than US$200 million, with additional funding announced at the conference.
Stiell said practical solutions to the climate and health crisis were available through the COP31 Action Agenda, particularly electrification and the transition to clean energy.
He challenged governments to make a clear choice between accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels or continuing to expose households, businesses and governments to rising energy costs and climate-related health pressures.
“At this COP, nations face a choice: electric or shock. Rewire the global economy for the electric age. Or accept ongoing fossil fuel cost pain for families, firms, and governments, and of course that includes health systems,” he said.
Stiell said efficient electric technologies and clean energy were essential to reducing planet-heating pollution while easing pressure on household budgets amid continuing fossil fuel price volatility.
He said COP31 provided an opportunity for countries to advance practical measures through the negotiations and the wider climate action agenda.
“We have a real opportunity in Antalya to move our agendas forward. So it’s going to be an interesting two weeks. Please stay engaged,” he said…. PACNEWS
UN – COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
WMO warns 2027 could break global temperature records as super El Niño intensifies
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— The developing super El Niño could push global temperatures to another record high in 2027, with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warning that the scale of the current climate event is unlike anything it has previously monitored.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said global temperatures were already at dangerous levels, with the first nine months of 2026 averaging about 1.47 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
Speaking at a press conference at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on the release of the WMO’s State of the Climate Update 2026, Saulo said the past 12 years had been the warmest on record, while the past four years, including 2026, ranked as the four hottest.
She warned that temperatures could rise further as the developing El Niño strengthens.
“This 2026/2027 El Niño is off the charts. It is different from any El Niño that we have monitored,” Saulo said.
WMO forecasts indicate sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific could reach nearly four times the threshold used to declare an El Niño between November 2026 and January 2027.
Saulo said El Niño typically had its greatest influence on global temperatures in the year after its development, pointing to 2024, which became the warmest year on record.
“This is why 2024 was the warmest year on record, and why we should therefore prepare for another record-breaking year in 2027,” she said.
The WMO update also highlights record ocean warming, rising sea levels and intensifying extreme weather.
Ocean heat reached its highest level for the tenth consecutive year, while sea surface temperatures recorded monthly highs during 2026.
Global sea levels have also reached a record high, increasing risks for an estimated 900 million people living along low-lying coastlines.
“We are super-charging our weather,” Saulo said.
She warned that heatwaves, tropical cyclones and heavy rainfall were intensifying faster than historical climate patterns had prepared communities and economies to withstand.
The human and economic costs were already severe, with millions exposed to dangerous heat during 2026 and tens of thousands of excess deaths reported in Europe alone.
India, Pakistan and large parts of Asia and North America also experienced dangerous heatwaves.
Saulo said the impacts were being felt across multiple regions, including devastating floods in parts of South America and Africa, and drought affecting countries in Asia, the Pacific and Central America.
She also pointed to disasters in China and Nepal as evidence of the risks posed by high-mountain hazards to communities downstream.
As countries meet at COP31, Saulo called for urgent decisions and sustained investment in climate monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems.
She said the number of countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems had increased from 56 in 2015 to 136 in 2025, demonstrating that international cooperation could deliver results.
The WMO will use COP31 to assess progress towards the Early Warnings for All initiative, which aims to ensure everyone is protected by life-saving early warning systems.
“Delivering life-saving early warnings for all is not just a UN initiative. It is a response to an existential threat to the world,” Saulo said.
“The question is not what we are going to do as a UN system, but what are we going to do collectively as humanity.”
However, she stressed that early warning systems depended on reliable weather observations and scientific data, requiring continued investment in global monitoring networks.
Saulo said decades of investment in the global observing system had helped scientists forecast the developing El Niño well in advance.
Her message to COP31 governments was that maintaining these systems was critical as climate risks increased.
“Our message to COP31 is that sustained observations from every part of the world are more important than ever,” she said.
“We cannot afford to fly blind.”
She urged governments to make urgent decisions at COP31 and provide the funding needed to address the growing climate threat….PACNEWS
UNY – COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Climate change killing more than three million people annually, Wellcome warns
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— More than three million people die each year from fossil fuel-related air pollution and extreme heat, with climate change increasingly threatening human health, livelihoods and food security, Wellcome Director of Climate and Health Alan Dangour says.
Speaking at a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) press conference at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Dangour said the latest State of the Climate Update showed the world was facing record greenhouse gas concentrations, rising temperatures, melting sea ice and rising sea levels, alongside an unprecedented El Niño.
He said the scientific warnings had been clear for years, but global action remained too slow and insufficient to protect people.
“The response to the warning bells we’ve been hearing for so many years is not large enough and nowhere near fast enough – and this matters because people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake,” Dangour said.
He said climate negotiations needed to focus more directly on the impact of climate change on people, rather than concentrating primarily on atmospheric and environmental indicators.
“Because really, the main character at the centre of this story is not the atmosphere, the land, the ocean or the ice – it’s us. You and me, your family and your community,” he said.
Dangour said climate change was affecting every region, with communities facing increasing health risks from extreme heat, drought, air pollution and changing rainfall patterns.
He cited findings from the Lancet Countdown annual report, funded by Wellcome, which estimated that fossil fuel pollution and human-caused climate change were responsible for more than three million deaths annually.
Dangour said nearly 52 per cent of the world’s land experienced extreme drought for at least one month in 2025, the second-highest level on record.
The drought was affecting farmers and outdoor workers, while changing patterns of groundwater storage were creating additional risks for food security and sanitation.
However, Dangour said many solutions were already available and could deliver immediate health benefits.
He said reductions in fossil fuel-related air pollution had helped prevent more than 300,000 deaths annually in at least 77 countries over the past decade.
Electrification, cleaner energy, heat early warning systems and climate adaptation measures could further reduce deaths and ease pressure on healthcare systems.
“Electrification and cleaner energy will both save lives and reduce healthcare costs,” he said.
Dangour also announced that the Climate and Health Funders Coalition had awarded more than US$225 million in its first year to support work on extreme heat, air pollution, climate-sensitive infectious diseases and data systems.
The coalition, established at COP30 in Belém with more than 35 philanthropic organisations and an initial joint commitment of US$300 million, had also attracted an additional US$150 million in commitments from new and existing funders.
He said governments, businesses and development partners needed to increase investment in climate and health solutions, particularly for communities most exposed to climate impacts.
Dangour highlighted the health risks of extreme heat for pregnant women and their babies, saying stronger policies and practical measures were needed to protect vulnerable groups.
At the Pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji, Wellcome and its partners launched a global call to action for health guidelines, information, plans and data to protect pregnant women from extreme heat.
He said children, pregnant women, outdoor workers and older people needed greater protection as temperatures continued to rise.
Dangour urged governments and businesses to put human health at the centre of climate decisions and measure progress by the lives saved and improvements in health outcomes.
“We must change course and put the health and wellbeing of people at the heart of our response to climate change – measuring success not through emissions targets or degrees Celsius but by lives saved and health outcomes improved,” he said.
“The state of the climate is now in reality the biggest indicator of the state of human health.”
He said climate negotiations must recognise the direct consequences of decisions for communities around the world.
“And we should approach climate negotiations as though people’s lives depend on them, because they do,” Dangour said…. PACNEWS
PAC – COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
COP31 must deliver climate action as Pacific faces worsening El Niño impacts
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Island nations facing worsening climate impacts cannot afford further delays in global climate action, with 350.org warning that COP31 must deliver urgent commitments on fossil fuel transition, climate finance and protection for vulnerable communities.
The warning comes as world leaders gather in Türkiye for the United Nations climate negotiations, against a backdrop of severe El Niño impacts across the Pacific, prolonged dry conditions and growing concerns over the approaching cyclone season.
350.org Pacific and Caribbean Programme Manager Fenton Lutunatabua said Pacific communities were already experiencing the consequences of climate change and could not wait for further political commitments.
“We do not have the luxury of time. Right now our people are told to preserve water as the Pacific faces a ‘Godzilla’ El Niño and dry season, and after that we are told to prepare for the impending cyclone season which will be intensified by the warming waters.
“This is not a future scenario, it is the reality of today. We need governments to listen to the communities already living with these consequences.
“COP31 must deliver action, not more delay: a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, meaningful climate finance and a commitment to protect the people and places most at risk,” Lutunabua said.
He said every fraction of global warming avoided mattered, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions could limit future harm to vulnerable countries.
“Every fraction of a degree of warming avoided matters. Every tonne of emissions prevented can reduce future harm.
“COP31 must recognise that the transition away from fossil fuels is no longer a political luxury – it’s a desperate environmental necessity for safety, security and equity for this generation and those who come after us.”
350.org said momentum from COP30 in Brazil and the Santa Marta conference in Colombia, where about 80 countries supported efforts to move away from fossil fuels, had created an opportunity for governments to turn political commitments into concrete action.
The COP30 presidency has also presented roadmaps intended to help countries translate commitments into implementation.
350.org is calling on the Turkish and Australian COP31 presidencies to secure a credible pathway towards phasing out fossil fuels, supported by clear timelines, accountability measures and adequate financing.
The organisation said governments must agree on concrete steps towards a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, accelerate renewable energy development and provide developing countries with the climate finance needed to respond to climate impacts.
It also called for countries responsible for the climate crisis to pay their fair share of the costs.
For Pacific island countries, the negotiations come as climate impacts increasingly threaten water security, livelihoods, infrastructure and economic stability, reinforcing calls for urgent international action rather than further delays….PACNEWS
PAC – COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Fiji village leader carries Pacific voices to COP31
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Fiji’s only female mata ni tikina (district chief) is taking the concerns of indigenous and vulnerable Pacific communities to the global climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye, calling for stronger climate action, greater access to climate finance and protection of the 1.5°C warming target.
Lavenia Naivalu, of Nacula in the Yasawa Islands, is representing Fiji at the United Nations climate conference in Antalya, where she is advocating for communities already experiencing the impacts of climate change.
‘To me representing Fiji is always a blessing. I carry with me the voices of my people, the vanua and the ocean,” Naivalu said.
Her participation at COP31 follows her selection as the Pacific’s primary representative on the Facilitative Working Group of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP).
The appointment provides an opportunity to bring indigenous and local community perspectives into international climate discussions and decision-making.
Naivalu said she hoped her participation would give renewed hope to vulnerable communities and ensure their concerns were heard by governments and climate negotiators.
Her advocacy focuses on stronger commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C, improved access to climate finance and greater recognition of the role of indigenous communities in responding to climate change.
COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, bringing together world leaders, negotiators and representatives of communities to advance international climate action….PACNEWS
PAC – COP31: SAVE THE CHILDREN PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
COP31: Climate disasters hit nearly 50 percent more children a year in the last five years – Save the Children analysis
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (SAVE THE CHILDREN)— – Nearly 50 percent more children were exposed to severe climate disasters each year over the past five years compared to the previous five years, according to new analysis from Save the Children, as world leaders gather for the COP31 United Nations climate conference.
An average of 330 million children a year experienced severe heatwaves, droughts, tropical cyclones and particularly extreme rainfall each year between January 2022 and September 2026. That is up from 222 million children a year between 2017 and 2022, shortly after the Paris Agreement came into force.
In the first nine months of 2026 alone, about 205 million children were exposed to severe climate events.
Since 2022, one in three children worldwide, or 911 million children, have been exposed to climate disasters – whether severe or less severe – which is an increase of 17 percent compared to the preceding five years.
Children are among those most vulnerable to climate change. Their developing bodies are less able to withstand extreme weather while disruptions caused by climate shocks have lasting consequences on their health, education and wellbeing.
For example, air pollution from wildfires can significantly contribute to pneumonia and respiratory diseases in children. School closures due to heatwaves increase the risk of school dropouts, with girls at higher risk.
The worst hit region in 2026 was Western Europe where one out of two children faced severe weather events, with a succession of record-breaking heatwaves making it the region’s hottest summer on record.
In the Pacific and East Asia meanwhile, more children than anywhere else in the world experience severe climate disasters, with an average of 75 million children – or one in seven – having faced such events each year since 2017.
The Pacific Islands remain on the frontlines of rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms, with Vanuatu spearheading a historic initiative through the UN General Assembly on the legal obligations of states concerning climate change.
In May this year, the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution supporting the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) 2025 advisory opinion, which established that states have a legal obligation to protect the climate system and affirmed that countries must uphold children’s rights, among other obligations, when addressing climate change.
Haruka, 17, a NextGen Youth Ambassador and climate campaigner from Vanuatu, said: “It’s important for the perspectives of young people from the Pacific and Australia to be heard at pre-COP and COP because these are the spaces where decisions about climate change are being made and decision about our futures and the world that we are going to inherit. For us in the Pacific we are at the forefront of the climate crisis. We bear the brunt of climate change and it’s important for us to be heard and for people to recognise that young people are being impacted by this issue.”
Earlier this year Save the Children opened a climate resilient classroom built using container architecture in Vanuatu – one of the most disaster-prone countries – after a funding boost by two adventurers to keep children learning even when disasters strike.
Shruti Agarwal, Senior Advisor Climate Change and Sustainable Economies, Save the Children UK, said:“Across Africa, Asia and around the world, children are being pushed to the frontlines of a climate crisis they did not create. Every flood, drought, heatwave and storm steals more of their safety, education, health and hope for the future, and these disasters are only getting more severe. Yet leaders continue to make decisions that fail to match the scale and urgency of this crisis.
“Every delay puts more children at risk. At COP31, governments must agree collectively to address the impacts of climate change on children, invest in their future, and put their rights, needs and voices at the heart of every climate decision. Children cannot wait.”
Save the Children is calling on decision makers, including governments, corporations and policymakers, to put children at the centre of climate decisions. They are calling for the urgent phase-out of the use and subsidy of fossil fuels aligned with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement [1] and to make education a priority in climate discussions so that every child realises their right to learn in a safe environment, even after a climate disaster.
The child rights organisation is also calling for high-income countries and historical emitters to provide high-quality climate finance to lower-income countries, grounded in the principles of child rights and climate justice….PACNEWS
PAC – ELECTION/POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 1: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Mixed fortunes for Pacific candidates as MMP shapes uncertain NZ election outcome
WELLINGTON, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (PMN)— Pacific candidates have emerged from Saturday’s general election with contrasting results, highlighting how New Zealand’s mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system shapes who enters Parliament.
Pacific Media Network (PMN) has identified 28 candidates with Pacific heritage across nine political parties. Eight are set to enter Parliament, while 20 miss out under the preliminary results from the election on Saturday.
Several attracted thousands of electorate votes but failed to secure seats. Others qualify through party lists despite receiving fewer candidate votes.
Their results come as New Zealand faces an uncertain political future, with National, ACT and NZ First holding a narrow parliamentary majority.
The three parties have a combined 67 seats, just one above the 66 needed to govern in a 131-seat Parliament.
Nearly 400,000 special votes remain outstanding. The balance of power could change when official results are released on 27 November.
The close result has also renewed debate over MMP, particularly the rules that have produced an 11-seat overhang.
Labour received 710,330 party votes, slightly more than National’s 706,680. Yet National secures 42 seats compared with Labour’s 36.
The results demonstrate how electorate victories, party votes and list rankings can produce different outcomes for Pacific candidates.
Of the 28 Pacific candidates identified by PMN, 27 contested electorates and one stood only on a party list.
Five Labour Pacific MPs retain their electorate seats, with Barbara Edmonds, Tangi Utikere, Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Carmel Sepuloni and Jenny Salesa all returning to Parliament.
Four other candidates missed out including former Labour list MP Dan Rosewarne, who has Sāmoan ancestry through his grandmother, after contesting the Waimakariri seat. Rosewarne first entered Parliament in 2022 and returned in March this year following Peeni Henare’s resignation.
Former MP Anahila Kanongata’a also missed out in Papakura, alongside Dr Anae Neru Leavasa in Botany and Sange Malama in Rangitata.
Henrietta Hunkin-Tagaloa, who stood on Labour’s party list only, also falls outside the party’s parliamentary allocation based on the preliminary results.
National’s four Pacific candidates failed to secure seats in Parliament, including former National MP Agnes Loheni who previously served as a list MP from 2019 to 2020.
Angee Nicholas finished second to Labour’s Phil Twyford in Henderson, contrasting sharply with their contest in 2023, when Nicholas came within just 131 votes of unseating Twyford in the former Te Atatū electorate.
Dr Zabeen Lateef in Remutaka and Rosemary Bourke in Māngere were also unsucessful.
The result leaves National without a Pacific MP, despite winning more electorate seats than any other party.
The Green Party is set to double its Pacific representation from one to two MPs, with returning Cook Islands Māori MP Teanau Tuiono joined by newcomer Tania Waikato, who has Māori, Sāmoan and Hawaiian heritage.
Both secured their places through the party list after unsuccessful electorate campaigns.
The Greens’ other three Pacific candidates missed out. Zephyr Brown contested Kaipara ki Mahurangi, Michel Mulipola stood in Māngere, and Te Whatanui Leka Taumalolo Skipwith ran in Ōtāhuhu.
Former National cabinet minister Alfred Ngaro is set to return to Parliament under New Zealand First, securing a seat through his fifth-place party-list ranking.
Ngaro, a National MP from 2011 to 2020, unsuccessfully contested Glendene against Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni.
NZ First’s other three Pacific candidates missed out. Esther Tofilau-Tevaga stood in Manurewa, while Elliot Ikilei and Vicky Hau were unsuccessful in Takanini and Māngere respectively.
None of the five Pacific candidates representing smaller parties secured a parliamentary seat.
Despite the Opportunity party securing seven seats, Romeo Tevaga missed out being listed at 12.
ACT’s Henrietta Devoe, Animal Justice’s Avalua Tavui, Vision NZ’s Karl Mokaraka and Alliance’s Victoria Ale were also unsuccessful.
Overall, eight of PMN’s 28 identified Pacific candidates are set to enter Parliament, five through electorates and three through party lists.
Their results highlight how MMP shapes parliamentary representation. The final outcome remains subject to special votes being counted, with official results due on 27 November….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PNG – LNG: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Former PM O’Neill says PNG loses major gas customer
PORT MORESBY, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) —Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister and Ialibu -Pangia MP Peter O’Neil says PNG has lost a major customer in gas and other developments when Taiwan was asked to close its office and vacate the country.
“It’s State oil company holds a 20-year contract for 1.2 million tonnes of PNG Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) a year, signed in 2010 and honoured since the first cargo in 2014. Every year it has bought a substantial amount more on the open market, which kept our volumes up and our revenues high.
“That extra buying has now stopped at about half a million tonnes, worth around K1.5 billion (US$330 million) a year,” he said.
He said in exchange for K191 million (US$42 million), Prime Minister James Marape has sent packing a trading partner that asked for no political favours, bought around a quarter of all the country’s LNG and paid in hard currency.
PNG recognised one China in 1976 and kept its door open to Taiwan which has had an office in Port Moresby since 1990. Through its office, Taiwan sent doctors and technical teams, trained the people and offered scholarships
On 16 July , the Cabinet, by a National Executive Council (NEC) Decision 144 of 2026, ordered Taiwan’s office shut. It was after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on Nov 4, between China and PNG Government announcing a K5 billion (US$1.10 billion) in grants, loans and projects that Taiwan was given seven days to vacate the country by Foreign Affairs.
By this, Taiwan was forced to withdraw its people and close every medical mission, technical mission, scholarship and training Programme it ran in the country.
“Of the K5 billion (US$1.10 billion) announced, only K191 million (US$42 million) has been made clear of a double classroom in Gulf costing K5 million (US$1.10 million), a K10 million (US$2.21 million) upgrade to the Adventure Park in Port Moresby and a vague reference to a new surgical centre of about K176 million (US$39 million).
“Did we just kick out our long-standing and very important trading partner, Taiwan for K191 million (US$42 million)?
“Surely not. The Prime Minister tells us the economy is in tip-top shape, yet we seem to rely on handout after handout and with every handout our security is placed further in the crosshairs.
“Taiwan is a small island with a trillion-dollar economy, more than 30 times the size of ours, and it makes nine out of every 10 of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Every phone, every car, every computer in the world depends on Taiwan’s manufacturing.
“We are not being told what the real deal with China is. And it is awfully suspicious that it is happening a few months out from the national election, just as the International Monetary Framework (IMF) Programme that has propped up the budget comes to an end.
“Buried in the same list is the item that should worry all of us. We do not know the details, but it seems the Government has agreed to a Chinese loan for a new national Telekom network, the system that every bank, every business, every clinic and every government office in our country will depend on.
“It has not told us how much we are borrowing, what interest we will pay, who will build it, or what China gets in return,” he said.
He said a new national telecommunications network paid for by a foreign country is a decision that should have gone to Parliament for debate….PACNEWS
NZ – NATIONAL BROADCASTER: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Radio New Zealand faces 58 job cuts after $11.8m budget blowout
WELLINGTON, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (RNZ)— Radio New Zealand has revealed a near $12 million (US$6.74 million) budget blowout after a litany of financial blunders, setting the stage for sweeping job cuts.
In its just-published annual report, the public broadcaster set out plans to axe the equivalent of 58 full-time jobs – about one in six staff – by the end of March and cutting running costs by at least 5 percent.
The $11.8m (US$6.63 million) loss is more than 25 times the $470,000 (US$264,000) RNZ had forecast for the year to June.
Chief executive Paul Thompson said he took responsibility for the “poor and unsustainable” result.
“Personally, I am gutted this has occurred after more than a decade of leadership of RNZ,” he wrote.
‘This was not the outcome RNZ anticipated or one that management regards as acceptable. We recognise this is a poor result, and it deserves a clear explanation.”
The full scale of the loss only became clear in October, while the company was finishing its annual accounts and having them checked, Thompson said.
The board and management had relied on “internal financial reporting” that gave them the wrong picture, meaning RNZ failed to cut spending enough after a 7 percent drop in regular funding.
According to its annual report, RNZ wrongly counted $2m (US$1.12 million) from land sales as income in its budget. Staff costs came in $3.2m (US$1.79 million) over budget, including $1.4m(US$780,000) in redundancy payments.
Other running costs went $6.4m (US$3.5 million) over budget, with much of the extra spending tied to the recent Auckland office move and work to get properties ready to sell.
Thompson said his focus now was on restoring RNZ to a “sustainable financial position”.
“We must make difficult choices to live within our means, and I recognise those changes will be hard for our people,” he wrote.
Proposed changes affecting staff would be subject to the required employment processes, RNZ said.
Former chair Jim Mather, who had oversight during the financial year, said the result was “extremely disappointing” and acknowledged the board was ultimately responsible for “prudent financial stewardship”.
The board – now chaired by Brent Impey – would commission an independent review into the loss, why RNZ’s own reports failed to pick it up and whether it had the right checks in place.
RNZ brought in $70.6m (US$40 million) over the year, putting the loss at about $1(US$0.56) for every $6(US$3.37) of income. Government funding made up $67.3m (US$37.83 million) of that total, most of it through NZ On Air.
The company expected to lose another $7.8m (US$4.38 million) this financial year and said it had enough money in reserve to get through until its finances stabilised in 2027/28.
The broadcaster ended June with $8.5 million (US$4.47 million) in cash, down from $18.8 million (US$10.57 million) a year earlier.
EY, which audited the accounts for the Auditor-General, also flagged a breach of the Crown Entities Act over a $5m (US$2.81 million) overdraft RNZ set up without the required approval from ministers.
RNZ was authorised for an overdraft only up to $3.5m (US$1.96 million). The report said RNZ drew down no more than $2.3m (US$1.29 million) through the financial year and had since closed the overdraft.
The broadcaster was also checking whether it needed approval for a separate $3.7m (US$2.08 million) deal to sell equipment for its new Auckland office and rent it back.
The report follows the unexpected resignation of chief financial officer Hilary Parker, who left immediately on 02 October.
Her departure prompted an emergency board meeting and the appointment of director Richard Dellabarca as interim finance chief.
Impey previously declined to explain her departure, but he said Parker had resigned of her own accord and there was no suggestion of criminality.
In a fresh statement on Monday, Impey said RNZ would continue delivering trusted public media. “This is a financial reporting, controls and oversight issue. It does not impact RNZ’s journalism or its content for audiences.”
Thompson is due to leave RNZ on 31 December, having announced his resignation on 22 May. NZME’s chief audio officer Jason Winstanley will take over in 2027.
Chief News Officer Mark Stevens will be interim CEO and Editor in Chief from 1 January until Winstanley’s start date. Stevens will then continue to hold the position of Editor in Chief…..PACNEWS
FIJI – MINING: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Former Fiji envoy calls for heritage mapping before iron sands project
SUVA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Cultural heritage mapping must be included in the assessment of the proposed Sigatoka Iron Sands Project to protect Nadroga’s ancestral sites and indigenous identity, a former diplomat has warned.
Former Fijian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naipote Katonitabua said the proposed mining activities around the Sigatoka River mouth could affect culturally significant areas, ancestral connections and traditions preserved by indigenous communities for generations.
Speaking during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) public consultation for the proposed Special Prospecting Licence (SPL) 1495 – Kulukulu Sands, Sigatoka Iron Sands Project by Magma Mines Pte Ltd, at Kulukulu Public Primary School in Nadroga last Saturday, Katonitabua questioned whether the project’s social impact assessment adequately recognised the cultural significance of the surrounding areas.
He said the assessment needed to go beyond environmental and economic considerations and properly identify sites of cultural and ancestral importance to the iTaukei people.
“One of the things that I am not seeing in the social impact framework is whether you try to gather this cultural significance around these areas because, as an iTaukei, we pay more attention to the fact that we keep that cultural heritage for our future generation, and that’s our identity,” he said.
Katonitabua highlighted the cultural connections of the Nadrukuboto clan to the Sigatoka River mouth, including ancestral associations with the Turaga Tui Cakau and his descendants.
“We have our ancestral villages, the yavus there, that we cannot give easily to any investor. You need to dig deep and get that important information before you touch into these cultural and heritage site,” he said….PACNEWS
PNG – WEATHER WATCH/ELNINO: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 10 Nov 2026
Committee set up for PNG SOEs’ El Nino efforts
PORT MORESBY, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) —A steering committee has been set up in Papua New Guinea to coordinate the response of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in confronting the challenges brought about by the El Niño weather system that is threatening to undermine service delivery around the country.
Kumul Consolidated Holdings Limited (KCH) managing director Professor David Kavanamur said: “All SOEs will be affected by this super El Niño with some feeling the pressure more than others.”
Kavanamur said State Enterprises Minister William Duma had laid out his direction for dealing with weather-related pressures over the coming year, and the committee was part of this process.
“El Niño is a known and recurring risk, and our responsibility is to be ahead through careful planning and the implementation of measures that will keep communities safe,” Kavanamur said.
“SOEs are already being proactive in planning and implementing measures for several months, and this steering committee gives us a further mechanism to feed into overall Government action at the national level.
“The steering committee is established to coordinate the response from KCH and SOEs to the effects of El Niño, particularly those affecting water security, electricity generation and continuity of essential public services.
“Working with relevant Government departments and agencies, the SOE committee’s overriding objective is the preservation of water for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
“Water is fundamental for human health and we are working to meet demand through the coming dry period, while also balancing the use of hydropower generation for homes, business and essential services.”
Kavanamur outlined the role of the committee as providing technical assessments, articulating proposed interventions and providing progress reports to the National El Niño Steering Committee.
“The Marape-Rosso Government is taking a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to dealing with the El Niño challenges head-on, and KCH is feeding into that process,” he said.
“All SOEs will be affected by this super El Niño with some feeling the pressure more than others.
“Water and power face the most challenges, while others face second-order complications that have direct impact.
“This includes restricted branch and office opening hours due to elements such as access to power and water, staff not being available, and bushfires or smoke, amongst several factors.”
The committee brings together KCH and SOEs with security and other government agencies, with the first full steering committee meeting this week.
This includes designated representatives from the following Government departments and agencies: departments of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council; Treasury; National Planning and Monitoring; and Transport, the Royal PNG Constabulary; PNG Defence Force; Climate Change and Development Authority; National Energy Authority; National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority; National Disaster Centre; National Weather Service; and, all KCH major SOE.
The KCH and SOE El Niño steering committee is chaired by Kavanamur and is supported by a Secretariat.
It would meet weekly from now through the El Niño weather pattern and into the dry season until negative impacts significantly decline….PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
COP31 opens in Antalya: Can climate promises finally deliver results?
By Laura Quinones
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMVER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE)—Nearly 200 countries have arrived on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast for a climate summit with a different ambition: fewer grand declarations and more concrete decisions.
With a powerful El Niño threatening to worsen extreme weather, negotiators face difficult questions over climate finance, clean energy and how to protect communities already living with the consequences of climate change.
The Mediterranean city of Antalya is no stranger to history. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans have all left their mark on this stretch of Türkiye’s southern coast. Now, as nearly 200 countries gather here for the latest UN climate summit, COP31, the question is whether they can add a new chapter of their own by turning decades of climate promises into action.
Inside the vast conference venue, the Turkish tulip featured in the COP31 logo is a recurring sight as participants navigate long corridors leading to national pavilions and negotiating rooms.
Beyond the bustle of the conference halls, the stakes are high. As extreme weather impacts mount worldwide, governments face growing pressure to show that decades of climate commitments can deliver results.
“Progress is nowhere near far enough or fair enough,” UN Climate Change chief Simon Stiell told the opening plenary on Monday, urging countries to move beyond setting targets and “supercharge solutions” that can make a difference on the ground.
“No COP is a silver bullet. No single conference can bridge the chasm between the science and reality,” he said.
The test for negotiators
Unlike summits dominated by a single landmark agreement, COP31 is focused on turning existing commitments into action.
Türkiye’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum officially took the gavel this morning as the COP31 President, while Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will oversee negotiations under an unusual co-presidency arrangement agreed during COP30.
“Our decisions must take shape in a city’s infrastructure, on a farmer’s land and along a factory’s production line. Families must feel their impact in lower energy bills,” Kurum told delegates.
Bowen announced plans to develop a presidency-led decision throughout the conference, rather than waiting until its final days. The aim is to agree on practical measures to accelerate climate action, although differences remain over how ambitious the outcome should be.
Finance is expected to be the one of the toughest issues, with developing countries seeking faster access to funding for adaptation and cleaner development. Negotiators must also advance agreements on emissions reductions and a just transition.
“We know there will be a difference of views – on the value of the decision, on its elements, on how far we go. But our job is to work to close those differences and provide the most ambitious, most outcome-orientated decision that consensus will allow,” Bowen explained.
When climate change becomes a health emergency
Monday was also Food, Agriculture and Health Day, bringing attention to the growing toll of climate change on human health.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change. Extreme heat, floods and shifting weather patterns are already putting lives at risk and straining health systems worldwide.
“The main character at the centre of this story is not the atmosphere. It’s not the land, the ocean or the ice. It’s us. You and me, our family and our communities,” Alan Dangour of the Wellcome Trust Foundation said during a press conference by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), urging climate negotiators to put people at the heart of their decisions.
“We cannot adapt to an unmitigated future,” Dangour warned.
Extreme heat offers a particularly troubling example. Scientists are increasingly concerned about links to premature births and stillbirths, while outdoor workers, children and older people face particular risks.
Joy Shumake-Guillemot, of WMO, explained to UN News how meteorologists and health professionals are working together to reduce some of those risks.
Through a joint initiative with WHO, climate information is being brought into public health planning. A forecast of dangerously high temperatures, for example, can help hospitals prepare for more patients, while rainfall and seasonal predictions can help health authorities anticipate outbreaks of diseases such as malaria.
“The weather information is very practical, it is directly relevant to the decisions being made in the health sector, but they often don’t have access to it,” she said.
And the potential is enormous: “From a public health perspective, almost all heat deaths are actually preventable,” Shumake-Guillemot said.
Health is one of the 10 priority areas of COP31’s Action Agenda, and countries are being urged to put into practice the Belém Health Action Plan agreed at COP30. A new Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience is also being launched.
Agriculture: From emissions to solutions
Food and agriculture account for roughly one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the sector is also highly vulnerable to climate change, as rising temperatures, droughts and floods threaten crops and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.
Agriculture can also be part of the solution. Cristian Barrasueta, from the World Rural Forum, told UN News that farmers are already putting some of these approaches into practice. In Fiji, for example, families are experimenting with different crop varieties and finding ways to protect their seedlings from increasingly powerful cyclones.
Their role is also being discussed at COP31, where countries are reviewing the Sharm el-Sheikh programme on agriculture and food security (COP27) and deciding what comes next.
For Barrasueta, the priority is ensuring that family farmers have a say in shaping climate policies and can access the funding needed to adapt. Currently, he explained, complicated procedures and multiple intermediaries make international climate finance difficult to reach, particularly for small farming organisations.
The urgency is already evident in Bolivia, where a severe drought has prompted the government to declare a national emergency. More than 75,000 head of livestock have died and over 114,000 families have been affected, according to official figures.
With El Niño expected to intensify in the coming months, Mr. Barrasueta warned that farmers need support now, not after years of planning and paperwork.
His message echoed some of the main themes from COP31’s opening day, where UN agencies also issued stark warnings about the potential impacts of El Niño…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Ocean to Play Centre stage at COP31 Climate Negotiations
ANTALYA, 10 NOVEMBER 2026 (OCEAN CONSERVANCY) —– At COP31 (November 9–20) in Antalya, Türkiye, Ocean Conservancy experts will call on governments to put ocean-based solutions at the centre of their climate commitments and recognise the ocean as critical to building resilient economies, strengthening energy security and meeting global climate goals.
Ocean Conservancy will focus on two priorities: the official recognition of offshore oil and gas in climate plans and the integration of the ocean into these plans.
“It’s reassuring to see that the COP31 mascot is a loggerhead turtle, but symbolism alone won’t deliver the action we need,” said Dr Fatima Candance Vahlsing, Ocean Conservancy Vice President, Climate.
“More than 90 percent of coastal countries have put ocean solutions at the heart of their climate strategies, but around 60 percent will never get built without additional funding. COP31 must help us to move from pledges to projects and turn political will into action – affordable clean energy powering homes and businesses, mangroves restored, and communities better protected from storms. Ocean Conservancy will prioritise bringing countries and funders together to turn commitments into action on the ground.”
Following Brazil’s publication of the first global roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels, Ocean Conservancy will launch a new effort — the Offshore Transition Initiative as part of the UNFCCC Global Climate Action Agenda to explore pathways to transition away from offshore fossil fuels, a threat to coastal communities and marine life alike.
The initiative will serve as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, supporting countries by developing practical guidance and evidence, and fostering partnerships to address barriers and manage the transition within their national contexts.
“The health of our ocean and the stability of our climate are inseparable, yet offshore fossil fuels continue to put both at risk,” said Shamini Selvaratnam, Ocean Conservancy Director of International Climate and Clean Energy.
“Continued expansion of offshore fossil fuels risks locking in emissions for decades while placing growing pressure on marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Through the Offshore Transition Initiative, we are bringing offshore fossil fuel production firmly onto the global climate action agenda. We cannot have a healthy ocean and a thriving planet without addressing emissions driving climate change, and that means transitioning away from fossil fuels both on and offshore “
Another key development expected at COP31 is the launch of the Blue NDC Implementation Taskforce, a global mechanism designed to accelerate the integration of ocean-based solutions into national climate plans.
The Taskforce is a key new component of the Blue NDC Challenge, a global initiative supported by Ocean Conservancy and led by 21 countries, including COP31 co-host Australia and COP30 host Brazil, that aims to elevate the ocean in climate action. In addition to the Taskforce launch, more countries are expected to join the initiative at COP31.
Additionally, Ocean Conservancy is proud to support a cleanup hosted by its longtime International Coastal Cleanup partner, TURMEPA, on 15 November.
Ocean Conservancy experts will be on the ground and available for interviews. They can speak to:
*The transition away from offshore fossil fuel extraction in the UN climate process
*How countries are and should be integrating the ocean into their national climate plans
*Accelerating the transition to clean ocean energy, including offshore wind
* Mobilising climate finance for ocean protection and solutions
*Efforts to strengthen international cooperation on ocean and climate
*The role of responsible marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR)…. PACNEWS
