Vanuatu update: World Bank fast tracks emergency response
The World Bank has fast-tracked US$12 million to the Government of Vanuatu for emergency response and recovery, following a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake on December 17. This support comes through a Rapid Response Option (RRO),…
Nauru launches its first electric bus
Nauru has taken transformative steps towards sustainable energy with the launch of its first electric bus (e-bus) in Yaren District, marking a significant commitment by the government to reducing emissions and advancing sustainable energy solutions.…
Palau’s Immigration crackdown raises concerns over oversight and economic impact
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr signed Presidential Directive No. 24-65 on Wednesday, December 18, instituting immigration controls for a 90-day period in an effort to combat criminal activity linked to foreign nationals. However, the directive…
Opinion: Trump’s relations with the Blue Pacific
The second Trump administration will find a region different from when last in office. Pacific Islands countries view Donald Trump’s impending return as US president with hope and apprehension. Trump’s attention on the region amid…
Starlink approved to revolutionise Tonga’s Internet access
Tonga’s Ministry of MEIDECC has granted official approval for Starlink to deliver high-speed internet across Tonga. The move is expected to transform connectivity and boost digital inclusion throughout the islands, addressing long-standing challenges in telecommunications…
Opinion: Another ‘small death’ for local journalism
Seven years ago, one of Saipan Tribune’s contributors asked me if there was some sort of collusion between the Saipan Tribune and its competitor, the Marianas Variety. Did the two newspapers share information and have…
New Zealand rejects Cook Islands passport plan
New Zealand has rejected a proposal by the Cook Islands to allow the creation of its own passports and citizenship, but said it could discuss independence. A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs…
How Solomon Islands’ donor-funded water plant became a costly failure
A major donor-funded water plant in the capital of Solomon Islands was supposed to fix a clean water crisis. But people involved in the project said it was doomed by the Asian Development Bank’s insistence…
COP29
The struggle is real: Pacific realities at COP29
Country negotiators at COP29 are all struggling to push for their agenda items in negotiation rooms, but it is a special kind of challenge for the Pacific when you are up against those who claim…
“A death sentence”: Pacific responses to COP29
Vanuatu’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and the Environment has a scathing assessment of COP29’s outcomes. “The commitments made in Baku—the dollar amounts pledged and the emissions reductions promised—are not enough. They were never going…
COP29 climate talks end with $300 billion annual pledge, Guterres calls deal a ‘base to build on’
Rich nations pledged to contribute at least US$300 billion annually to the global fight against climate change as UN climate talks came to a contentious end early Sunday morning in Baku. UN News Center reports…
Pacific negotiators frustrated by ‘slow process’ of climate talks
Pacific climate leaders were frustrated by the sluggish rate of progress made during the first week of the UN climate meeting in Azerbaijan. RNZ PACIFIC reports that the big goal of this COP is to…