Kiribati says travel ban will stop ‘chequebook diplomacy’ during elections

A ban on diplomatic visits to Kiribati during elections will safeguard against undue foreign influence during the formation of government, the head of its delegation at the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting said. 

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Pacific faces health emergency, WHO Pacific director urges Forum Leaders to act now or face devastating consequences

The newly appointed World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, has called on Forum Leaders to confront the region’s most critical health challenges with urgency

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Marshall Islands wants Forum support on nuclear legacies and human rights

For twelve years after the Second World War, the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests on Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the Marshall Islands. Today, the government and people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands

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Kiribati ‘feel sorry’ for barring diplomats but it ‘makes sense’, minister says

The head of the Kiribati government delegation at the Pacific leaders’ summit in Tonga has played down the “viral” news of the Micronesian nation closing its border to “diplomatic visits” until the end

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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

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Pacific urges the IMO to act on climate

In another example of global leadership on climate action, six Pacific Island members of the International Maritime Organization are urging the organisation to adopt a universal levy on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

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Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: What’s Next?

On August 2, ballots for the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) closed for eight participating countries, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau who each received a two-week extension. Whether

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Pacific Heads of Maritime Forces meet in Tonga, sharing knowledge for security

The South West Pacific Heads of Maritime Forces (SWPHMF) met Wednesday in an exclusive meeting in Nuku’alofa, held at the Leadership Centre, Masefield Naval Base.  “This meeting is a chance for the heads of

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Will Marshall Islands sign the TPNW nuclear ban treaty?

The two teams lined up face to face. Students from the College of Marshall Islands (CMI) and the Majuro campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) squared off in a mock debate: should the Marshall Islands sign

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Opinion: What can the Pacific learn from the EU Parliament vote against Norway’s decision to advance deep-sea mining

On February the 7th, the European Union (EU) Parliament voted against Norway’s recent decision to advance deep-sea mining in the Arctic by reaffirming its moratorium position and called for the European Commission and

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U.S. cautions Pacific nations after Kiribati gets Chinese police

The United States on Feb 26 cautioned Pacific Island nations against receiving assistance from Chinese security forces after Reuters reported that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati.

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Allies ‘have to compete aggressively’ with China for Pacific security, U.S. warns

The U.S. has urged Papua New Guinea to turn down China’s offer of a security pact, increasing pressure on the prime minister of Australia’s nearest neighbour as he prepares to address parliament in Canberra this

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