New Zealand PM Luxon heads to Niue and Fiji this week
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Niue and Fiji this week (04-07 June) as New Zealand continues to sharpen its focus and engagement in the Pacific. It will be Luxon’s first visit to the
The tragedy of New Caledonia
On the night of Monday 13 May, Noumea exploded. Across many parts of New Caledonia’s capital, young people took to the streets, stoning French riot police, looting and burning shops, car yards and factories. The next
Change in direction, or just smoother sailing?
It was perhaps the most watched and closely observed elections to have taken place within the Pacific region in the last decade. As voters in Solomon Islands went to the polls on 17 April 2024, the world’s two
Death penalty for drugs to be debated as King calls for MPs to find solution
Tonga Parliament will host a debate on the death penalty on Tuesday, 28 May. The debate is being sponsored by the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, and will discuss the topic ‘Capital punishment as a deterrent for illicit drug
PNG ruling Pangu party split, I will not resign says PM Marape
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has declared that he will not resign from his position despite the recent defection of Pangu Pati and Government MPs to the Opposition. In a statement he emphasised that any
Embattled Kiribati judge departs the country
A Kiribati judge, who has been battling a government determined to have him removed from his post, has now left the country. David Lambourne, for nearly four years, has faced a relentless push by the Kiribati
Vanuatu PM discloses $2 billion fund diversion, Airline crisis unveiled
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has revealed that the Vanuatu Government’s VT2 billion (US$8.3 million) budget allocated for a new plane was instead used to pay for the lease of the ATR72 aircraft.
Bougainville may use other means to gain independence
The Autonomous Bougainville Government(ABG) is warning it might use other avenues to gain its independence should the PNG government continue to be mischievous in dealing with the Bougainville Independence agenda. The
Nine more Solomon Islands Ministers sworn-in
Nine more Solomon Islands ministers have been sworn-in Monday formalising their appointments to their respective Ministerial portfolios, almost completing the lineup of cabinet ministers this week. The eleven
Kiribati’s Sir Ieremia Tabai scathing about decision to deport Australian-born judge
Kiribati’s first president Sir Ieremia Tabai says the decision by the government to deport Australian-born Judge David Lambourne from the country is “a farce”. The opposition MP said there is no doubt, in
Solomon Islands PM Manele calls for respect to democracy
Solomon Islands Prime Minister elect Jeremiah Manele gave his first speech outside parliament Thursday reminding Solomon Islanders to respect and uphold the democratic process of electing our Prime Minister. Manele
CARE, SIUP, SIPRA nominate Matthew Wale as Solomon Islands PM candidate
The Coalition for Accountability, Reform and Empowerment (CARE), Solomon Islands United Party (SIUP) and Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement(SIPRA) has officially nominated former Opposition leader Matthew
Solomon Islands Caretaker PM Manasseh Sogavare bows out, won’t keep his job following elections
Solomon Islands Caretaker Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has passed on the leadership of the Parliamentary Wing of OUR Party to Prime Ministerial candidate, Jeremiah Manele. Speaking at a press briefing Monday
Election results for Gao-Bugotu Constituency in disarray after pre-polling ballots were left uncounted
Election results for Gao-Bugotu Constituency in Isabel Province has been thrown into disarray after officials found pre-polling ballots for the constituency have not been counted. Independent candidate Trevor Hedley
Solomon Islands election counting complete, as negotiation process to find a prime minister kicks off, Sogavare says he runs security amid tense wait for new government
An intense period of political horse-trading is underway in Solomon Islands after no political party won enough seats in last week’s election to form government on its own. In what one expert labelled an
Jo Nata’s journey from the dark
'We let the genie out of the bottle' Emerging out of 24 years in prison, Josefa Nata is now convinced that the George Speight-led takeover of Fiji’s Parliament in 2000 was not justified and that all it did was let the
Opening Fiji’s can of worms
Josefa Nata knows he’s expected to tell all, having featured prominently in the George Speight-led takeover of Fiji’s Parliament in 2000. In the long history of Fiji’s coups since 1987, this was not only the
Prison ‘dark culture’
Josefa Nata claims Fiji’s prison system is perpetuating what he describes as a “dark culture” of cover ups of the abuse of prisoners’ rights, including uninvestigated deaths, and has met with Prime Minister
Opinion: What’s wrong with Vanuatu’s proposed party laws?
Vanuatu is holding its first ever referendum on 29th May on two constitutional amendments designed to lessen instability on the floor of parliament. The first amendment (17A) intends to tie members of parliament (MPs)
Solomon Islands: No clear winner as lobbying to form next government intensifies
Lobbying to form Solomon Islands’ next government is intensifying. With only four more seats in the 50-member parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner. As of Monday, the two
More than half of Solomon Islands election results in as counting continues
More than 60 percent of the national results of the Solomon Islands election are now in. So far, two female MPs have been elected and three former prime ministers may be in the running for the top job. Counting is still
Pacific nation hosts its biggest-ever election day
Ballots are due to be cast in one of the Pacific’s largest elections as Solomon Islanders, from the city to remote villages, choose their next national leaders. About 350,000 people are due to vote across 50 seats
Voters must re-register to participate in 2026 Samoa General Elections
All eligible voters in Samoa including Samoa’s diaspora must register or re-register to vote in the next general elections in 2026. Savali News reported the Office of the Electoral Commissioner is already on the
