French general reviews defence

Maritime border dispute between Vanuatu and New Caledonia is not for the French Navy or its Armed Forces to sort out, says Brigadier General Luc de Revel (pictured). He is the senior commander of the French Armed Forces

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Islander runs for top tuna job

A former deputy secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum is the only Pacific islander to be shortlisted for the top job at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Feleti Teo, who recently

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Prime Minister’s signature is expensive

The decision of Samoa’s Prime Minister to sign a letter in support of two convicted rapists has raised serious questions from the country’s Opposition Party Tautua Samoa. According to the Party, the Prime

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Forum is work in progress

Melanesian leaders failed to attend the 2nd Pacific Islands Development Forum on the Fijian resort island of Denarau last month. Conspicuous in their absence were Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and

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CNMI heads for 3 elections in November

I n yet another first in its history, the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is headed for three elections in a single month in November with a recordbreaking 18,000 registered voters. Election issues are

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Four-way race for Solomons Island PM job

Four former Prime Ministers re-elected in last month’s national election could lead Solomon Islands again in the next four years after the surprise loss of incumbent Gordon Darcy Lilo. The four included Synder

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War leaves a lasting legacy of unexploded bombs

I n September 1944, US Marines stormed ashore the beaches of Peleliu Island in Palau. The assault was preceded by a massive naval bombardment and air strike, to weaken the Japanese forces which were hidden in caves or

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Cyberbattle for the region

How does a 10-day birthday celebration happen across the entire Pacific without a single mention? The answer is Kurukuru, the region’s most comprehensive maritime surveillance partnership targeting illegal,

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A deportation, a stateless person and unease

Within days of Joe Natuman (pictured) becoming Prime Minister in May following a well-planned and executed takeover of power from Moana Carcasses that many did not see coming, rumblings of a Carcasses-led bounce back

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Forum debates fisheries management

At the Pacific Islands Forum, regional leaders adopted a new agreement to strengthen enforcement and surveillance over the region’s fisheries. In a ceremony during last month’s meeting in Palau, New Zealand

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Secret letter at centre of O’Neill AU$30m payments

The simmering political tensions created by the attempted arrest of Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill by police over alleged corruption allegations have cooled – at least for the time being.

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Puna back as Cook Islands Prime Minister?

Pending any successful petition against winning candidates in last month’s general elections in the Cook Islands, incumbent Prime Minister Henry Puna (pictured) and his Cook Islands Party are poised for another

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Solomon goes to the poll under the weight of mounting debt

As Solomon Islands gears up for its national general election later this year troubling signs of corruption, economic woes and mounting debts are overshadowing preparations. No one really knows the exact date for the

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PM O’Neill comes under fire over AU$30 million payout

Papua New Guinea is embroiled in political turmoil triggered by the attempted arrest of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill by police on June 17 as part of ongoing anti-corruption investigations into payments to a

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Carsasses’ out, Natuman’s in

I t had all the guile and secrecy of a commando raid. And as much impact. This was the demise of Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses after 14 months in the top job. He entered parliament on May 15 confident he had

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Lack of data affects tuna stock assessments

Foreign fishing nations who benefit immensely from fishing in the Western and Central Pacific region’s US$7.2 billion fishery are not releasing valuable tuna stock data needed to manage and sustain the industry.

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Donations to flood victims in Solomons mount

The two-day flash flooding that began on April 2 struck at the heart of Solomon Islands The two-day flash flooding that began on April 2 struck at the heart of Solomon Islands’ administrative and business and

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Parties to Nauru Agreement loses CEO

The Pacific is losing one of its most prolific tuna negotiators who has been instrumental in negotiating greater returns for tropical purse seine fishery. Parties to Nauru Agreement (PNA) Chief Executive Officer Dr

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Greenpeace to operate by

Greenpeace’s closure of its Pacific Office in Fiji last month has ignited fears that the global environmental group no longer considers the region a priority. Greenpeace campaigner Duncan Williams has confirmed

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Will Japan stop killing our whales?

A world court slapped a moratorium on Japanese from slaughtering whales in the Antarctic in April but the country’s whale enthusiasts have no plans to stop their hobby in the northwest Pacific. Shortly after the

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Pacific NGOs up in arms

Greenpeace’s closure in Suva adds to an already growing concern amongst Non-Government Organisations in the region that their services are not appreciated. At last year’s Western and Central Pacific

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Deadly Lusi claims 11 lives in Vanuatu

Vanuatu is still reeling from monster cyclone Lusi that took at least eleven lives and caused millions of dollars in damage to gardens and properties early March. Yet in this rare instance, the cyclonic winds were not

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Pacific’s first flyover roadway

The metropolis landscape of Port Moresby is set to transform significantly with the construction of the multi million dollar Kookaburra Flyover Street, the biggest project yet ever to be undertaken this decade in Papua

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Tuila’epa in NZ for treatment

Days after being airlifted by the New Zealand Government for medical treatment in Auckland, aides of Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuila’epa Lupesoli’ai Sa’ilele Malielegaoi (pictured) were still

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