The World Bank head has thoughts on the Pacific – and needs Australia’s help

The president of the World Bank is due in Australia this week offering to be a force-multiplier for good in the Pacific Island states, and expecting some federal funding to do so.  In the first visit by a World Bank

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Reinstatement of Fukushima expert panel to be discussed next year, Forum Leaders push U.S on nuclear testing and focus on regional peace

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders will decide at the next Forum Leaders Meeting in Solomon Islands whether to reinstate the Forum Expert Panel on Fukushima, as concerns persist over Japan’s discharge of treated nuclear

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‘We are going to do right for Samoa’ – Winston Peters on citizenship bill

A talanoa on the Samoa citizenship bill in Auckland on Friday was held against the backdrop of the passing of the Māori king, Kiingi Tuheitia, as well as the death of the RSE workers who died in a car crash on

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Pacific Islands Forum tweaks communique after China outburst

The Pacific Islands Forum secretariat has altered the communique from last week’s summit in Tonga to remove an affirming reference to Taiwan, after an outburst from China.  In a tumultuous ending to the otherwise

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Forum island nations prepare for global oceans conference

As the oceans face devastating change from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Pacific governments are preparing for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, to be held in France in June

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Maori King Tuheitia dies after heart surgery 

New Zealand’s Maori King, Kiingi Tuheitia, has died aged 69, just days after the celebration of his 18th year on the throne.  The death was confirmed by the Kiingitanga’s social media early on Friday. 

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Tonga’s Finance Minister urges Pacific unity to increase Resilience Fund

Tonga’s Finance Minister, Tiofilusi Tiueti, has urged Pacific nations and their partners to rally behind the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), calling it a “bold step” towards a more resilient and sustainable

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Govt. waiting on crash report

The Government through the Minister of Finance has expressed its condolences to the families of seasonal workers who died in a tragic car accident in New Zealand earlier this week.  Minister of Finance, Lautimuia

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Court of Arbitration of Sport dismisses appeal brought by Lee Harmon, former President of the Cook Islands Football Association , against OFC Appeal Committee decision.

The Court of Arbitration of Sport has dismissed an appeal brought by Lee Harmon against a decision issued by the OFC Appeal Committee on 21 May 2024.  The OFC Appeal Committee found Harmon had breached the OFC Code of

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EU Commissioner Urpilainen calls on OACPS members to settle dues

European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, Wednesday expressed serious concerns over the financial health of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), warning

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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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Kiribati, Niue and Tuvalu struggle to keep up with high cost of living

Purchasing basic commodities, such as food, has been a big challenge for residents of Kiribati, Niue and Tuvalu, which are most affected by global inflation, according to the Asian Development Bank’s latest economic

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PRF expresses grave concerns following discovery of needles and syringes amidst rising drug cases

PRF Expresses Grave Concerns Following Discovery of Needles and Syringes Amidst Rising Drug Cases Amidst the rise in drug cases in Fiji, Pacific Recycling Foundation is issuing an urgent appeal, expressing deep concern

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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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U.S Military eyes Australian Island for Pacific Deterrence Initiative

The Cocos Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste are among a handful of locations outlined in a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative multiple award construction contract published by the U.S Navy.  The contract,

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Opinion: The fifth-child rule: Marshall Islands’ maternity leave policy affronts local customs and tradition

Now that we have the most women (four) in the history of the Marshall Islands in the Nitijela (parliament), including a woman president, Hilda C. Heine, I believe it is time to address and change the archaic Marshall

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Opinion: Mixing oil and water

As protests erupt across New Caledonia, a leading Loyalist politician claims indigenous Kanak and the West are like ‘oil and water’  Sonia Backès, the leading conservative anti-independence politician of her

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Canoe sprint siblings proudly paddling for Samoa

Years of early morning training sessions on Auckland’s North Shore are about to pay off for canoe sprint brother and sister Tuva’a and Samalulu Clifton when they pull on the Samoan colours at the Paris Olympic

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India to apply for licences to scout Pacific Ocean for critical minerals

India will apply for licences to explore for deep-sea minerals in the Pacific Ocean as it competes to secure supplies of minerals critical for energy transition technologies, a top government scientist said.  The

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U.S Interior’s Assistant Secretary Cantor announces $372 million in Compact funding for Marshall Islands

The United States Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor has announced US$372 million in Compact of Free Association funding for the Republic of the

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Lawmaker says Guam, CNMI must ‘look after each other’ amid rising tensions in the region

In the face of escalating threats in the region, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) House Floor Leader Edwin Propst said Guam and the Northern Marianas must join hands in preparing the island communities for

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Spain makes Manu Samoa work for 34-30 win, Italy wins on its first visit to Tonga to end drought in Pacific islands

Spain makes Manu Samoa work for 34-30 win Manu Samoa beat a spirited Spain 34-30 in rainy and muddy conditions at Apia Park on Saturday.  Spain made Manu Samoa work for the win and while the wet conditions made things

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Opinion: Tapestry of Pacific ambiguities: Political tensions against the backdrop of FestPac celebrations

The focus of the Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, is always culture, and the 13th iteration held in June 2024 in Hawai’i was no different.  More than two dozen island nations sent delegations of dancers,

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