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
PNG jolts donors over power grid roll-out as China sale dismissed
The chairman of Papua New Guinea’s national power provider has called for a faster U.S. and foreign donor roll-out of promised electricity infrastructure while saying there is absolutely no plan to sell critical grid
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
Maprik town burns
Maprik town in East Sepik was set ablaze over two days, beginning Monday between 3pm and 4pm and spilling into early Tuesday morning. Police have confirmed the arrest of at least 189 suspects. A special court hearing
Samoa Gun amnesty starts next month
The Samoa Police has announced a comprehensive gun amnesty set to begin on 01 August running through 30 September in an attempt to collect illegal firearms in circulation. This initiative, spearheaded by Samoa’s
French police kill alleged gunman amid continued unrest in New Caledonia
French police shot and killed an alleged gunman in New Caledonia on Wednesday, local prosecutors said, bringing the toll of almost two months of unrest in the French Pacific territory to 10. The suspect was killed
Air transport woes top agenda of Marianas lawmakers’ assembly
Issues and concerns regarding air transportation between the CNMI and Guam topped the agenda of the Mariana Islands Legislature Association’s 2nd General Assembly at the Guam Congress Building on Wednesday. Guam
Indonesian soldiers thwart fuel smuggling to Papua New Guinea
Indonesian soldiers from the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 700 litres of subsidised fuel to PNG. The task force personnel, serving at the 122/Tombak
Human rights vetting urged for Fiji defence treaty
A defence treaty between Australia and Fiji should include vetting processes for human rights violations, a parliamentary committee has been told. The agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Defence and the Status of
CCTV network launched in Samoa
Criminals beware, you are now being watched as the Samoa Police and Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched the Safer CCTV Network that will keep an eye on hotspots around Apia. It comprises 30 CCTV cameras, a
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
‘Help’ written in palm fronds assists U.S. forces in rescuing Micronesians stranded on tiny island
The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard found and rescued three men Tuesday from a tiny atoll south of Guam, where they spent more than a week after they were left stranded. The men, all in their 40s, set sail from Polowat Atoll,
Opinion: Where did that Chinese police video come from?
Last night’s 60 Minutes broadcast in Australia featured extraordinary footage of 2017 Chinese police raids in Fiji, followed by the extraction of 77 People’s Republic of China citizens, hooded
Opinion: Yes, there are Chinese police in Fiji. But that’s none of Australia’s business
Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes revealed a fascinating tension within the Fijian government about whether to embrace a 2011 agreement signed with the Chinese government that allows Fijian police officers to receive
U.S., FSM begin exploring military training opportunities in Yap
Washington and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have reaffirmed their defence and security ties, toasting a fresh economic package under the newly signed Compact of Free Association that cemented the United
Opinion: Question for PNG foreign minister Tkatchenko – what does the defence pact mean for West Papua?
Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have formally ratified a defence agreement a decade after its initial signing. PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and the Indonesian ambassador to the Pacific nation,
Tuvalu’s new PM says democracy and loyalty are reasons for preferring Taiwan over Beijing
The new prime minister in the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu said on Friday his country shares democratic values with Taiwan and reaffirmed that his government would maintain diplomatic ties with Taipei, ruling out a
Tuvalu PM announces new Cabinet
Tuvalu’s newly-elected Prime Minister, Feleti Teo has named his Cabinet lineup. Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu Falani, in the exercise of authority granted by sections 63, 64, and 68 of Tuvalu’s
PNG, Indonesia ratify defence deal to expand security cooperation
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea will boost defense cooperation, officials from the two countries said Tuesday, including border patrols in a region where indigenous Papuans have waged a decades-long insurgency against
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.
Tackling nuclear legacies, 70 years after Bravo
On 1 March 1954, the US government exploded a thermonuclear weapon on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, codenamed Bravo. The test had an explosive yield of nearly 15 megatons, a thousand times more powerful than the
China lures Palau with economic incentives to break ties with Taiwan
China has promised Palau economic benefits in exchange for the latter severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a letter the Palauan president wrote to an unnamed United States senator revealed. President Surangel Whipps
Whose tune is sweetest in the Pacific game of musical chairs?
Soon after Australia signed the Falepili union agreement with Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in December, there was chatter that Nauru was next on the list for a similar deal with the Australians.
