Melanesian delegations meet in Rarotonga
As this week’s program kicks off in Rarotonga, member states of the Pacific Island Forum have held sub-regional caucuses, to prepare for the week’s wide-ranging agenda. Leaders and delegates from Melanesia,
Vanuatu
Salwai prioritises revenue and instability curse
Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas is Vanuatu’s third prime minister to be elected in less than a year. Salwai is no stranger to the driver’s seat. His last reign was from 2016 to 2020 when he managed to successfully steer
12 Vanuatu government bills for debate
Amid mounting allegations of another potential motion of no confidence, Vanuatu’s Office of the Speaker of Parliament confirmed to the Vanuatu Daily Post that no motion of no confidence has been officially
All clear given in Vanuatu, Lola downgraded to Ex-Tropical Cyclone
Vanuatu disaster authorities issued an all clear for the country as ex-cyclone Lola was downgraded to a tropical low system at 6.34am local time on Thursday. In the final warning bulletin issued by the Vanuatu
Google to run internet cables to Pacific islands in Australia-U.S. deal
Alphabet’s Google will run undersea cables powering internet access to at least eight far-flung Pacific Ocean nations under a joint U.S.-Australian deal set to be announced on Wednesday, according to a U.S.
Cyclone Lola: Vanuatu communities devastated by destruction
The Red Cross is being quoted by Newshub as saying the early information coming out of remote Vanuatu communities is Tropical Cyclone Lola is worse than Cyclone Harold in 2020, which caused widespread destruction.
Tropical Cyclone Lola develops into category 5 super storm
Tropical Cyclone Lola has strengthened to a category 5 super cyclone, the Fiji Meteorological Service says. A category 5 cyclone means average winds will surpass 198km/h. Residents on Vanuatu’s north-eastern
Pacific Islands urge global leaders to seize a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to halt the plastics crisis
Pacific Islands nations are calling on world leaders to commit to an ambitious global plastic treaty modelled along the lines of the hugely successful Montreal Protocol which tackled the issue of ozone layer depletion.
More Australians, Solomons, Vanuatu, return from Israel
About 200 Australians and their family members are back in the country after leaving Israel and arriving on a government-assisted flight. A Qantas flight landed in Sydney on Wednesday evening with 126 Australian
Vanuatu Opposition labelled Salwai Government as unconstitutional, MP Gracia Shadrack suspended
Vanuatu Opposition bloc of former Prime Minister, Sato Kilman, has raised concerns over the election of Charlot Salwai, Member of Parliament of Pentecost and President of the Reunification Movement of Change (RMC), as
Charlot Salwai elected prime minister of Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s prime minister Sato Kilman has been voted out through a motion-of-no-confidence in the country’s parliament Friday in Port Vila. Radio New Zealand reports that the motion was carried by a show of
COP28: Boiling Point
It’s taken 70 years but some of the life is slowly coming back around Bikini atoll, ravaged by the United States’ nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands immediately after World War Two. For a team from the
De-banking having a ‘severe impact’ on Pacific Islanders
The region’s economic ministers say the expiry of correspondent banking relationships (CBR) is having a severe impact on the lives of Pacific Islanders, including seasonal workers, micro, small, and medium
Building a social entreprise
A London-based design and construction social enterprise responsible for innovative community-based buildings in Fiji and Vanuatu, is looking to expand its regional footprint. In Fiji, Caukin Studio has partnered with
SPBD businesswomen lauded at annual awards
The Vodafone Arena in Suva last week was full-packed with radiant businesswomen celebrating their efforts at the 12th annual South Pacific Business Development awards. SPBD Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greg
Vanuatu PM Kilman no longer commands majority
Power transitioned from the Vanuatu Government to the Opposition in Parliament during the Fifth Extraordinary Session convened to debate the motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Monday. The
Hundreds of tourists stranded as Air Vanuatu cancels flights
Hundreds of tourists have been stranded after Air Vanuatu cancelled a week’s worth of flights right as school holidays kicked off in New Zealand and Australia. The airline’s only Boeing 737 aircraft – which
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu to miss Pacific leaders’ meeting with President Biden
Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has declined a White House invitation to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at this week’s Pacific leaders’ summit. In a move that will further stoke
Conference to address sustainable infrastructure for the Pacific
An upcoming conference will be looking into the future of getting better quality infrastructure for Pacific Island countries. Organised by the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council (APIBC) in collaboration with the
Fijian wins regional Commonwealth Youth Award for recycling efforts
Fiji’s Raeed Roshan Ali has been awarded the regional prize at the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work in London overnight for his work on recycling efforts. He was amongst the young people
Small islands slam ‘endless’ climate talks at landmark maritime court hearing
The heads of small island states most vulnerable to climate change have criticised “endless” climate change negotiations at the start of an unprecedented maritime court hearing. During the opening of a two-week
Macron’s magical mystery tour of Melanesia
The whirlwind tour of Melanesia by French President Emmanuel Macron received widespread media acclaim in July, as he visited the French Pacific dependency of New Caledonia and made unprecedented stopovers in Vanuatu and
Embattled Pacific Island States build heft for climate push
Legal and scientific experts, government officials and representatives from civil society organisations from across the Pacific came together in Fiji recently to begin the momentous task of mounting a first-of-its-kind
