by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has altered its final communique to remove a reference to Taiwan, after a senior Chinese diplomat publicly criticized the document. Organizers have blamed the wording on an error. The group of 18 island nations, along with Australia and New Zealand, convened in Tonga last…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Pacific Island athletes at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris have yet to secure any medals. Over the weekend, seven athletes participated in para-taekwondo and para-athletics events. Fiji’s Irene Mar came the closest to winning a medal, losing in the bronze medal playoff for the women’s taekwondo K44, 57kg division on…
Engaging with Russia and North Korea, and “getting along” with them, would be a “good thing,” former US President Donald Trump has argued. Speaking at an election rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, the Republican nominee touted his diplomatic efforts to fix Washington’s ties with Pyongyang, referring to his 2019 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the demilitarized…
from Solomon Islands PM and Cabinet Office A high level Government delegation comprising Ministers and backbenchers will leave the country this weekend for various strategic engagements in Australia. Led by the Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Hon. Bradley Billy Smoky Rodo Tovosia, the 14 member delegation is down for…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer A joint statement from Pacific leaders was reissued at the PIF yesterday morning, omitting references to Taiwan after China criticized a previous version as a “mistake” that needed correction. Following five days of discussions in Tonga, a revised communique was published on Friday, reaffirming a 30-year-old agreement that permits Taiwan’s…
by TusiTala, Staff Writer The United States has been attentive to the concerns of Pacific Island nations as it aims to enhance its diplomatic presence in the region, according to Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Speaking at a media briefing in Nuku’alofa during the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, Campbell outlined various initiatives…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Auki police have conducted an awareness talk at Afio and Anololo community in Central Kwara’ae on kwaso and marijuana recently. The awareness talk conducted as the issue of kwaso (homebrew) and marijuana is rising from bad to worse. The two communities have been complaining of anti-Social behaviour as a result…
Over 200 unexploded ordnance items have been cleared from a school site in the Solomon Islands. According to SIBC, St Nicholas Anglican College found a cache of US projectiles in front of a staff house while excavating for sewage installation. Clifford Tunuki, executive director of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department, stated that the projectiles have…
pictured, Feleti Teo, Tuvalu PM by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Australia has pledged to support Tuvalu in adapting to climate change through the Falepili Union treaty, according to Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo. The agreement, signed late last year and criticized by a former Tuvalu leader as “shameful,” establishes a special visa pathway for Tuvaluan…
by Byron Louis, Staff Writer A deputy foreign minister from Taiwan is set to participate in this week’s gathering of Pacific Islands leaders in Tonga, as announced by Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Sunday. This meeting comes amid ongoing competition for influence in the region between China and the United States. The Pacific is a key…