by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Details of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming trip to Samoa next month have been unveiled. This visit coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, marking the King’s first attendance as Head of the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa announced last week that all 56…
by Richard Sanders, Staff Writer The residents of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea are requesting funds to help prepare for Pope Francis’s visit next month. The Pope will be in PNG for three days starting September 6, primarily in Port Moresby, but will also spend a day in Vanimo. A spokesperson from the Catholic Church…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer 14 incumbent Members of Parliament have been defeated in the election, which includes three former cabinet ministers. Out of the 27 MPs who secured their positions in the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, the legislative assembly of Kiribati, was the current president, Taneti Maamau. A total of 17 new MPs were elected,…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Just 10 days ago, Paris approved the mission when France’s top diplomat in the area delivered a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and secretary-general in Suva. Forum leaders had requested in July for a Ministerial Committee to visit Nouméa to gather information from…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Preliminary election results in Kiribati indicate tight races for constituencies in and around the capital Tarawa, while the situation is different in the outer island electorates. Radio Kiribati has reported that some incumbent politicians, such as President Taneti Maamau in Onotoa and opposition leader Tessie Eria Lambourne in Abemama, appear…
Staff Wrtiters In August of last year, Japan initiated the release of water that had been collected from the Fukushima nuclear plant following a meltdown caused by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The response from Pacific leaders was varied, with some expressing support for the move and others strongly opposing it, particularly advocates for…
By Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Tonga has secured the support of Pacific economic ministers to be the host of the regional community resilience financing facility. The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders have approved the establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) to facilitate easier access to climate financing for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and early…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer France has authorized a significant Pacific “fact-finding mission” to New Caledonia to gather information from all involved parties amid the ongoing crisis. In an exclusive interview with RNZ Pacific on Friday evening, Véronique Roger-Lacan, the French Ambassador to the Pacific, announced the approval of a troika mission for fact-finding in…
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer At the commencement of the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) in Suva today, the Finance Minister of Tonga, who also serves as the chair, emphasized the importance of capitalizing on growth opportunities. According to PACNEWS, discussions over the next two days will revolve around crucial economic priorities such as technology,…
by Richard Sanders, Staff Writer Timothy Masiu, the Communication Minister of Papua New Guinea, is receptive to feedback on the government’s upcoming media policy. The fifth draft of the policy, subject to considerable scrutiny, seeks to advance freedom of speech and information in PNG by enhancing public and private media, providing media education and skill…