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Australia discusses security, aid with Vanuatu amid competition with China
Australia pledged to remain the South Pacific's largest aid donor on Thursday during security and economic talks with Vanuatu, as Canberra reviews the potential Pacific impact of U.S President Donald Trump's foreign aid cuts.
"Australia will always be there for you," Australia's Minister for International Development Pat Conroy told a news conference in the Vanuatu capital Port Vila.
Conroy, who held...
847 Samoans receive New Zealand citizenship in three months
New Zealand Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says 847 Samoans have been granted New Zealand citizenship since the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed into law three months ago.
“It’s pleasing to see that people are taking up the opportunity to regain New Zealand citizenship and that the Department of Internal Affairs is promptly processing these applications,” said van...
Cook Islands Government to seek update on China’s naval exercises
As concerns continue to emerge over China’s ‘unusual’ naval exercises in the Tasman Sea raising eyebrows from New Zealand and Australia, the Cook Islands government was questioned for an update in parliament Wednesday.
This follows the newly established bilateral relations between the Cook Islands and China through a five-year agreement and Prime Minister Mark Brown’s accusations of the New Zealand...
MSC Magnifica brings in hundreds of passengers to Cook Islands
Cruise liner MSC Magnifica, the largest cruise ship to visit the Cook Islands anchored just outside the Avatiu Harbour, Rarotonga bringing more than 2000 passengers.
The Punanga Nui Market and Avarua Town was bustling Wednesday as around 1000 passengers disembarked tenders throughout the day and took advantage of the sunny weather onshore.
MSC Magnifica sailed into Rarotonga from Aitutaki, she was...
Pacific leaders ‘must consider consequences’ of deep sea mining
By Aigagalefili Fepulea’i - Tapua’i
Representatives from 18 Pacific countries met in Fiji last week to discuss deep sea mining.
The Deep Sea Minerals High-Level Talanoa, hosted by the Pacific Island Forum, could have set the stage for critical decisions on the future of the oceans.
The pressing question: is the economic promise of mining the ocean’s depths worth the risk of...
Walker is new Fijiana 7s coach
Former USA Women’s 7s coach Richard Walker is the new Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s coach.
The Fiji Rugby Union made the announcement today that Walker, an experienced coach with over 15 years of success across various levels of the game is the replacement for Saiasi Fuli.
FRU says he brings a wealth of international expertise and a strategic vision to the...
Ioan Cunningham is the new Fijiana XV head coach
Fiji Rugby has brought in former Wales Women’s coach Ioan Cunningham to coach the Vodafone Fijiana XV for the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup.
His impressive coaching resume includes leading Wales Women and U20s, as well as a successful stint as Forwards Coach for Scarlets, where he contributed to their European Challenge Cup quarter-final and Heineken Champions Cup semi-final appearances.
Cunningham’s...
Forum SG Waqa calls for unified action on sustainable fisheries at Honiara Summit
Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has highlighted the critical need for sustainable fisheries management to safeguard the Pacific's future.
Addressing the Honiara Summit on Pacific Islands' Response to SDG14.4, Waqa reminded the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of their deep, existential connection to the ocean and the vital role fisheries play in their economies and cultures.
The Pacific region, which...
Nauru sells citizenship to help fund relocations as sea levels rise
The Pacific Island nation of Nauru is selling citizenship to fund its retreat from rising seas, the country’s president, David Adeang, announced on Tuesday, opening a contentious “golden passport” scheme as climate financing runs dry.
The low-lying island nation of 13,000 residents is planning a mass inland relocation as the human-caused climate crisis raises global sea levels, eating away at...
Vanuatu Climate Minister frets over U.S climate reversal
Vanuatu's climate minister said Wednesday his low-lying Pacific nation is vexed by the potential impact of President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.
The Pacific archipelago, home to around 320,000 people, has struggled with natural disasters and with creeping seas starting to eat away at its fertile coastal fringe.
Trump has called climate change a "scam", made no secret...