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The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) closed Sunday with a new finance goal to help countries to protect their people and economies against climate disasters and share in the vast benefits of the clean energy boom. With a central focus on climate finance, COP29 brought together nearly 200 countries in Baku, Azerbaijan, and reached a breakthrough agreement that will: *Triple finance...

In a star-studded evening in Monaco and surrounded by legends of the game, South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit and England’s Ellie Kildunne have been named World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year, respectively. The Springbok flanker wins the prestigious accolade for the second time, having also been named World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year in...

The Supreme Court of Vanuatu has registered an urgent court application from the former Opposition, challenging the dissolution of Parliament. The Opposition group, led by former Leader of Opposition Gracia Shadrack and 28 other former Members of Parliament (MPs), filed the application after preparing it since Monday. The court officially registered the case Thursday. This legal action comes after President Nikenike...

Achieving the New Collective Quantifying Goal (NCQG) and keeping the global average temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius are directly linked; one cannot be achieved without the other. This was reiterated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad, when he addresses World Leaders at COP29, reminding them that achieving these was fundamental to not only protecting...

The Lilisiana community in Solomon Islands is facing an urgent and heartbreaking reality as rising sea levels continue to claim their sacred burial grounds. Three rows of graves have already been lost, and now 22 more graves in the fourth row are at critical risk. This devastating loss is not merely environmental—it is cultural, spiritual, and deeply personal. These burial grounds,...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a strong call to action as COP29 approaches its crucial conclusion in Baku, imploring world leaders and negotiators on Thursday to overcome their disagreements and reach an historic climate finance deal. “I sense an appetite for agreement,” he said. Having just returned from the G20 Summit in Rio, Guterres shared the resounding message he delivered there:...

The importance of youth presence at COP spaces was underscored by SPREP Director General Sefanaia Nawadra during the virtual Pacific State of Play session. “Youth can be valuable because governments react to pressure from within, not so much from outside. The more they can network with youth from other countries, the better,” DG Nawadra said. “You can reach where negotiators...

Fiji’s Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua has offered to temporarily step aside from his role. This after the discovery of possible unauthorised issuance of passports to the children of individuals associated with the Grace Road human rights allegations. In a statement he said there has been the possible unauthorised issuance of passports to the children of individuals associated...

Papua New Guinea is set to host a high-level climate change meeting mid next year, being the second in the Pacific to host such an event after Samoa 10 years ago. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board in its last meeting in October approved for PNG to host the 42nd Board Meeting next year from June 27 to July 3,...

The COP29 Presidency Mukhtar Babayev early Thursday released a draft document intended to serve as the basis for a deal on a post-2025 goal for climate finance for developing countries. As expected, the text leaves the most contentious issues undecided including who pays, how much and what the structure of the goal should be. The text has two main options for...