PINA

By Dr Transform Aqorau I’m writing with a deep sense of urgency—and a heavy heart. Everywhere I look across our beautiful islands, I see resilience. Not the kind written about in glossy reports or preached in policy seminars. But the kind that’s woven into fishing nets at dawn, sung in lullabies, passed down by grandmothers, and practiced in the quiet...

The Guam National Olympic Committee (GNOC) is set to welcome delegates for the Oceania National Olympic Committees' annual general assembly on 17 May. Ahead of the gathering, the organisation will also host a series of events and workshops to engage delegates and stakeholders. “The XLV ONOC Annual General Assembly represents a crucial moment for Oceania’s Olympic movement, as leaders and stakeholders...

By Nic Maclellan The main conservative anti-independence parties in New Caledonia have denounced French Overseas Minister Manuel Valls, after the breakdown of talks to forge a new political agreement for the Franch Pacific dependency. After a series of preliminary talks since February, Valls hoped that his third visit to New Caledonia this year would lead to agreement on a new political...

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has told FBC News he is ready to break the coalition agreement and remove the Social Democratic Liberal Party from the coalition government. In an exclusive interview this morning, Rabuka expressed disappointment about SODELPA’s general secretary, Viliame Takayawa, and its leader, Aseri Radrodro. SODELPA GS Viliame Takayawa earlier this week criticised the government’s trade mission team...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Milan, Italy The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will now kick-start the process of due diligence to facilitate Fiji and Tonga’s request for the bank to raise local currency bonds in the Fijian dollar and Pa’anga. “We are going through a process of all of the legal, legislative, parliamentary requirements to allow us to put a...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Milan, Italy The Asia Development Bank (ADB) is stepping up its presence in the Pacific to be closer its 12 Pacific Developing Member Countries. Apart from Suva, Port Moresby and Sydney, ADB will set up a fully fledged office in Solomon Islands later this year. And, a possible office to serve the North Pacific is also...

U.S Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. After serving as missionary and archbishop in Peru, Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis's pontificate, adding three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope. Prevost,...

Part One of the interview with Emma Veve, the new Director General of the ADB Pacific Department conducted by PACNEWS Editor, Makereta Komai on the sidelines of the 58th ADB Governor’s Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy. Veve took office in February this year and is tasked with the delivery of ADB’s vision and strategy in the Pacific PACNEWS: Thank you...

After three solid days of talks in retreat mode, New Caledonia's political parties have yet to reach an agreement on the French Pacific territory's future status. The talks, held with French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls and French Prime Minister's special advisor Eric Thiers, have since Monday moved from Nouméa to a seaside resort in Bourail - West coast of...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Milan, Italy One of the world’s ground-breaking low carbon sailing cargo ship, the SV Juren Ae, is now operating in the Republic of Marshall Islands, after the government took delivery of the vessel in July last year. Built under Korean Register class in South Korea, this innovative vessel marks a significant milestone in sustainable...