PINA

This week, a team from the United Nations (UN) landed in Vanuatu for the first time since COVID-19 closed Vanuatu’s borders in 2020. Led by the UN Resident Coordinator to Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu, Sanaka Samarasinha, the team begun the mission officially on Monday, meeting with Vanuatu Prime Minister, Hon. Bob Loughman, Minister for Climate Change, Hon....

The holding of New Caledonia's referendum on independence from France is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes reports a voter wants France to be convicted in the court in Strasbourg for holding the vote in December despite pleas for its deferral. Pro-independence parties had repeatedly asked for the vote to be postponed to this year...

U.S Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Samoa's leader on Friday, discussing climate change, ocean security and opportunities to work together as Washington seeks to re-engage the region amid growing Chinese influence. The senior U.S diplomat's visit is part of a multi-leg trip to Pacific nations. Sherman is now headed to Tonga. Sherman told media at a news conference...

ONOC is delivering this Digest in partnership with The Reporters’ Academy and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA). We are now over halfway through these Commonwealth Games, and we couldn’t be prouder of what our athletes have achieved so far. Just getting to these Games is a feat in itself and every athlete from our 12 Pacific nations in Birmingham...

After a lapse of many years, the Melanesian Football Cup, now dubbed the MSG Prime Ministers Cup, will be held in Vanuatu from 17-30 September. The official draw for the competition was done by the chair of the MSG Leaders Group and Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Bob Loughman, in Port Vila on Thursday. Papua New Guinea, the Vanuatu National football team...

U.S Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman will be in Tonga today, as part of the Pacific trip to reflect the United States' commitment to the region. Her visit started with Samoa then Tonga, Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand from 3-9 August. In Nuku’alofa, she will meet King Tupou VI and other senior Tongan government officials to commemorate 50-years of...

Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama held extensive discussions on security and development cooperation with the United States National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan at the White House in Washington, DC yesterday. Prime Minister Bainimarama welcomed the closer cooperation between Fiji and the United States of America. Prime Minister and Sullivan discussed strengthening the alignment between US’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Pacific’s 2050...

The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission is running out of time, patience and legal advice. With 24 hours left for return of writs Friday, 51 seats in the National Parliament remain ‘unseated’ as counting in those electorates and provinces are yet to be concluded. The Post-Courier was advised the PNG Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai had the powers to allow for the...

Fijian President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere today paid a courtesy call to the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog at his residence in Tel Aviv. Expressing his pleasure at the visit, President Herzog said Fiji has always been a friend of Israel and the state visit is testament to the relationship of the two countries. President Katonivere on the other...

Samoa is the first of five Pacific nations that a high-ranking U.S Government official will visit this week, the U.S State Department has announced. U.S Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will travel to Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. “The Deputy Secretary’s travel to the region reflects the United States’ commitment to engage meaningfully with fellow Pacific nations...