Regional
Backflip on military build-up questioned
Thursday 13 April 2017 | Published in Regional
GUAM – A chorus of voices on Guam is questioning the governor’s decision to withdraw his support for the military build-up.
Four Vanuatu MPs cross the floor
Thursday 13 April 2017 | Published in Regional
VANUATU – Four MPs in Vanuatu have crossed the floor strengthening government numbers but still not by enough to ensure proposed constitutional reforms.
Barred from press conferences
Thursday 13 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A veteran journalist says she was told she could not attend press conferences during last week’s visit to Papua New Guinea by Australia’s prime minister.
Islands assessing cyclone damage
Thursday 13 April 2017 | Published in Regional
NEW CALEDONIA – The body of a 73-year-old man has been found a day after he went missing during Cyclone Cook in New Caledonia.
NZ patrol boat Hawea to be stationed in Fiji
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
FIJI – New Zealand will send the inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Hawea and a crew of 25 to Fiji for six months from May in a major advance in defence cooperation between the two countries.
Herald raises $216,000 for Pacific project
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PACIFIC – A joint New Zealand Herald and World Vision effort to raise money for those living in the remote Pacific has brought in more than double its initial target.
Samoa issues typhoid health alert
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
NEW ZEALAND – Samoan health officials have issued a health alert, warning anyone who has been to Auckland in the past three weeks to get tested for typhoid.
Guam rejects US military build up
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
GUAM – The Governor of Guam, Eddie Calvo, has withdrawn his support for the build-up of United States military forces in the US territory.
Decrease in Pasifika migrants
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
NEW ZEALAND – Tighter immigration policies have led to significant falls in the number of approved Pacific migrants to New Zealand over the past five years.
Poverty seen as driver of sorcery
Saturday 8 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A Papua New Guinea NGO says poverty is a prominent factor in ongoing sorcery-related attacks and killings.
'Grand Chief' bids farewell to parliament
Friday 7 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea’s former prime minister Sir Michael Somare was given a standing ovation this week as he gave his farewell speech to parliament.
Travel writer fights of hotel room intruder
Friday 7 April 2017 | Published in Regional
VANUATU – A female award-winning travel consultant and journalist was in her hotel room on the outskirts of Port Vila while asleep in the early hours of the morning when an intruder entered her room.
Asylum seeker fears death in deported
Friday 7 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Manus Island refugee says the asylum seeker resisting deportation to Lebanon fears for his life if he’s sent home without money.
Sexy starfish tricked by pheromones
Friday 7 April 2017 | Published in Regional
AUSTRALIA – A starfish considered a key threat to the Pacific’s coral reefs could be thwarted by harnessing its own sex drive, scientists say.
Amnesty asks how was money spent?
Friday 7 April 2017 | Published in Regional
AUSTRALIA – Billions of dollars’ worth of contracts for offshore processing centres on remote Pacific islands should be made public, Amnesty International says.
Nauru seeks funding to build new port
Thursday 6 April 2017 | Published in Regional
NAURU – The president of Nauru, Baron Waqa, is meeting officials from the Asian Development Bank during an Australian visit in an effort to raise finance to build a new port on the island.
Refugee screening process underway
Thursday 6 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Officials from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are now on Manus Island fingerprinting and photographing refugees as part of the US-Australia refugee deal.
Social media a platform for racism
Thursday 6 April 2017 | Published in Regional
FIJI – The director of Fiji’s Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Ashwin Raj says it’s time to think about laws to regulate racist hate speech on social media.
Fiji and New Zealand in same sevens pool
Thursday 6 April 2017 | Published in Regional
HONG KONG – New Zealand Sevens coach Scott Waldrom says his team is fully aware of the challenge Fiji pose at this weekend’s Hong Kong tournament. The two old rivals are in the same pool, alongside Wales and Japan.
Forum nations look at regional finance facility
Thursday 6 April 2017 | Published in Regional
PACIFIC – A key matter before the Pacific Islands Forum economic ministers who are meeting in Suva this week is how to set up a regional finance facility.