Sailors from Tahiti edged over Rarotonga, proving to be very competitive taking out first place in both the Lasers and the Optimist classes, winning the 2024 sailing challenge overall trophy.
Former Cook Islands prime minister and secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, has been confirmed as the first Cook Islander appointed to the East-West Center Board of Governors based in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Fiji Times reports that this includes the proposed HOPE party, created by the youth activist Peter Waqavonovono and former opposition leader Mick Beddoes, who both defected from the main opposition Sodelpa party.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – There’s growing disquiet in Papua New Guinea over government plans for tweaking election rules ahead of the upcoming polls.
TONGA – Freeze that back swing – a golf venue isn’t quite guaranteed yet for the 2019 Pacific Games.
French Polynesia agrees to ‘seastead’ proposal
PACIFIC – Pacific island ministers are in Tokyo this week to discuss the region’s development partnership with Japan.
VANUATU – The chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group has arrived in Port Vila for discussions that cover membership guidelines.
FIJI – Despite not being up for coach of the year at the inaugural Fiji Rugby Awards, former Olympic Gold medal winning coach Ben Ryan has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The award nominations sparked controversy when Ryan was left off the list of finalists for coach of the year in favour of three local club coaches. The apparent snub came a month after Ryan had tangled with the Fiji Rugby Union over player payments. However the FRU said Ryan had simply not been nominated by any local club affiliates. The Fiji Rugby Union had earlier this month hit back at the former coach saying in a statement it was disappointed at Ryan’s constant remarks about the Fiji Sevens team and his ongoing tweets about their performances at recent sevens events. CEO John O’connor said it seemed difficult for Ryan to move on.
Whaling deplored in wake of Sea Shepherd photos
A GROUP of Cook Islands Boys Scouts is representing their country at the 21st New Zealand Jamboree in Blenheim, South Island.
THE NEW Year Family Festival scheduled for this evening at the new Constitution Park has been cancelled.
THE SOUTHERN group islands are getting plenty of joy from this festive season following an influx of visitors, including tourists, to their shores this month.
NEW ZEALAND – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly told New Zealand’s foreign minister that support for a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement-building in the occupied territories would be viewed as a “declaration of war”.
TONGA – The bodies of the two Tongan victims killed in a bus crash in Gisborne on Christmas eve will be returned to Tonga on Saturday.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Detainees on Manus Island are demanding answers about the death of a refugee as advocates call for a royal commission into medical care at Australia’s offshore detention centres.
Unwell refugee’s friends wrote letter asking for medical intervention a week before he died
Eight years after Beijing, Ele Opeloge’s Olympic success is recognised
Medical facilities on Manus Island need attention
FIJI – Rakiraki Town residents have dubbed the recent flooding as the worst in more than a decade.
FIJI – Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is calling on every Fijian to share the Christmas spirit through helping those that are in need and those that were affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston and this week’s severe flooding from tropical depression TD04F.
MALTA – The hijacking of a Libyan plane has ended peacefully after armed men who seized control surrendered in Malta.