Samoan Head of State suspends parliament sitting
Samoa has been thrown into a constitutional crisis after the Head of State suspended Parliament's scheduled Monday sitting in a shock last-minute move moments ago. In
Tag: Regional
Samoa court dismisses call for second election
Samoa's Supreme Court has thrown out the Head of State's decision to call a second election, clearing the path for the newcomer FAST party to form a government. Announ
First Australia-bound flight from NZ since travel bubble opened departs Wellington
The first flight to Australia from New Zealand since quarantine-free travel opened between the countries has taken off from Wellington Airport this morning. The Air Ne
Outbound travel out of Vanuatu stopped after COVID-19 discovery
All outbound travel out of Vanuatu's main island, Efate, has been stopped for three days following confirmation of a COVID-19 case. The positive case is a recently dec
Accounting error in Samoa election has top parties tied again
Samoa's two main political parties are again head to head after an accounting glitch was discovered by the Electoral Commission. The error had independent Tautua Party
Miss PNG stripped of her crown after sharing a video of herself twerking on TikTok
Miss Papua New Guinea has been stripped of her crown after sharing a video of herself twerking on TikTok. 25-year-old Lucy Maino was crowned Miss Papua New Guinea in
Fears that sorcery related violence is on the rise in PNG due to COVID-19
There are fears that Papua New Guinea's COVID-19 crisis is being used as an excuse to carry out sorcery accusation violence as the number of coronavirus cases climb. T
Solomons border communities prioritised for vaccines
The Solomon Islands government is this week planning to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations for communities along its western border with Papua New Guinea. RNZ reports the n
PNG's COVID-19 cases top 7,000
The number of recorded COVID-19 cases in Papua New Guinea has passed 7,000, more than doubling in the past two weeks. The death toll stands at 61, with 49 recorded in
Early voting starts in Samoa election
More than 8,000 voters is Samoa are eligible to cast their votes from today ahead of Friday's general election. Polling booths opened this morning for a four-day pre-poll
Historic Palau-Taiwan travel bubble under way
Over 100 tourists have descended on Palau to kick off the first travel bubble with Taiwan, with President Surangel Whipps Junior, accompanying them on the flight. Rad
NZ’s minimum wage increases to $20 an hour
New Zealand's adult minimum wage has risen to $20 an hour, a move which the Government says will see the incomes of 175,500 Kiwis lifted. This is an increase of $1.10 fro
Palau receives Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States
Palau has received 200 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and has immediately started the rollout. This means Palau has become the first Freely Associated State
NZ-Cook Islands travel bubble in May
New Zealand expects to open a two-way travel bubble with the Cook Islands in May and is planning a vaccination campaign there. The leaders of both nations met in Auckl
Prasad appears in Christchurch High Court for allegedly killing ex-wife’s partner
A man who allegedly assaulted his ex-wife’s partner to death at a block of flats in Christchurch has been named. Niraj Nilesh Prasad appeared in the High Court
PNG health workers warn coronavirus crisis will get worse before it gets better
Although Australia has delivered 8,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Papua New Guinea this week, the hard work has only just begun. The vaccines are enough to immunise the coun
Record number of COVID-19 cases in PNG
The number of daily COVID-19 infections in Papua New Guinea has reached a record high, with 295 cases recorded in a 24-hour period. Abc.net.au reports the number of CO
Australia to send Papua New Guinea vaccines as cases surge
Australia will provide 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Papua New Guinea as the island nation struggles with an outbreak of COVID-19. Australian Prime Minister Scott
Fijian-Indians in New Zealand fight to be recognised as Pasifika, not Asians
The President of Fiji Girmit Foundation of NZ, Krish Naidu says Fijian-Indians are facing an identity crisis and missing out on key support and opportunities in areas lik
Study says French nuclear tests 'affected 110,000 in the Pacific'
A study has said that France concealed the true impact of its nuclear tests in the Pacific from the 1960s to the 1990s. The study was carried out in collaboration betw
10 Fijian workers exploited in NZ
A Canterbury asparagus grower Christopher Gray has been fined $26,000 for exploiting 13 workers, of which 10 were seasonal migrant workers from Fiji. The Employment Re