The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade says the suspension of Fiji from the 16 member group was a ‘traumatic’ experience for member countries. “Suspending a member has never happened before and I hope it will never happen again, said Slade. “Leaders need to finalise the situation and come to…
The head of the Pacific Islands Forum has suggested the region’s foreign ministers could be tasked with deciding whether to lift the suspension of Fiji’s membership. Speaking ahead of the Forum leaders’ summit in Palau, Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade told the ABC the Ministerial Contact Group could monitor Fiji’s elections in September and then make…
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully will lead the New Zealand delegation to the 45rd Pacific Islands Forum in Palau on behalf of Prime Minister John Key this week. “The Forum is the foremost annual meeting of Pacific leaders and I am honoured to be representing the Prime Minister at this event,” McCully says. “The…
Pacific Island Countries have in the past six years stepped up their engagement in the international community processes, especially at the United Nations. And the outgoing Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade of Samoa attributes this to the work done by Pacific Missions represented in New York. “During my six…
Pacific island leaders will renew calls for meaningful action on climate change at a regional summit opening in Palau on Tuesday, amid fears rising seas will swamp their low-lying nations. Many of the 15 nations represented at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) lie barely a metre (three feet) above sea level, and regard themselves as…
Solomon Islands teenager races home one-and-a-half minutes behind second-last runner at Hampden Pak. He crossed the line in 16 minutes, 55 seconds, and was lapped three times. “I feel so tired, it was too cold for me,” said the 17-year-old. He was a teenager from the Solomon Islands whom just about no one inside Hampden…
Babalu on a two-year-self training program SHE was once hailed as the country’s golden girl in track and field. Dubbed Solomon Islands’ very own athletics princess after scooping gold at the 2009 Pacific Mini Games in Cook Islands as a 11-year-old, Betty Babalu now 16 is back stamping her feet on the roads doing what…
Two athletes competed in the Athletics events on the fourth day of competition in Glasgow, at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The weather took an unfortunate turn from the Pacific-like temperatures leading up to yesterday’s event, which saw more typically Scottish wet and cold weather. Francis Manioru was first to compete in the morning, in the…
A weightlifter from Papua New Guinea has denied an allegation of sexual assult that led to him being detained by police in Glasgow but still allowed to compete in the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. Toua Udia, 22, who lifted in the men’s 77kg category at the Clyde Auditorium on Sunday afternoon, reportedly spent the night…
New Zealand’s golden reign at the Commonwealth Games is over after they were toppled 17-12 by South Africa in the final yesterday. Three unanswered tries to the Blitzbokke through the game’s middle stages proved decisive against a New Zealand side who slumped to their knees when the full-time whistle sounded.faster South African side scored three…