Fiji government warned of coup in 2000, says former US embassy staff member
A Pacific community leader in Australia who fought for the resumption of commercial kava imports. Fears they could be stopped again now that kava smuggling into the Northern Territory, where it's banned, has also resumed.
After surviving two recent attempts to remove her from office, Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is facing mounting pressure to call an early election.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele is pledging financial support for the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport on an annual basis.
Women are hugely under-represented in the marine industries workforce across the world, making up just twenty nine percent of the workforce.
Photos of Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape playing basketball have been making waves on PNG social media.
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Australia spends $500m on Papua New Guinea's Lombrum naval base expansion
Australian taxpayers have spent around half a billion dollars to fund the expansion of Papua New Guinea's Lombrum naval base — well over double the $175 million price tag originally flagged by the federal government. The Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed the cost blowout after joining PNG Prime Minister James Marape at a rain-soaked ceremony on Manus Island to celebrate the return of the strategically critical asset. The high-profile project has been hit with delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and disputes with local landowners, and Mr Marles told the ABC that an elongated timeline explained the inflated cost. "There have been a number of factors which have led to the cost, and part of that is the time that has been taken to deliver the project," he said. "But ultimately we're really pleased with what has been delivered — at $500 million this is the biggest infrastructure project that Australia has ever undertaken in the Pacific." Mr Marles also insisted the massive investment would also pay strategic dividends for both Papua New Guinea and Australia, saying the new port was a "great asset" and a "tangible expression" of the growing defence ties between the two nations. "This place at the end of the second World War was one of the largest US naval bases outside of the United States," he said. "It was always understood then that what this represented was a gateway to the Western Pacific — and we've always understood this … as being a really strategically significant place for Australia and obviously Papua New Guinea." Tuesday's handover comes just weeks before Australia and PNG are due to sign a landmark new defence treaty on the 50th anniversary of PNG's independence on September 15. While neither government has yet laid out exactly what's in the agreement, both PNG and Australia have flagged it will be used to give defence forces' in both countries easier access to the others' military facilities. Mr Marles told the ABC that the newly expanded Lombrum base was a "sovereign asset for Papua New Guinea" — but stressed that Australia's navy would be able to operate out of it under the pact. "We want to be able to be able to operate out of each other's facilities, that's what the defence cooperation agreement will provide," he said. "What we're building here is a base that's a great asset for PNG but also an asset that can also ultimately be used by Australia. "You look at what we're about to sign [with PNG] and then you look at this base, you put it together, and this is a really big strategic step for our nation."
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
New Caledonia's pro-independence coalition meets to criticise Bougival Accord
On the program today New Caledonia's main independence coalition FLNKS holds extraordinary Congress meeting to debate the new agreement struck with France on the territory's political future. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele defends move to block almost two dozen nations from a critical Pacific meeting in Honiara next month. Timor Leste edges closer to full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. New Zealand's foreign minister proposes a bill to make 'New Zealand' the official name of the country. Samoa secures hosting rights for the Weightlifting World Cup. And we commemorate the 80th anniversary of VP day, otherwise known as victory in the Pacific.
ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
Solomon Islands defends blocking almost two dozen leaders from Pacific Islands Forum
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has defended his move to block almost two dozen nations from a critical Pacific meeting in Honiara next month, saying he made a "sovereign" decision in the region's best interests. Multiple Pacific and Australian government sources have said Mr Manele has cancelled a gathering with dialogue partners at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting in September because he wants to avoid a damaging stoush over Taiwan's participation. His decision means the high-profile meeting will effectively be limited to PIF members, which includes Australia, New Zealand and a host of Pacific nations. But the prime minister insisted he was only "deferring" the dialogue because a bureaucratic overhaul of how PIF nations deal with outside countries during the leaders meeting was "unfortunately … not ready" in time for the meeting in Honiara. "The centrality of the PIF is important." Mr Manele also took a thinly veiled swipe at overseas media outlets that have been reporting on Taiwan tensions in the lead-up to the decision, saying they were driving their own "narratives". "The Pacific region must always lead, drive and own their own agenda and not be distracted by divisive issues pushed by external media," he said. "Our government acts in the best interests of our nation and the region." Solomon Islands has drawn close to China, which has been pressing Pacific nations to break with a decades-long precedent and block Taiwan from attending PIF leaders meetings. Several regional officials have told the ABC that Mr Manele has been under pressure from China on the issue, and the prime minister devised this compromise in order to avoid antagonising either Beijing or the three Pacific nations that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taipei. But the prime minister said he was simply trying to honour the "spirit" of the last PIF meeting, where leaders said they wanted the new "tiered" arrangement to be implemented in time for this year's gathering in Honiara. "We are not under pressure from any external forces," he said. Mr Manele also said decisions relating to the PIF leaders meeting should be made "collectively" — despite the fact only a handful of Pacific leaders have so far backed his proposal. While Taiwan's close ally Palau has publicly supported Solomon Islands' decision, other Pacific leaders — including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and PNG Prime Minister James Marape — have expressed unease. Mr Manele said restricting the meeting to PIF members would also help them focus on core regional issues of "paramount importance" like climate financing and the Ocean of Peace proposal put forward by Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. No dialogue partners have yet publicly responded to Mr Manele's proposal, although the ABC has been told the United States is very unhappy with its exclusion. China has so far remained publicly silent on the issue, while Taiwan has called on PIF to "maintain its existing arrangements" with partners. Mr Manele said his "message" to PIF development partners was that they were "valued" but that Pacific nations needed "time" and "space" this year. "We understand this decision requires sacrifice," he said. He also suggested dialogue partners might be welcome to Solomon Islands next year if the new dialogue partner mechanism was finalised in time, although he said that would depend on how quickly officials could implement it.
