Results for Pacific Islands

Vaccinating poultry is an important tool in the worldwide battle against the H5N1 virus combined with several other control instruments, according to an international scientific conference that ended in Verona today.

"The Pacific has made valuable progress in the last few years in addressing HIV and AIDS, but more action-orientated initiatives are needed," said Dr Dennie Iniakwala, Section Head of the HIV and STI Section at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), speaking on the last day of the biennial Pacific Ministers of Health Meeting.

The strengthening of democracy and the promoting of development among Commonwealth Member Nations continue to be challenges for the Commonwealth, said Mr Don McKinnon, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth in a speech to mark the Commonwealth Day today, March 12.

With the Solomon Islands claiming Australia is a meddling regional bully, defence ties with Fiji cut following the fourth military coup in 19 years and the state of emergency poised to be extended in Tonga, John Howard has his hands full in the Pacific, The Age reports.

It is important for for New Zealand politically and economically to be involved in the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa, the Chairman of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council, Gilbert Ullrich, told representatives from 12 New Zealand companies in a meeting today in Auckland.

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Greg Urwin, said that the position of the Prime Minister of Fiji Qarase as the Chairman of the Pacific Forum is under consideration. Speaking in Suva on December 15, the Secretary General also expressed his deep regret on the over-throwing of Prime Minister Qarase's democratically elected government of Fiji by Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, the Commander of the Royal Fijian Military Force.

Fiji's military has denied outright of a breakthrough in mediation talks in New Zealand yesterday.

Miss Cook Islands, Miss Krystina Elizabeth Kauvai (19) was crowned, Miss South Pacific Pageant 2006 in Apia, Samoa, on Saturday night.

Making its first footprint in the Pacific Islands with the launch of its new GSM mobile network in Samoa today, a new provider, Digicel, aimed to make an impression that won'’t be lost on the shores of even the smallest islands, calling this the start of a "“Pan-Pacific rollout of state of the art communications."