Results for Pacific Islands

Helping rural communities become involved in all stages of identifying and analyzing agricultural problems, as well as planning, and developing solutions, is the aim of the first regional agricultural Extension Summit held in Tonga this week.

The introduction of a new digital short wave service by Radio New Zealand International and the launching of new Sky Pacific channels in Tonga is a highlight of the trade exhibition of the 2005 Pacific Islands News Association Conference currently underway in Nuku‘alofa.

The Melbourne 200 Queen's Baton, a symbol for the 2006 Commonwealth Games arrived in Tonga this morning to start its four-day relay throughout Tongatapu.

Tongans, Mafi Malanga XIII (Mr ‘Ilati Taungakava) and Maui ‘Ofamo‘’oni, were two of the six Pacific artists across a range of art forms, who were honoured at the Arts Pasifika Awards 2005, held in Christchurch, New Zealand, on November 2.

At the end of the first day of the Post Forum Dialogue on October 28, between the Pacific Island Forum countries and industrial countries from outside the region, both China and the USA had commited funding for the Pacific, while Taiwan made a funding agreement with Nauru.

There is no imaginary relief guest worker program in Australia for the unemployment problem of Pacific Islands countries, John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia responded to questions during the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting yesterday in Madang. by Pesi Fonua

Sir Michael Somare, the new chairman of the Pacific Forum, said last night it would be a mistake and an opportunity lost if Pacific Island leaders do not approve the draft Pacific Plan put before them this week in Port Moresby.

Killing two birds with one stone, Rt Hon Helen Clark, over breakfast this morning, October 24, briefed the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Commerce over the Pacific Plan and then announced the first South Pacific Expo to be held in Auckland, New Zealand next year.

After the announcement by the Chairman of South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), Hon. David Basua (PNG), on October 21 that the SPTO had rejected Taiwan's application for membership after China pledged annual funding, there was a feeling among Pacific journalists that the division among Pacific Island governments over China's 'One China Policy' was going to take centre stage at the 2005 Forum Meeting scheduled to start on Tuesday, October 25 in Papua New Guinea. - Editors Comment by Pesi Fonua