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LONDON (AP) — Health ministers in the Western Pacific nominated a surgeon from Tonga, Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala, to lead the World Health Organization's regional office at a meeting in Manila on Tuesday. Piukala's nomination for WHO's top job in the Western Pacific comes months after the U.N. health agency fired its previous director, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, following allegations of racism and misconduct first reported by The Associated Press last year. Piukala was most recently Tonga's minister of health and defeated rival candidates from China, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam. Days after the AP report, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that an internal investigation into Kasai had begun. ___The Associated Press health and science department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: Saia Ma'u, Takeshi Kasai, Piukala, ” Kasai, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ”, ” Piukala, Temo Waqanivalu Organizations: —, Western Pacific, Health, The Associated Press, WHO, AP, Associated Press, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Tonga, Manila, Western Pacific, China, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, Kasai, Pacific, Western, Syria, Congo

☆ Exclusive: East Timor president says China military cooperation was 'never discussed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The agreement also provided scope for funding from China including government and commercial loans to East Timor, he said. "It was never discussed in terms of military cooperation, never discussed, and the Chinese side also never raised this issue," Ramos-Horta said. East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, aims to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN by 2025 as it seeks to reduce high poverty rates. Australia has appointed an envoy to speed up negotiations between East Timor and Woodside; Gusmao's government wants gas to be piped to East Timor and not Australia. Australia's relationship with East Timor is "stronger than at any time in the last decade", Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Persons: Jose Ramos, Caitlin Ochs, Horta, Xanana Gusmao, Xi Jinping, heightening, Ramos, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, East, Reuters, Southeast, ASEAN, Canberra, Woodside Energy, Greater Sunrise, Greater, Australia, UN's, Fund for Agricultural Development, Global Citizen, Pacific, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Horta, Timor, New York City , New York, U.S, East Timor, China, Australia, Indonesia, Canberra, Solomon Islands, 2,000km, Timor Leste, ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia, East Timor's, Dili, Greater Sunrise, Southeast Asia, Woodside, New York

☆ Exclusive: Timor president says China military cooperation 'never discussed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The agreement also provided scope for funding from China including government and commercial loans to East Timor, he said. Some Australian politicians expressed concern after China's state media reported on Saturday that Beijing's agreement with East Timor, around 700km (450 miles) north-west of Australia, also covered military exchanges. "It was never discussed in terms of military cooperation, never discussed, and the Chinese side also never raised this issue," Ramos-Horta said. East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, aims to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN by 2025 as it seeks to reduce high poverty rates. Australia has appointed an envoy to speed up negotiations between East Timor and Woodside; Gusmao's government wants gas to be piped to East Timor and not Australia.

Persons: Jose Ramos, Caitlin Ochs, Horta, Xanana Gusmao, Xi Jinping, heightening, Ramos, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln, 私 Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, East, Reuters, Southeast, ASEAN, Canberra, Woodside Energy, Greater Sunrise, Greater, Australia, UN's, Fund for Agricultural Development, Global Citizen, Pacific Locations: Horta, Timor, New York City , New York, U.S, East Timor, China, Australia, Indonesia, Canberra, Solomon Islands, 2,000km, Timor Leste, ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia, East Timor's, Dili, Greater Sunrise, Southeast Asia, Woodside, United States, New York

☆ US backs Pacific undersea internet cable amid China competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Workers install the 2Africa undersea cable on the beach in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, February 7, 2023. The Central Pacific Cable would connect American Samoa with Guam - two U.S. territories - and extend to up to 12 more Pacific islands, according to a document showing the cable route. Undersea internet cables typically take at least 3-5 years to be developed and installed. Tonga was cut off from global telecommunication networks for a month last year after a volcanic eruption and tsunami severed its only undersea cable. Washington intervened two years ago to block a Chinese company from building another subsea internet cable in the Pacific islands, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Rogan Ward, Paul McCann, John Hibbard, APTelecom, Hibbard, McCann, Joe Biden, Biden, Solomon, Joe Brock, Kirsty Needham Organizations: REUTERS, Pacific, Reuters, Central Pacific Cable, Futuna, Federated, World Bank, U.S . Trade, Development Agency, U.S, East Micronesia Cable, Thomson Locations: Amanzimtoti, South Africa, China, SINGAPORE, United States, American Samoa, Guam, U.S, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Tonga, Beijing, Japan, Sydney

☆ Solomon Islands leader says he skipped Biden summit to avoid 'lecture'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said he skipped a Pacific Islands leaders summit at the White House this week to avoid a "lecture" and because he had more pressing issues at home. "They lecture you about how good they are", he said, according to a video of the press conference published by Solomon Islands media company Tavuli News on Wednesday evening. Sogavare said he returned because there were 10 weeks left of parliament at home in Solomon Islands, which was more important. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sogavare had praised China's development cooperation as "less restrictive".

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Eduardo Munoz, Manesseh Sogavare, Joe Biden, Sogavare, James Marape, Biden, Kirsty Needham, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Islands, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Solomon Islands, Pacific, United Nations, Island Forum, Solomon, Biden Administration, Papua New Guinea, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Solomon, China, Solomon Islands, United States, Washington, Pacific, Papua New, New York

Pacific islands leaders gathered Monday for the start of a two-day Washington summit. As part of the summit, the U.S. is formally establishing diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific islands nations. The administration pledged the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change. The leaders will also meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, Antony Blinken, Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi, Mark Brown, Brown, ” Brown, John Kerry, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kerry, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Monday, Pacific Islands Forum, South Pacific, Niue Premier, Cook Islands, U.S ., U.S, Corporation, NFL, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Australian Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Cook Islands, Niue, Cook, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Baltimore, Pacific, Federated States, The U.S

Ahead of a White House welcome for the leaders, Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. The White House said this year it would focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing. In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, an official said. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization."

Persons: Joe Biden, Walter E, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Manasseh Sogavare, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Washington Convention Center, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific, NFL, White, U.S ., Niue, Sunday, Coast Guard, Sunday's National Football League, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Cook Islands, Niue, The U.S, Papua New Guinea, U.S, Asia, Cook, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall, Sydney

☆ Biden Hosts Pacific Islands, With a Rising China in Mind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Michael Crowley | More About Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Mr. Biden also announced that he was working with Congress to invest $40 million in infrastructure spending for the islands, and he said that the United States would establish diplomatic relations for the first time with the Cook Islands and Niue. But they are two of many recent moves the Biden administration has made to strengthen America’s presence in a region east and northeast of Australia. Over the past year, the United States has opened embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and plans to open one early next year in Vanuatu. When Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken landed in Fiji in February 2022, it was the first visit there by an American secretary of state in 36 years. Those steps are in no small part chess moves in response to growing Chinese influence in the region, which became particularly vivid last year when the Solomon Islands surprised U.S. officials by signing a sweeping security pact with Beijing.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Solomon Locations: United States, Cook Islands, Niue, Australia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, American, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Beijing

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

☆ US 'disappointed' Solomon Islands leader Sogavare to miss White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY/WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, the White House said on Saturday. "We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons does not plan to attend," a Biden Administration official said. The Australian broadcaster ABC reported Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will attend the summit instead. The Solomon Islands Prime Ministers Office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Eduardo Munoz, Solomon, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeremiah Manele, Sogavare, Xi Jinping, Sato Kilman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Josie Kao Organizations: Islands, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Pacific, White, Biden Administration, ABC, Solomon, Solomon Islands Prime Ministers, United Nations General Assembly, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, WASHINGTON, China, Washington, Australian, Solomon Islands, New York, Beijing, Solomon, Sydney

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce the opening of new U.S. embassies on Cook Islands and Niue on Monday as the Democratic administration aims to demonstrate to Pacific Island leaders that it remains committed to increasing American presence in the region. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions in the South Pacific comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for the two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in the region. They also will meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change. Kerry and USAID administrator Samantha Power will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Manasseh Sogavare, Meltek Sato Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Forum, White, Baltimore Ravens, Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, Pacific, State Department, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Solomon Islands, General Assembly, The U.S, Australian Locations: Cook Islands, Niue, South, Washington, Baltimore Harbor, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kerry, Federated States, The U.S, Solomon, New York, China, Papua, Guinea, The

☆ US 'Disappointed' Solomon Islands Leader Sogavare to Miss White House Summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, the White House said on Saturday. Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday as part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the U.S. is in a battle for influence with China. "We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons does not plan to attend," a Biden Administration official said. The Australian broadcaster ABC reported Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will attend the summit instead. The Solomon Islands Prime Ministers Office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Solomon, Manasseh Sogavare, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeremiah Manele, Sogavare, Xi Jinping, Sato Kilman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Josie Kao Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Pacific, White, Biden Administration, ABC, Solomon, Solomon Islands Prime Ministers, United Nations General Assembly, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Vanuatu Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, China, Washington, Australian, Solomon Islands, New York, Beijing, Solomon, Sydney

☆ China, resource-rich East Timor upgrade bilateral ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said he would continue to foster a relationship with the United States, but added that East Timor would not be implicated in any rivalry between Beijing and Washington. East Timor welcomes strong ties with all countries, including its southern neighbour Australia, Ramos-Horta said last year. Upgrading their ties, China and East Timor agreed to cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative championed by Xi, that could open the way for investment in infrastructure. China sent its military-run hospital ship to the Pacific in July to visit countries including East Timor and the Solomon islands. In a joint declaration, released on state run China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, China said it would provide help for East Timor's economic and societal development.

Persons: Xanana Gusmao, Mast, Xi Jinping, Jose Ramos, Ramos, Horta, Xi, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Timor's, 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Rights, East Timor's, Asian Games, East, Washington . East Timor, Initiative, Pacific, China Central Television, Greater, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights BEIJING, China, East Timor, Beijing, Hangzhou, Horta, United States, Timor, Washington . East, Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Solomon, Greater Sunrise

☆ When Fiji Beats Australia, and It Almost Isn’t an Upset
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Victor Mather | More About Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fiji, population 900,000, defeated Australia, population 25 million, at the Rugby World Cup in St. Etienne, France, on Sunday. Fiji had not defeated Australia, a two-time winner of the event, since 1954. Fiji and other tiny Pacific islands consistently punch above their weight in rugby, unlike just about any other international sports competition. In its opening World Cup game it came agonizingly close to beating another traditional power, Wales. The Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti and the Solomon Islands also field men’s teams in international competition.

Organizations: Rugby, Fiji, England, Chile Locations: Fiji, Australia, St, Etienne, France, Wales, Georgia, Portugal, Samoa, Tonga, Ireland, Cook, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti, Solomon

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Voters' Top Issues in October General Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Chris Hipkins, who took the prime minister's post in January after Jacinda Ardern stepped down, has nudged his Labour Party towards the centre, focusing on what he terms "bread and butter issues". The opposition National Party has blamed Labour for rising costs and is promising, if elected, to cut taxes and bring inflation under control. Given New Zealand's ever-increasing building costs, poor housing stock and overcrowding, however, supply continues to fall short of demand. The National Party has proposed unlocking more land for housing, providing incentives for councils to build more houses and creating new infrastructure financing tools. The National Party says it will encourage trade and investment, increase the skilled labour force and cut red tape.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, New Zealanders, Labour, National, Labour Party, National Party, Zealand's Labour Locations: New, New Zealand, China, Pacific, Solomon, South Pacific, Britain

☆ China Wants to Challenge U.S. Military Power Around the World - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Craig Singleton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, China is nearing completion of what U.S. officials suspect will be its first overseas military outpost in the Indo-Pacific region. Beyond facilitating Chinese military adventurism in the South China Sea, the new base could provide the People’s Liberation Army (P.L.A.) with a staging ground to monitor and influence vital maritime routes like the Malacca Strait, through which an estimated 40 percent of the world’s trade flows. But the base also shines a light on Beijing’s broader embrace of an innovative strategy to challenge American military strength that has potentially grave implications for Washington and its allies. China has plainly stated that these points are designed to “provide support for overseas military operations” and “exert political and military influence” abroad.

Organizations: Ream, Liberation Army Locations: Base, China, South China, Malacca, Washington, Aden . China, Djibouti, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Solomon Islands, South Pacific

☆ Australia says it will send more police to Solomon Islands, extend mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The extended Australian police presence comes after the Solomon Islands upgraded ties with China, signing a policing agreement in July. Australia, New Zealand and the United States are concerned Chinese police could dislodge a long-standing security arrangement Canberra has with the Pacific Islands nation. The Solomon Islands said on Friday it had invited Australia to extend the police presence, originally due to end in December. Australia was the Pacific Islands nation's "primary security partner", a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on Sunday. The Solomon Islands last year signed a security pact with China, raising concern in Canberra and Washington about Beijing's naval ambitions.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Kirsty Needham, William Mallard Organizations: Pacific Games, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Australian, Solomon, Solomon Islands Government, Solomons International Assistance Force, Thomson Locations: Australia, Solomon Islands, Solomon, China, New Zealand, United States, Canberra, Fiji , New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Taiwan, Beijing, Washington

☆ Chinese police experts arrive in Vanuatu amid political crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 26 (Reuters) - China has sent police experts and equipment to the Pacific nation of Vanuatu in the midst of a political crisis that saw the Supreme Court rule the prime minister lost a no-confidence vote in parliament. Loughman, who drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister, said the security pact with Australia compromised Vanuatu's "neutral" status and could jeopardise development assistance from China, its biggest external creditor. The Chinese police experts "will greatly enhance the ability of the Vanuatu police to maintain social order", Kalsakau said, according to the Chinese embassy statement. Police cooperation will improve police capacity and promote social and economic development, Li said, in comments reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post newspaper. The leaders of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji met in Vanuatu on Thursday and signed a joint declaration on security that has yet to be publicly released.

Persons: Bob Loughman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Loughman, China's, Li Minggang, Kalsakau, Li, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Vanuatu, Kalsakau, Vanuatu Daily Post, Thomson Locations: China, Pacific, Vanuatu, Australia, Kalsakau, New Zealand, United States, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji

☆ Vanuatu court rules pro-Western premier lost no-confidence vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court judge Edwin Goldsbrough ruled on Friday that an absolute majority in a parliament with 51 members is 26. If there is no appeal, or it is rejected, parliament would vote in a new prime minister. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister. He has criticised the security pact with Australia, saying it compromises Vanuatu's "neutral" status and could jeopardise development assistance from China. The United States and its allies are seeking to dissuade Pacific Islands nations from establishing security ties with Beijing, after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Kalsakau, Edwin Goldsbrough, Loughman, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kirsty Needham, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, China, Australia, Western, Pacific, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands

☆ Pacific Islands divided over Fukushima water release, says Cook Islands PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Mark Stephen Brown, speaks during the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit at the former presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 29, 2023. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, chairman of the Pacific Islands bloc, said that science supported Japan's decision to pump treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, but that the region may not agree on the "complex" issue. Not all Pacific leaders had the same position and the Pacific Islands Forum may not reach a collective position, he said. The United States conducted nuclear tests in the Pacific Islands in the 1940s and 1950s, and France between 1966 and 1996. A Pacific Nuclear Free Zone was established in 1985 under a treaty that prevents the dumping of radioactive materials.

Persons: Mark Stephen Brown, Ahn Young, Mark Brown, Brown, Sitiveni Rabuka, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Islands, Pacific Islands, presidential Blue House, Rights, Cook Islands, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Pacific, United, Fijian, Melanesian Spearhead Group, Thomson Locations: Cook Islands, Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Japan, China, Cook, United States, France, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands

☆ Where Her Father Became a Hero, Caroline Kennedy Redefines Diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Damien Cave | More About Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a drizzly August morning, Caroline Kennedy waded into the turquoise waters between two deserted islands in the South Pacific, trying not to scratch her feet on sprouts of coral. “Your father did this swim,” said her son, Jack Schlossberg. Together they stood in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, facing a mile-long jaunt to an islet called Olasana — a place John F. Kennedy, Caroline’s father, landed almost exactly 80 years earlier as a junior Navy officer. Ms. Kennedy knew her swim offered just a glimpse of that ordeal. She was there on a short official visit as the U.S. ambassador to Australia.

Persons: Caroline Kennedy waded, ”, “, Jack Schlossberg, John F, Kennedy, Caroline’s, Solomon Organizations: Navy, J.F.K, Solomon Islanders Locations: South, Western Province, Solomon Islands, U.S, Australia

☆ No clear winner in US, China contest in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United States and PNG signed a defence cooperation agreement in May. STRATEGIC CHESSBOARDThe events in Vanuatu this week highlighted the challenges Pacific nations face in seeking to benefit from both the United States and its allies, and China. The U.S. Coast Guard has yet to gain clearance to enter Vanuatu's port, as it does in other Pacific Islands, Coast Guard officials said. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare is also reluctant to accept U.S. support. The project was the largest infrastructure donation China had made to the Pacific Islands so far, Chinese ambassador Li Ming said at the ceremony.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Samantha Power, Power, Washington, Lenora Qereqeretabua, Qereqeretabua, Ratu Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai, Denghua Zhang, Ishmael Kalsakau, Manesseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Li Ming, Kirsty Needham, Miral Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United States, USAID, Pacific, Fiji Military Force, Australian National University, Vanuatu's, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Solomon Islands, White, Solomon Islands National University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, SYDNEY, China, Taiwan, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, United States, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Pacific, Australia, Vanuatu's, Solomon

☆ Pacific island sea levels rising faster than global average, WMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The morning's first rays of sunlight hit the island community of Serua Village, Fiji, July 15, 2022. As the community runs out of ways to adapt to the rising Pacific Ocean, the 80 villagers face the painful decision whether to move. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies World Meteorological Organization FollowGENEVA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Sea levels in the South-West Pacific are rising faster than the global average, threatening low-lying islands while heat damages marine ecosystems, the U.N. meteorological agency said on Friday. In its State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said water levels were rising about 4 mm per year in some areas, slightly above the global mean rate. "This will have a big impact on the South-West Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching," Taalas said in a statement.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Petteri Taalas, El, Taalas, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, World, GENEVA, South -, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, -, Thomson Locations: Serua Village, Fiji, South, South - West, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, - West Pacific, Philippines

☆ Vanuatu opposition boycott parliament after failed bid to remove prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Vanuatu's opposition party boycotted parliament on Thursday and said it would lodge a court challenge to the defeat the previous day of its bid to remove Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister, before losing a snap election in 2022. Wednesday's no-confidence motion won 26 votes, compared with 23 votes against, but failed to win the absolute majority of 27 needed to remove a prime minister in the 52-seat parliament. Opposition lawmakers boycotted parliament on Thursday and the speaker adjourned the session, saying the chamber could not sit with only 25 members. Kalsakau told broadcaster VBTC the constitution required an absolute majority to change prime minister.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Loughman, Wednesday's, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, Australia, China, Pacific, United States, Solomon Islands

☆ Vanuatu prime minister to face no confidence vote in parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, after the opposition accused his government of abandoning a non-aligned foreign policy by signing a security pact with Australia. The petition, lodged a fortnight ago, was signed by 29 lawmakers, enough to topple the prime minister. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister. Kalsakau has said the constitution requires an absolute majority for the removal of a prime minister. Kalsakau has reshuffled his cabinet in an effort to win support ahead of the vote, with the new deputy prime minister making a show of support for China.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Loughman, Kalsakau, Matai Seremaiah, Samson Samsen, Kirsty Needham, Miral Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Trade, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, Australia, China, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands

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