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US Navy ship 'Dubuque' to take part in humanitarian mission to South Pacific

Sandiego.com

The San Diego-based amphibious transport dock ship Dubuque will be heading to the South Pacific on a humanitarian aid mission later this year, the Navy's Pacific Fleet command said last week.

The mission, called Pacific Partnership 2009, will visit Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Tonga. The duration and departure date were not… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 10, 2009 at 11:12am — No Comments

Call for Pacific team in expanded Super Rugby competition

ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA

Mon Mar 9, 2009 4:34pm AEDT

For years now the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian Rugby teams have relied on the talents of Pacific islanders. This has also filtered through to the Super 14 rugby competition with Samoan, Fijians and Tongans in particular lending their talents to the different teams. Now the competition organisers are looking to expand the competition, and… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 10, 2009 at 10:45am — No Comments

Give Pacific division a second chance New Zealand

Monday Mar 09, 2009

By Tapu Misa New Zealand Herald

I don't blame the new Immigration Minister for wanting to accentuate the negative in the Ernst & Young report on Immigration New Zealand's beleaguered Pacific division. It makes it so much easier to sign the execution order that will put it out of existence.

But it's not the whole story. And if the Pacific communities… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 9, 2009 at 11:27am — No Comments

Kiribati dances to perform at this years Observance for Commonwealth Day before the Queen

Press Association

Thursday, 05 March 2009

The Queen will feature in the first Twitter messages posted during a service at Westminster Abbey.

Staff from the historic place of worship will update the popular internet messaging site as the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and dignitaries take part in the Observance for Commonwealth Day next week.

Regular "tweets" about the progress of the… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 6, 2009 at 9:53am — No Comments

Minister to scrap Pacific division in NZ - Special treatment for Kiribati relatives

By MARTIN KAY 05/03/2009

The Dominion Post New Zealand

The Immigration Department's troubled Pacific division will be scrapped after a damning report found it was a self-ruling "fiefdom", with leadership, financial and strategic matters that need urgent attention.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman wants the division folded back into the general service after the… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 6, 2009 at 9:41am — No Comments

Writing by Micronesians Wanted for Anthology of Regional Literature

Yokwe Net Online - Everything Marshall Islands

5 March 2009

Two writers from Micronesia have sent out a call for submissions for an Anthology of Micronesian Writing. Dr. Evelyn Flores and Emelihter Kihleng are seeking work from indigenous or Native writers from Micronesia including Guam, Palau, the Northern Marianas, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap,… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 5, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Water plan helps Kiribati prepare for sea level rise

by Insciences Organisation

Published on 2 March 2009, 00:12 Last Update: 17 hour(s) ago

Low parts of Kiribati are under threat from sea level rise.

The central Pacific nation of Kiribati has taken a leap forward in protecting itself against the effects of climate-related sea level rise thanks to a project led by The Australian… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 3, 2009 at 11:45am — No Comments

Water plan helps sinking Kiribati stay afloat

The West Australian Online

2nd March 2009, 13:15 WST

A group of Australian scientists is helping to save a tiny central Pacific island nation from a dangerous byproduct of rising sea levels.

Kiribati is slowly being swamped by salt water, shrinking the land mass and threatening the islanders' precious supply of fresh water stored in underground reservoirs.

A team of experts… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 2, 2009 at 3:18pm — 1 Comment

Sailing with fame - And Visit to Rabi

FIJI TIMES ONLINE

By Sharila Lazarus Sunday, March 01, 2009

Morika Young

It is all in the determination one has. Sometimes, it is puzzling that we have sky-high ambitions. But the normal argument is that ambitions need not be related to success. Morika Young had ambitions of becoming a vet but destiny had bigger and better plans in store for… Continue

Added by Stacey King on March 2, 2009 at 9:30am — 2 Comments

Scientists Research the Real Robinson Crusoe

- ***This is a great story with photos for all those fans of the Robinson Crusoe story - Highly recommended - Perfect for school or university assignments****

Spiegel International Online by Marco Evers

Generations of children have been spellbound by Robinson Crusoe's exploits, but few are aware of the real-life figure who… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 28, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Key Pacific trade talks open in Australia

ABC Radio Australia

Last Updated: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:41:00 +1100

Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean says he wants to ensure that the proposed "PACER-plus" trade agreement with the Pacific Islands provids the basis for long-term sustainablilty in the region.

Mr Crean was speaking at the opening of a two-day meeting on Pacific trade in the South Australian capital city of… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 28, 2009 at 11:20am — No Comments

Fiji under 21 netball team outclass South Africa

Fijivillage.com

Posted at 23:44 on 27 February, 2009 UTC

The Pre world youth netball tournament has seen a major upset in the opening round in Auckland last night

Four teams are taking part this this build up tournament ahead of the World Youth Championships later this year.

Elma MaUa reports

“Fiji sent out a clear… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 28, 2009 at 11:03am — No Comments

USP students in Fiji talk about their future

ABC Radio Australia

Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:24pm AEDT

Students at the University of the South Pacific have just returned for the start of the academic year. Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney speaks to some of them about their courses, which Pacific countries they are from, and what they hope to do with their qualifications once they finish their tertiary education.

presenter: Campbell… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 27, 2009 at 6:03am — No Comments

Pacific worker scheme 'teething problems'

ABC Radio Australia

26 Feb 2009

Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia says he wants closer communication between groups responsible for Pacific Island guest workers.

Fifty Tongans have been temporarily employed as fruit pickers in Australia, the first of more than 2,000 Pacific island farm labourers from Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati and… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 26, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Missing Kiribati fishermen found in PNG

ABC Radio Australia

26 Feb 2009

Three fishermen from Kiribati who went missing at sea for nearly five weeks have been found alive on an island in Papua New Guinea.

The fishermen were taken adrift by rough seas until they were discovered by Papua New Guinea villagers this week.

Authorities in Kiribati thought they drowned, but the men survived on fish and sea water for… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 26, 2009 at 3:52pm — 1 Comment

Funds to strengthen Pacific region's human rights knowledge

Fiji Times Online

Thursday, February 26, 2009

CHURCH leaders in Fiji will be among those who will benefit from the $177,290 Australia has donated to the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC).

The donation, sealed in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Australian High Commissioner to Fiji James Batley and PCCs Fe'iloakitau Tevi in Suva today, is to fund human rights training workshops in… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 26, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Blue Lagoon Cruises: Fiji Time Machine; including Rabi stopover

Today's Cruise Weekly

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Everybody knows Fiji as the epitome of the romantic tropical getaway. But cloistered inside the sanitised confines of a premium Denarau Island hotel or resort, what are you going to see of the real Fiji?

Long associated with genuine Fiji island cruising, Blue… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 25, 2009 at 9:52am — No Comments

NEW Now Four Different Kiribati Daily and Weekly Newspapers on Banaban Voice

We have just set up a Kiribati Newspaper link via COCONET WIRELESS Latest News Link commencing from 24 & 20 February 2009

We will try and keep these links updated as often as news becomes available out of Kiribati. All these newspapers are in I-Kiribati language.

Click on COCONET WIRELESS link on the Main page or go through to the Latest News… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 24, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Australia appoints new Kiribati High Commissioner

ABC NEWS Wed Feb 4, 2009

Australia has appointed career diplomat Brett Aldam as its next High Commissioner to Kiribati.

Mr Aldam will take up the post in April succeeding Anne Quinane who has been there since 2006.

Australia has maintained a diplomatic mission in Kiribati since 1981.

Mr Aldam is the Director of the United States Trade Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 24, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Climate Fears Are Driving 'Ecomigration' Across Globe

THE WASHINGTON POST

By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, February 23, 2009

Adam Fier, wife Misbah Sadat and daughters Maya and Maha moved to New Zealand partly out of climate concerns. (By Leah L. Jones For The Washington Post)

Adam Fier recently sold his home, got rid of his car and pulled… Continue

Added by Stacey King on February 23, 2009 at 3:01pm — No Comments