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PACMAT Service To The Pacific Recognised Through WHO Verification
Monday, 19 May 2025, 1:15 pm | Pasifika Medical Association Group
Debbie Sorensen ONZM, CEO of PMA, says the verification reflects not only PACMAT’s expertise, but also its long-term commitment to empowering Pacific countries. More >>
At Arab League Summit, Guterres Reiterates Call For Gaza Ceasefire
Monday, 19 May 2025, 10:58 am | UN News
The UN Secretary-General renewed his call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and upheld the need for a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians in a speech on Saturday to the League of Arab States Summit in Baghdad. More >>
Fisheries Officials Meeting Concludes In Niue With Strong Commitments To Regional Cooperation And Sustainability
Monday, 19 May 2025, 10:51 am | Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency
The meeting received updates from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Secretariat on the review of the FFA Strategic Plan, progress on regional fisheries policies, and the need for strengthened international engagement by the FFA Secretariat ... More >>
In Baghdad, Guterres Affirms UN Will Never Forget Staff Killed In Canal Hotel Attack
Monday, 19 May 2025, 9:34 am | UN News
The United Nations will never forget the staff members killed in the 19 August 2003 attack on its headquarters in Iraq, the Secretary-General said in the capital on Sunday. More >>
3,000 People Gather To Celebrate 6th Commemoration Of International Women’s Peace Day With IWPG
Monday, 19 May 2025, 8:13 am | IWPG
This year’s commemoration took place in major cities within Korea, including Busan, Daejon, Seoul, Incheon, and Iksan, and various countries around the world, such as the Philippines, Ethiopia, Australia, Lebanon, the United States, the Czech Republic, ... More >>
Civilians Killed In Drone Strike In Eastern Ukraine: UN Rights Monitors
Monday, 19 May 2025, 7:52 am | UN News
A drone strike in eastern Ukraine on Saturday could possibly be the deadliest in recent weeks, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country, HRMMU, has said. More >>
UN Humanitarian Chief Demands Resumption Of Aid In Gaza
Monday, 19 May 2025, 7:35 am | UN News
Humanitarians demand access to the Gaza Strip and already have a plan in place to deliver life-saving assistance to civilians, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in a strong call issued late on Friday evening. More >>
Journalists Being Forgotten On The Frontline, Warns Injured War Reporter
Monday, 19 May 2025, 7:32 am | UN News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists. More >>
Stop Telikom PNG Silencing Journalists, Media Council Appeals To PM Marape
Sunday, 18 May 2025, 7:36 pm | RNZ
This follows reports that the government-owned company sacked radio talkback host Culligan Tanda (pictured) after he featured an opposition MP on his show. More >>
Northern Mariana Islands' Annual Bird Count Highlights Conservation Success
Saturday, 17 May 2025, 3:37 pm | RNZ
The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) annual Christmas Bird Count once again showcased the vital role that community volunteers and conservation efforts play in protecting the islands' unique bird More >>
Siege Of Gaza – MSF Denounces Deliberate Humanitarian Catastrophe
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:00 pm | MSF Australia
Israeli’s plan to instrumentalise aid is a cynical response to the very humanitarian crisis they created. If they wished, Israel and its allies could lift the blockade today and let humanitarian aid reach all those in Gaza whose survival depends on ... More >>
'No Magic Bullets': Can The Papua New Guinea Public And The Police Learn To Get Along?
Friday, 16 May 2025, 5:25 pm | RNZ
A police commander lamented recently that the public no longer respects police officers, who face an increasingly tough environment, are underpowered and unappreciated. More >>
Drug Trafficking In The Pacific Discussed At Dubai Police Summit
Friday, 16 May 2025, 5:22 pm | RNZ
Pacific police chiefs have discussed the region's drug trafficking problems on a panel at the World Police Summit in Dubai. More >>
Pacific News In Brief For 16 May
Friday, 16 May 2025, 5:01 pm | RNZ
A round-up of news from around the region, including the Solomon Islands prime minister's call for reforms to the process surrounding motions of no confidence. More >>
APEC Education Ministers Issue Joint Statement
Friday, 16 May 2025, 10:22 am | APEC News
Gathering in Jeju, ministers emphasized the importance of regional cooperation to strengthen digital learning infrastructure, enhance education quality and equip learners with the skills needed to navigate a rapidly evolving technological landscape. More >>
‘We Are Still Waiting For Our Loved Ones’: Families Of The Abducted Speak Out
Friday, 16 May 2025, 10:02 am | UN News
Two families – one still waiting for answers 75 years after a father was taken during the Korean War, the other pleading for a son’s return from captivity in Gaza – shared their testimonies before the UN Security Council on Thursday. More >>
Gaza: New Displacement Orders Force Thousands To Flee As Famine Looms
Friday, 16 May 2025, 9:35 am | UN News
Intensified hostilities continue in the Gaza Strip, bringing further death, displacement and destruction as the weeks-long aid blockade grinds on, the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) said on Thursday. More >>
Commander Of US And UN Forces In Korea Discusses Korean War Anniversary In Visit To The East-West Center
Friday, 16 May 2025, 9:31 am | East West Center
Coinciding with the Center’s own 65th anniversary on May 14, the event was attended by approximately 60 invited guests and featured keynote remarks by Gen. Brunson and welcome remarks from Gen. Seo Young Lee, South Korea’s consul general in Honolulu. More >>
Navigating Uncertainties: Transforming Tensions Into Policy Priorities
Friday, 16 May 2025, 8:41 am | APEC News
APEC economies are seeing a sharper downgrade in growth than the rest of the world. Regional GDP growth is projected to slow significantly to 2.6–2.7 percent in 2025–2026, down from 3.6 percent in 2024. More >>
APEC Forecasts 2.6% Growth In 2025, Urges Action To Eliminate Trade Policy Uncertainty
Friday, 16 May 2025, 8:32 am | APEC News
This downward revision underscores the persistent weight of policy uncertainty on the regional economy, especially in areas such as trade and investment. The report also draws attention to mounting structural challenges. The report also notes that ... More >>
A Historic Course Correction: How The World’s Shipping Sector Is Setting Sail For Net Zero
Friday, 16 May 2025, 8:18 am | UN News
Long overlooked as a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, the shipping industry is now at the forefront of a unique display of international cooperation. The shift signals that even the world’s largest transport sector can be steered ... More >>
A For Accountability And Audit For TB Deaths Is Missing In #EndTB Response
Friday, 16 May 2025, 8:09 am | Citizen News Service
This article is an insight from former Chief Scientist of WHO HQ Dr Soumya and others on why TB death audit is necessary so that we can find out the reasons why a person died of a curable disease – and avert such tragedies in future. More >>
NTF-ELCAC “Victory” Claim Negated By Its Demands For More Extensive Repression
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:53 am | International Coalition for Human Rights in the Ph
NTF-ELCAC can’t have it both ways, claiming victory and calling for greater repression,” said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). More >>
Young Leaders Convene In Bangkok To Drive Global Food Systems Reform
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:36 am | FAO
The gathering highlights how young professionals merge traditional knowledge with innovation to address food insecurity and climate change. From Nepal to Fiji, youth are leading sustainable, community-driven solutions. More >>
Alarmed By Reports Of Rohingya Cast Into The Sea, UN Expert Launches Inquiry Of “Unconscionable, Unacceptable Acts”
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:32 am | UN Special Procedures - Human Rights
The Government of India must immediately and unequivocally repudiate unconscionable acts against Rohingya refugees, stop all deportations to Myanmar, and ensure that those responsible for these blatant violations of India’s international obligations ... More >>
Ministers Meet To Tackle Global Uncertainty And Rebuild Multilateral Trade System
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:27 am | APEC News
Hosted by Korea on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage-listed Jeju Island, the meeting opened with a powerful call for cooperation and renewal of trust in the multilateral trading system. More >>
‘The World Is Failing Its Health Checkup,’ Says WHO
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:20 am | UN News
In just two years, between 2019 and 2021, life expectancy worldwide fell by 1.8 years – the largest fall in recent history according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. More >>
Over 60 Per Cent Of The Arab World Still Outside The Banking System
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:17 am | UN News
Between 2016 and 2024, the number of Egyptians with a bank account – which experts say is essential for financial inclusion - tripled, from 17.1 million to over 51 million. More >>
Libya’s Fragile Peace Tested Again As New Clashes Roil Tripoli
Friday, 16 May 2025, 7:05 am | UN News
A fragile calm has settled over Tripoli after a sudden surge of violence this week left parts of the city in ruins, claimed civilian lives, and heightened concerns about the stability of Libya’s already fragile political and security situation. More >>
Acting President Lee: Education Must Shape Humanity In The AI Era
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 9:00 pm | APEC
In discussions throughout the day, ministers explore how digital transformation, particularly the rise of generative AI, is forcing a fundamental rethink of how education systems function and what they aim to achieve. More >>
Sudan: Experts Denounce Systematic Attacks On Women And Girls
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:55 pm | UN Special Procedures - Human Rights
“We are deeply troubled by the harrowing reports of sexual violence, abductions, and killings targeting women and children, including in displacement camps, which reflect a systematic and brutal campaign against those least protected in Sudanese ... More >>
APEC Officials Propel AI And Demographic Agendas
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:54 pm | APEC
Chairing the meeting, Ambassador Seongmee Yoon emphasized Korea’s vision for a forward-looking and action-oriented APEC agenda this year. More >>
BRIEFING NOTES: (1) USA; (2) (EN/SP) Venezuela; (3) (EN/AR) Egypt
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:46 pm | UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
According to official US data, between 20 January and 29 April, 142,000 individuals have been deported from the US. In particular, the fate and whereabouts of at least 245 Venezuelans and some 30 Salvadorans removed to El Salvador remain unclear. More >>
Pasifika Futures Forum Opens In Suva: Navigating A Bold Vision For The Blue Pacific
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:43 pm | UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji
The broader Pasifika Futures Initiative aims to strengthen inquiry into how strategic foresight and Pacific wisdom can work together to build more equitable, resilient development partnerships. More >>
World Health Assembly: Health Professionals Demand Urgent Action On Climate Commitments
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:37 pm | Global Climate and Health Alliance
This World Health Assembly must ensure that governments recognise and respond to the profound role that climate change and its primary driver, fossil fuels, now play in determining health outcomes for people around the world. More >>
End Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, And Forced Returns Of Rohingya Refugees
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:15 pm | Fortify Rights
Indian authorities beat, blindfold, handcuff, and forcibly return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar More >>
Guam Governor Advocates For Economic Diversification As US Military Buildup Continues
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 5:06 pm | RNZ
The governor of Guam is advocating for economic diversification in the US territory's efforts to position the island as a logistics and defence hub in the Indo-Pacific. More >>
Pacific News In Brief For 15 May
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 5:03 pm | RNZ
A round-up of news from around the region, including new dengue cases reported in Tonga. More >>
End To The American War On Vietnam Remembered 50 Years On
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 3:17 pm | Workers First Union
The events will remember the brave struggle of the Vietnamese people for independence, the horrific action and atrocities of the US and allied forces in Vietnam and the protest activity that took place against the war on Vietnam in New Zealand in the ... More >>
The Rise Of AI Warfare: How Autonomous Weapons And Cognitive Warfare Are Reshaping Global Military Strategy
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 1:14 pm | Independent Media Institute
Throughout history, it is human intelligence that uses the technology, not the technology itself, which has won or lost wars. That may change in the future when human intelligence is focused instead on creating systems that are more capable on the battlefield than ... More >>
8 Million Teens In World's Wealthiest Countries Functionally Illiterate: UNICEF
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 10:18 am | UN News
Children in many of the world’s wealthiest countries saw marked declines in their academic performance, mental wellbeing, and physical health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ... More >>
‘Politically Unacceptable, Morally Repugnant’: UN Chief Calls For Global Ban On 'Killer Robots'
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 9:31 am | UN News
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has once again called for a global ban on lethal autonomous weapon systems – machines capable of taking human lives without human oversight – describing them as “politically unacceptable” and “morally ... More >>
UN Aid Office Denounces Attacks On Gaza Hospital
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:58 am | UN News
The UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, underlined the need to protect civilians and healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip in a renewed appeal on Wednesday. More >>
In Berlin, Broad Backing For UN Peacekeeping As Global Threats Mount
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 8:29 am | UN News
More than 130 countries and international partners threw their weight behind UN peacekeeping at a high-level ministerial summit in Berlin on Wednesday, pledging military, tech and political support. More >>
On Nakba Day, Jewish Groups In 19 Countries Scream, Open The Damned Gates!
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 7:59 am | Global Jews for Palestine
Right now, 2.3 million Palestinian people are being tipped into intentional, avoidable starvation and they can not wait for help. Every hour Israel’s brazen, genocidal crime of starvation wastes more innocent lives. More >>
US-Houthi Ceasefire ‘A Welcome Opportunity’ To Advance Peace Efforts In Yemen
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 7:40 am | UN News
The ceasefire between the United States and Houthi rebels in Yemen provides an opportunity to revitalize the peace process in the Middle Eastern country, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday. More >>
Commemorating 77 Years Of The Palestinian Nakba: A Call For Justice, Memory, And Solidarity
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 7:34 am | Palestine Forum of New Zealand
The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on the New Zealand government to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities by advocating for an end to the occupation, supporting the right of return for refugees, and taking decisive action against ongoing ... More >>
Sudan Refugees, Aid For Syrian Returnees, MERS Alert In Saudi Arabia, Venezuela Urged To End Secret Detentions
Thursday, 15 May 2025, 7:28 am | UN News
More than 40,000 Sudanese have fled to eastern Chad in the past month to escape intensifying violence in Darfur. More >>
Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025 Regional Winners Announced
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 7:50 pm | Commonwealth Foundation
Taking the reader from a surf shack in Australia to a village in Guyana on the eve of independence, the stories tackle powerful themes head-on. More >>
Who's Telling The Truth About Fiji's Garment Workers?
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 6:11 pm | RNZ
A former president of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Council of Fiji says a union offiical is "simply sprouting old information that suits their purposes". More >>
Can PNG Police Win Back The Public's Respect?
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 6:06 pm | RNZ
A police commander in Papua New Guinea's National Capital District says the fact that the public no longer respects police is a sad day for the country. More >>
Fijian Indians In NZ 'Not Giving Up' On Pasifika Classification Battle
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 6:03 pm | RNZ
This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji. More >>
NZDF Joins Large South Pacific Disaster Exercise As New Response Group Starts Work
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 12:57 pm | New Zealand Defence Force
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s Lieutenant Commander Nikita Lawson said the Pacific Response Group was a short-notice deployable team with strong planning skills designed to assist civilian authorities and other organisations in any response to a disaster. More >>
UNICEF Names Moemoana Safa’ato’a Schwenke As A Pacific Ambassador
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 11:16 am | UNICEF
Samoan climate activist & former Miss Pacific Islands Moemoana Safa’ato’a Schwenke, has been announced as UNICEF Pacific’s Ambassador. In her role as a UNICEF Pacific Ambassador, Moemoana will use her platforms and community engagement to help raise More >>
New Zealanders Take 3 Million Overseas Trips
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 10:59 am | Stats NZ
March 2025 is the first annual period to exceed 3 million arrivals by New Zealand-resident travellers since March 2020 (3.05 million), and was up from 2.84 million in the March 2024 year. More >>
‘Stop The 21st Century Atrocity’ In Gaza, Fletcher Urges UN Security Council
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 10:02 am | UN News
No aid has entered Gaza for more than 10 weeks and every single one of the 2.1 million people there faces famine conditions, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on Tuesday in a briefing to the Security Council in New York. More >>
APEC Human Resources Development Ministers Issue Joint Statement
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 9:48 am | APEC News
Ministers acknowledged the need to modernize labour systems to keep pace with transformations driven by artificial intelligence, automation and new forms of work. More >>
UN Human Rights Chief Raises Human Rights Concerns About Deportations From The United States Of America
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 9:43 am | UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Many of them were reportedly been detained in the maximum-security “Centre for Terrorism Confinement” (CECOT) in El Salvador, a facility where detainees are treated particularly harshly, without access to legal counsel or their relatives, or other ... More >>
Future Of Work In Focus As HRD Ministers Meet In Jeju
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 9:34 am | APEC News
Acting Minister Kim urged member economies to retool institutional frameworks to meet the demands of a modern workforce. More >>
How Some Independent Radio Stations Avoid Sounding Like Corporate Drones
Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 9:26 am | Independent Media Institute
Local radio stations and digital networks of independents are keeping “human-driven, anti-algorithm expression” alive. More >>
