CoveragePost
February 14, 2025
By Lagi Keresoma in Apia The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) Committee has finally issued a statement — 5 days after damaging social media attacks following the 2025 Pageant finals hosted by the Solomon Islands last Saturday. The statement yesterday simply said the committee recognised and deeply regretted the distress caused by recent disputes concerning ... <a title="‘Damage has been done’ – Miss Pacific pageant statement too late, say critics" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/14/damage-has-been-done-miss-pacific-pageant-statement-too-late-say-critics/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Damage has been done’ – Miss Pacific pageant statement too late, say critics">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 31, 2025
COMMENTARY: By Kalafi Moala Long live the king and long may he reign, so goes the traditional proclamation. In Tonga, King Tupou VI has shown he has every intention of doing that. After a tumultuous and tense year of the chess board of politics, the monarch appears to have won, with ordinary citizens and democratic ... <a title="His Majesty’s pleasure: King reigns over Tongan government despite democratic reform" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/31/his-majestys-pleasure-king-reigns-over-tongan-government-despite-democratic-reform/" aria-label="Read more about His Majesty’s pleasure: King reigns over Tongan government despite democratic reform">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 23, 2025
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad has told an international conference in Bangkok that some of the most severely debt-stressed countries are the island states of the Pacific. Dr Prasad, who is also a former economic professor, said the harshest impacts of global economic re-engineering are being felt ... <a title="‘Decolonise’ aid urgent call from Fiji’s Prasad to face Pacific climate crisis" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/23/decolonise-aid-urgent-call-from-fijis-prasad-to-face-pacific-climate-crisis/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Decolonise’ aid urgent call from Fiji’s Prasad to face Pacific climate crisis">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 10, 2025
RNZ Pacific Solomon Islands has the highest-ranked passport of Pacific Island nations, at 37th equal globally. This is according to the Henley Passport Index. The index, organised by a consulting firm that describes itself as “the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment,” releases the list based on global travel freedoms using data from ... <a title="Solomon Islands tops passport index for region’s global rankings" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/10/solomon-islands-tops-passport-index-for-regions-global-rankings/" aria-label="Read more about Solomon Islands tops passport index for region’s global rankings">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 4, 2025
Navigating the shared challenges of climate change, geostrategic tensions, political upheaval, disaster recovery and decolonisation plus a 50th birthday party, reports a BenarNews contributor’s analysis. COMMENTARY: By Tess Newton Cain Vanuatu’s devastating earthquake and dramatic political developments in Tonga and New Caledonia at the end of 2024 set the tone for the coming year in ... <a title="Pacific 2025: Vanuatu quake, Tongan and Kanaky shakeups, Trump questions set tone for coming year" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/04/pacific-2025-vanuatu-quake-tongan-and-kanaky-shakeups-trump-questions-set-tone-for-coming-year/" aria-label="Read more about Pacific 2025: Vanuatu quake, Tongan and Kanaky shakeups, Trump questions set tone for coming year">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 12, 2024
Asia Pacific Report The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip — but three of the isolated nine countries that voted against are Pacific island states, including Papua New Guinea. The assembly passed a resolution yesterday demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which ... <a title="UN overwhelmingly backs immediate Gaza ceasefire – but 3 Pacific nations vote against" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/12/un-overwhelmingly-backs-immediate-gaza-ceasefire-but-3-pacific-nations-vote-against/" aria-label="Read more about UN overwhelmingly backs immediate Gaza ceasefire – but 3 Pacific nations vote against">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 11, 2024
COMMENTARY: By Lopeti Senituli in Nuku’alofa In a highly anticipated session of the Tongan Parliament to debate and vote on the second vote of no confidence (VONC) scheduled for last Monday, December 9, in Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku and the Cabinet, Hu’akavameiliku surprised everyone by announcing his resignation — even before the actual debate ... <a title="Tonga’s PM Hu’akavameiliku throws in the towel – behind the timeline" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/11/tongas-pm-huakavameiliku-throws-in-the-towel-behind-the-timeline/" aria-label="Read more about Tonga’s PM Hu’akavameiliku throws in the towel – behind the timeline">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 10, 2024
RNZ Pacific Parliamentarians in Tonga will meet on Christmas Eve to select the kingdom’s new prime minister, Speaker of the House Lord Fakafanua has confirmed. He told RNZ Pacific that Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni’s resignation on Monday ahead of a second motion of no confidence was unprecedented. However, he said the Tongan constitution was clear on ... <a title="Tonga’s Speaker confirms new PM to be chosen on Christmas Eve" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/10/tongas-speaker-confirms-new-pm-to-be-chosen-on-christmas-eve/" aria-label="Read more about Tonga’s Speaker confirms new PM to be chosen on Christmas Eve">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 9, 2024
RNZ Pacific Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has resigned, the Tongan Parliament Office has confirmed. Hu’akavameiliku resigned in Parliament today, ahead of the no confidence motion. “At the opening of today’s [Monday] session a teary-eyed Prime Minister asked the Lord Speaker if he could say a few words, before the Motion was tabled. He ... <a title="‘Teary-eyed’ Tongan PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/09/teary-eyed-tongan-pm-resigns-ahead-of-no-confidence-vote/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Teary-eyed’ Tongan PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
November 7, 2024
RNZ Pacific The Tongan and Fijian prime ministers are among the first Pacific Island leaders to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, 78, returned to the White House on Wednesday by securing more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, according to Edison Research projections. Tonga’s Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who is ... <a title="Pacific nation leaders look forward to strengthened US relations with Trump" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/11/07/pacific-nation-leaders-look-forward-to-strengthened-us-relations-with-trump/" aria-label="Read more about Pacific nation leaders look forward to strengthened US relations with Trump">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 31, 2024
ANALYSIS: By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk As a three-day fact-finding mission from a group of Pacific leaders drew to a close in New Caledonia, and with the outcomes report not expected before next year, the visit to the riot-hit French Pacific territory seems to have triggered a new sense of awareness ... <a title="Forum troika’s visit highlights value of regionalism for New Caledonia" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/10/31/forum-troikas-visit-highlights-value-of-regionalism-for-new-caledonia/" aria-label="Read more about Forum troika’s visit highlights value of regionalism for New Caledonia">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 30, 2024
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor A three-day fact-finding mission, headed by three Pacific leaders, has wrapped up in Nouméa, and New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou says the French territory is at a “turning point”. The semi-autonomous Pacific territory has been riddled with violent unrest since May. While tensions have reportedly eased for now, ... <a title="Pacific leaders’ mission to Nouméa – Mapou says New Caledonia at ‘turning point’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/10/30/pacific-leaders-mission-to-noumea-mapou-says-new-caledonia-at-turning-point/" aria-label="Read more about Pacific leaders’ mission to Nouméa – Mapou says New Caledonia at ‘turning point’">Read more</a>
