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Did NZ shortchange Samoa's compensation for Manawanui wreck?
New Zealand quietly cut off compensation for the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui at $6m. But commentators say it raises the question: Did our government shortchange Samoa?
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Tongans reassured of fuel supply over Xmas holiday - government
20 Dec 2025The Tonga government is reassuring citizens they won't need to worry about running out of fuel over the Christmas period after months of petrol shortages.
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'As undemocratic as it gets': Push back against proposed referendum bill
19 Dec 2025However, the Fijian government says the National Referendum Bill 2025 is "intended solely to ensure the orderly, transparent, and impartial conduct of… Audio
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Manawanui disaster: Samoan villagers still waiting for compensation
19 Dec 2025The New Zealand Navy vessel sank off the south coast of Samoa's island of Upolu in October last year, and affected locals have yet to be compensated. Audio
Pacific News headlines with summaries.
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No-confidence motion against Vanuatu PM defeated
The motion was voted down by 36 votes against and 12 votes in favour.
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Macron calls New Caledonia's politicians back to the table
19 Dec 2025French President Emmanuel Macron has called New Caledonia's politicians back to the negotiating table in Paris in the New Year.
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PM Fakafanua: 'If we are to unite Tonga we will have to start in parliament'
Tonga's new Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua says he hopes to have his Cabinet line-up named in the next few days.
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Netball Australia unveils new competition for Pacific Island-based players
The Pacific Netball Challenge to be held in November 2026 will be solely for players who live and play the sport in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
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Pasifika families no longer have to pay for 'overpriced rental homes'
The dream of owning a home is now a reality for 18 Pasifika families in Porirua, one of the four main cities that make up the Greater Wellington Region.
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Rabuka: Fijian govt won't interfere in Grace Road investigations
His comments follow reports that Fiji risks losing all non-humanitarian US aid unless it takes "decisive action" against the South Korean sect over human trafficking allegations. Audio
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Marshalls court awards US$29m for ship grounding damage
18 Dec 2025The fishing transport vessel Ou Ya Leng 6 ran aground on the reef at uninhabited Taka Atoll in the northern Marshall Islands in January 2019 and remains there to this day.
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Former diplomat named Foreign Affairs head to repair NZ relations
18 Dec 2025Cook Islands has appointed a former diplomat as the new head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration with the primary mandate of mending diplomatic ties with Aotearoa.
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Vanuatu parliament to debate no-confidence motion following court ruling
Vanuatu's parliament is expected to sit on Friday to debate the opposition's motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Joptham Napat.
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Māngere athletes repping Pacific pride at the Special Olympics
Jared Lutu and Colleen Silafai proudly represented South Auckland and their Pacific communities at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch last weekend.
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Pacific leaders call for unity after Bondi attack
18 Dec 2025Fiji and PNG have condemned the deadly Sydney beach shooting that targeted the Jewish community.
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Proposed passport sale scheme 'a non-issue', Tonga's PM-designate says
He was responding to concerns raised by Tongans locally and abroad about a citizenship by investment proposal touted to earn US$400 million over five years for the government.
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Pasifika Sipoti in brief
A round-up of sports news from around the region, including a search for a new coach for the PNG women's league team.
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US imposes new entry restrictions on Tongan citizens
Tonga is one of more than 20 countries, predominantly in Africa and the Middle East, included in a new US executive order targeting visa overstayers.
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Embattled prosecutor claims 'foreign agents' stalked him on NZ soil
Christopher Pryde says three men from Fiji parked outside his Christchurch home in his absence last month.
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'Memories are still fresh': One year after the Vanuatu earthquake
With a parade and vigil taking place in Port Vila on Wednesday, people are gathering to reflect on what was lost, what was learned and what still lies ahead.
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Port Vila's earthquake-damaged wharf road gets funding
The Asian Development Bank said in a statement the road is Vanuatu's main gateway for trade and tourism.
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Samoan Catholic community celebrates three decades of faith and culture
Malaeola is a centre that has hosted monthly mass services and other gatherings since August 1995. Audio
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Why Papua New Guinea struggles to let go of Bougainville
16 Dec 2025Analysis - Papua New Guinea's hesitation over Bougainville is not simply political delay or bureaucratic caution, writes Scott Waide.
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'We've paid a heavy price': Former PM wants compensation for Indo-Fijians
Mahendra Chaudhry says justice has not been done for those whose lives were destroyed during past political turmoil in the country.
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What does the election of Tonga's new noble PM mean for democracy?
Lord Fakafanua, 40, a member of Tonga's royal family, was elected as Tonga's youngest-ever prime minister on Monday. Audio
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Draft media guide sparks fears of government control
A veteran Samoan journalist says media in his country should be allowed to work freely, without government control.
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Google to build undersea cables in PNG under Australia defence treaty
16 Dec 2025Papua New Guinea says it would provide a key upgrade to its digital backbone and link the north and south of the nation with high-capacity cables.
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Pacific research marks 25 years of tracking children into adulthood
16 Dec 2025The study has followed over 1000 tamariki from South Auckland, producing rare Pasifika-led evidence on health, culture, and wellbeing.
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