Pacific

The conference included discussions across a range of topics around culture, health, education and sports.

PMN News reports Tall Blacks Coach Pero Cameron says the Pacific talent pool is large but needs to be nurtured.

​“It’s just exciting to be a part of this movement, it’s the first time having a sporting panel," he says. 

“They’ve asked to see how we can generate ideas and create bigger pathways for our talented kids.”

Today's panels included a focus on how important it is to create Pacific pathways in sport. 

Pacific kava exporters and farmers showcased this growth potential at the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry (PWAF) taking place from 6-10 March in Nadi, Fiji.

Secondary school-aged performers were welcomed at a pōwhiri on Wednesday for the event's 48th anniversary.

RNZ reports Polyfest's theme this year is mana motuhake - creating one's own destiny.

Director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu said they were "very grateful" to be back, running live without interruptions.

"The vibe is so good," she told Morning Report on Thursday.

The Investment Readiness Programme seeks to build a pipeline of bankable projects to attract foreign investment in established enterprises and start-ups.

PTI NZ will match the businesses with locally-based business advisory and accounting firms, to develop investment proposals for the companies.

The programme is funded by the Pacer Plus Implementation Unit.

Photo file 

Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Saunoamaalií Karanina Sumeo, who led an investigation into the mistreatment​ of RSE workers​ last year, says the issues "should have been addressed first" before the scheme resumed this year. 

PMN News reports she claims Pacific countries hold a special kind of power, because countries like New Zealand and Australia need workers more than workers need them.

RNZ reports incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins - who is taking over the reins from Jacinda Ardern just nine months away from the general elections - chose Carmel Sepuloni as his deputy yesterday.

She also made history 15 years ago when she became New Zealand's first Tongan MP.

Reverend Setaita Veikune of the Methodist Church of NZ told Morning Report the Kelston MP's would serve as an inspiration for the younger generation, particularly girls.

Rabuka is scheduled to head to Tarawa on Friday to meet with President Taneti Maamau for bilateral discussions.

According to the Fijian government, Rabuka wants to "find a way to bring Kiribati back" to the Pacific Islands Forum and "nurture regional solidarity".

Kiribati withdrew its membership from the regional body in July last year over concerns the Forum was not meeting the needs of the Micronesian subregion.

The call comes from the Pacific Cooperation Foundation which has just carried out its first-ever survey about New Zealanders' perception of the Pacific​.

PMN News reports the Foundation's Executive Director David Vaeafe says the report based on the survey gives a mixed picture of knowledge about the Pacific, with only 29 percent of those surveyed saying they had a good understanding of Pacific cultures.

With just 1.2 percent of Pasifika smoking daily, that is significantly less than what it used to be in 2017 when it was at 5.3 percent.

Published by Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH), the survey is one of the largest ongoing youth smoking surveys in the world, with 29,538 Year 10 student participants, aged between 14 and 15.

The survey looks at both vaping and tobacco use.

Addressing the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) in Vanuatu last week, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Bo Li, said equally worrisome is the ongoing shifts in geopolitics, leading to a fragmentation of supply chains.