Fijian Drua defeat Rebels in final Super warm up
Fijian Drua have given Melbourne rugby fans a sneak peek of what to expect in the Super Rugby Pacific competition, beating the Rebels 28-26 in a warmup match on Thursday night. The Drua came from behind in the
Bad weather slows search for Fiji end of broken Tonga cable
Progress has been slow in the search for the Fiji end of Tonga’s submarine telecommunications cable – suspected to be broken in several places by the Tonga volcano eruption of last month. Bad weather and
Satala and Tuwai named as Fiji 7s assistant coaches
Former Sevens Rugby World Cup winner Viliame Satala has been named as an Assistant coach for the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team after discussions with Fiji Airways Fiji 7s Head Coach, Ben Gollings. Fiji Rugby CEO John
Decolonisation for Guam still matters
In 1982, the first delegation of Chamorus travelled to the United Nations to raise their voices as native inhabitants and Indigenous people of Guam, they petitioned for self-determination and decolonisation. That same
PNG’s PM Marape tests positive for COVID-19 in Beijing, cancels France trip
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Beijing on Thursday for the opening of the Winter Games and will not be traveling to France this week for an Indo-Pacific
Local banker Smith is Westpac Fiji CEO
Westpac has announced the appointment of Shane Smith as its new Chief Executive for Fiji. “I’m honoured and humbled by the opportunity to lead this great business and build on the legacy of my predecessors.
Rebuilding post-eruption Tonga: 4 key lessons from Fiji
While news from Tonga is still disrupted following the massive undersea eruption and tsunami on January 15, it’s clear the island nation has suffered significant damage to housing stock and infrastructure. Once
Ripple effect: What the Tonga eruption could mean for tsunami research
The Tonga eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the South Pacific Ocean on 15 January, 2022 created a rare event never before detected with modern instruments. A powerful tsunami raced forward, leaving
Moana Pasifika names formidable line-up for tonight’s pre-season match
Moana Pasifika Head Coach Aaron Mauger has named three formidable lineups for Friday’s pre-season ‘Ofa Atu Tonga’ fundraising match against the Gallagher Chiefs. The game will be played in three 30-minute blocks,
COVID-19 may create a flood of criminal deportations to the Pacific
Closed borders have created a backlog of criminal deportations to Pacific Islands states, and more effective transition programs are needed to reduce the risk of recidivism among returnees, Henrietta McNeill and Magele
Pacific corruption scores continue to stagnate: Urgent action required
Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index adds Fiji as a fourth Pacific nation, as stagnation demonstrates the critical importance of corruption reform in the region to secure basic rights and freedoms.
Australian Seasonal Worker scheme ‘rife with abuse’: Inquiry
Supermarket shelves are filled with fruit and vegetables but the people who harvest them are sometimes being paid just A$100 (US$71) for a 64-hour work week. On Wednesday, seasonal workers detailed exploitation at the
COVID-19 closures and Fiji schools
By Epeli Krishan Sen Vakalalabure and Lotarakuita Anand Sen Saurara Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series notes that time is a mysterious thing and, when meddled with, could have severe
Outlook 2022: The year ahead
For the third year running, COVID-19 is defining and disrupting life, leadership and governance in the Pacific Islands. Compounded by climate change-related flooding and the devastating Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai
Kacific gets nod to provide Tonga broadband Internet
Rural and remote communities in Tonga will now have broadband Internet access, following the lifting by Tongan authorities of earlier restrictions placed on Singaporean-based satellite service provider Kacific
COVID-19 lessons for public messaging
Whether it was the early reports out of China in late 2019, the World Health Organization’s announcement of a pandemic in March 2020, or the dreaded first official announcement of an in-country case, everyone
Whispers
Fisheries dramas The head of a major fisheries agency has survived a move to stop her from sitting a second term. The move was driven by New Zealand, with the support of Cook Islands, who wanted the membership to accept
Outlook 2022: The year in Pacific politics
By Sadhana Sen For the third year running, COVID-19 is defining and disrupting life, leadership and governance in the Pacific. Compounded by climate change-related flooding and the devastating
Tonga’s recovery effort
“The volcanic ash has settled into every crevice our lives and we still sleep in fear of another eruption. Yet through the ash, panic and chaos, I saw hope.” That was the testimony of Hon. Frederica Tuita, who
Solomon Islands’ juggling act
By Georgina Kekea Solomon Islands was COVID-19 free until December 2021. Despite recording positive cases in isolation centres, the spread to the community was avoided. It was not until January 2022 that Prime Minister
Low vax rates threaten PNG economy
By Kevin McQuillan COVID-19 will remain a threat to the Papua New Guinea economy throughout 2022, due to the low rate of vaccination and poor health infrastructure, compounded by a lacklustre foreign investment climate.
Class dismissed? Keeping Pacific classrooms open in 2022
Will Pacific Island school children get an uninterrupted year of face-to-face learning in 2022? Governments and their partners are working hard to open classrooms, and keep them open, but the spread of the Omicron
The tweeting teacher
Fijian teacher and storyteller Joji Raqio has provided some powerful insights into teaching in rural Fiji during the pandemic. His Twitter feed has entertained and educated people across the nation. Here he tells his