Impact of Japan’s wastewater plan will be ‘devastating’: Moss-Christian

The newly appointed executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) tasked to take on the cause of protecting the world’s tuna stocks has raised alarm by Japan’s plan to release

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PNG flights cancelled over ongoing dispute

An ongoing dispute between Puma Energy and the Bank of PNG has restricted the supply of fuel, causing domestic flights in Papua New Guinea to be cancelled. In a statement, Puma Energy has decided to restrict the supply

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Tonga wins bid for SPC’s first Polynesian Sub-Regional Office

Tonga has won the bid to host the Pacific Community’s first-ever Polynesian Sub-regional Office. The decision was made by the Pacific Community’s Committee of Representatives of Governments and

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Men’s World Rugby 7s series reduced in size

There will be an equal number of men’s and women’s teams in the World Rugby Sevens Series from December 2023 and a reimagination of the competition format, under changes adopted by the world governing body.

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We Say: Disunity, fear and personal attacks

When Fiji emerges from the December 14 elections, the nation will have a government it truly deserves.  The new parliament will be a house which mirrors the Fijian people, their hopes and aspirations. It will also

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Fiji Votes: A case of youth apathy or activism?

Young voters again have the opportunity to determine the result of Fiji’s election and the direction of the country in December, but many feel that political parties and candidates have failed to address the issues

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Social media and Fiji’s 2022 National Election

Social media has become a necessary tool for political campaigning in Fiji politics since the 2014 national elections. This was the same for the elections in 2018 and is proving to be the case for the 2022 national

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Jobs, debt, inflation, representation: Issues concerning Fiji youth

Islands Business’ Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti asked young voters about the upcoming Fiji elections, and the issues of concern to them. This is what some of them had to say: Akansha, 21, from Nakasi, Suva is voting for

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Vote for a ‘vibrant, functioning democracy’, students told

Fijian youths found their voice at a recent talanoa dialogue on the upcoming election with panelists that included the Supervisor of Elections (SoE), Mohammed Saneem. The University of the South Pacific Students

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Whispers

Welcome – to whose country? At a welcome for Australia's new consul-general in Noumea, the ceremony was opened by customary chiefs from the Drubea-Kapume region of New Caledonia - a welcome to country from indigenous

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Briefs

American SamoaThe population of American Samoa has decreased below 50,000. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s October update, the population count came to 49,710, far less than 56,084 recorded in 2010. The

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Less prayer, more presence

It’s not every day that a young Pacific islander tells regional church leaders to stop praying about climate change and take firm, practical measures which people can see. Fresh off the flight from COP27 in Egypt,

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A tick for loss and damage

The disconnect between countries was palpable at the recent COP27 climate conference, as small island nations fought with developing countries to get their issues onto the agenda and into negotiations. Addressing the

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Vanuatu water efforts get GFC boost

Water security in Vanuatu is to be improved under a US$23 million project under the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The project to climate-proof water sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, and improve water management

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Development, Indigeneity and existing tables

For real and collective development, we must stop insisting on localising strategies, frameworks, tools, or whatever else our Pacific communities keep getting fed with, because it worked somewhere else. We require

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Opinion: Declaration on U.S.-Pacific Partnership abrogates established order

The United States signed the Declaration on U.S.-Pacific Partnership with fourteen Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in Washington on 29 September 2022. Of the sixteen PICs, members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF),

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Toa Samoa: One for the history books

So close and yet so far. That was what it came down to as the Toa Samoa valiantly fought the Australia Kangaroos in a 30 – 10 Rugby League World Cup grand final slugfest at the legendary Old Trafford Stadium this

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Sydney Road Blaks: Aboriginal and Island History comes to life

In 1847, a group of Pacific islanders were spotted on the road heading towards the city of Port Phillip (modern-day Melbourne). The ten men were hauling two drays laden with wool bales from the colony of New South

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Movers and Shakers

Vanuatu has sworn in its 13th parliament. Ishmael Kalsakau is the country’s newly elected Prime Minister with Sato Kilman appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Lands. Other cabinet ministers include: John

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70 percent of Govt servers recovered: PM Kalsakau

Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau confirmed Wednesday afternoon that 70 percent of the Government servers have been recovered. Partial access to government systems have been restored and that includes; government

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Wellington happy to help Cook Islands join UN

The New Zealand government says the country will offer assistance if the Cook Islands bids to join the United Nations. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has previously said his country could pursue UN membership to

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USD$100m needed to achieve Samoa’s renewable energy goals

Samoa needs approximately another USD$100 million in capital to achieve its goal of generating 70 percent of its energy needs by renewable energy sources by 2030. This is according to the Chief Engineer of the Electric

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MOG will judge if Fijians can vote ‘freely and easily’: Wojciechowski

But won’t rule on ‘fairness’, as this is ‘highly subjective’ The Coordinator of the Multinational Observer Group (MOG) observing Fiji’s elections, Australian Paul Wojciechowski, says modern observer missions

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Opinion: Towards a new Australian development policy

This is an edited extract from the opening address delivered by the Hon Pat Conroy MP at the Australasian AID Conference (AAC2022) on Tuesday 29 November. This conference has grown into a pre-eminent fixture on

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