Fiji rugby want more. Will they get it?
Fiji rugby finds itself at a pivotal juncture in its storied 110-year history. In recent years, the nation's beloved sport has been making a steady drive towards international success, each successive phase taking
Whispers
Confused, changing tunes So, in boycotting US President Joe Biden's annual summit with Pacific leaders in Washington DC late September, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wasn't the only one hitting the headlines after
De-banking having a ‘severe impact’ on Pacific Islanders
The region’s economic ministers say the expiry of correspondent banking relationships (CBR) is having a severe impact on the lives of Pacific Islanders, including seasonal workers, micro, small, and medium
Voice. Treaty. Truth
Across Australia this month, voters will decide whether to change the Constitution and create a Voice to Parliament – a body to advise the Australian government on laws and policies that affect Aboriginal and Torres
Addressing the Pacific housing crisis
The authors of recent housing ecosystem assessments conducted in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga say that improving access to habitable, affordable and secure housing requires more widespread training in construction skills
The urgent need to cut emissions in construction
The building sector, responsible for an astonishing 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has been grappling with a severe lack of climate-focused development funding, according to a report published by the United
Building a social entreprise
A London-based design and construction social enterprise responsible for innovative community-based buildings in Fiji and Vanuatu, is looking to expand its regional footprint. In Fiji, Caukin Studio has partnered with
Opinion: Kikibakiki – Reflections on PNG at 48
We sat down in the forever blackout Port Moresby city, I hear the neighbours playing the famous Saugas song, Sindaun Bagarap, echoing the windy night, and buai buyers complaining about the hike in the prices,
Chinese scientists point to indigenous knowledge
A group of marine scientists from China have used a high-level forum in Fiji to highlight years of research undertakings in the Pacific and to warn of the urgent need to take climate action, pointing to the value of
The science we need for the ocean we want
Ocean scientists, technical experts, policymakers, donor agencies, traditional knowledge holders, and young people gathered at the Pacific Islands Conference on Ocean Science and Ocean Management in Fiji last
VegFest Pasifika comes to Samoa
VegFest Pasifika, a festival promoting local plant-based diets for health and environmental reasons, came to Samoa for the first time in June. The festival has been running in Fiji since 2018, with more than 55 events
Here be humpbacks
Mixing business with a spot of leisure is something many of us have routinely done on work trips. From indulging in lavish beach time to celebrating a closed deal, to a quiet walk in the woods after an exhausting
Movers and Shakers
The Pacific Community (SPC)'s Land Resources Division Director, Karen Mapusua, has been recognised with the Global Moana Agriculture and Community-Based Development Award during the recent Stars of Oceania awards
Briefs
American Samoa A new interactive tool allowing stakeholders to assess the vulnerability to sea-level rise in American Samoa was launched on September 25. Samoa News reported The American Samoa Relative Sea Level Rise
Opinion: 29 years of independence: Palau at a crossroads
Every year on the first of October, the U.S government marks the beginning of a new fiscal year, and so does the Palau government. But what appears to be a lost detail, yet historically significant, event marks the
SPBD businesswomen lauded at annual awards
The Vodafone Arena in Suva last week was full-packed with radiant businesswomen celebrating their efforts at the 12th annual South Pacific Business Development awards. SPBD Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greg
COVID19 a wake-up call for Pacific countries to strengthen social security systems
The COVID19 crisis was a wake-up call for many Pacific Island Countries to enhance their social security systems. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its 14 Pacific Developing Member Countries (PMDCs) were
French criticism of nuclear ban treaty highlights Canberra’s dilemma
Can Australia rebuild a strategic military partnership with France at the same time as independence movements claim Pacific support? On 28 September, the Assembly of French Polynesia unanimously passed a resolution
Vanuatu PM Kilman no longer commands majority
Power transitioned from the Vanuatu Government to the Opposition in Parliament during the Fifth Extraordinary Session convened to debate the motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Monday. The
Labour mobility a ‘double-edged word’: Samoa Chamber of Commerce President Seulupe
Samoa’s private sector members are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and are unable to take on the added expense of a minimum wage increase while navigating multiple challenges. That is the view of
U.S. groping for contingency plan amid expiration of COFA’s economic provisions
The U.S. economic provisions for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Marshall Islands under the Compacts of Free Association expired on 30 September without being renewed as the U.S. Congress continued to
Tuvalu, Kiribati climate migrants ‘need immigration pathway’
Immigration reforms are urgently needed to create a pathway for climate migration to Aotearoa New Zealand from the low-lying atoll countries of Tuvalu and Kiribati, a researcher says. “There are currently no formal
Australia says it has no duty to asylum seekers in PNG
The Australian government says it is not responsible for 70 asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea who have been evicted from temporary accommodation. The asylum seekers have been in limbo since the 2017 closure of the