PNG Meth ‘Black Flight’ Suspect Paid Account in Name of Migration Chief: Court Files
A China-born businesswoman accused of taking part in an audacious plot to fly a light plane packed with drugs from Papua New Guinea to Australia allegedly ordered a co-conspirator to pay into a bank account in the name
Fiji Business Briefs: Visa pilot, Rosie goes electric, more hotels, FHL results
Fiji to pilot outsourcing of some passport and visa services Fiji’s Cabinet has given green light for the piloting of outsourcing of some passport and visa services. The initiative will establish application centres
Fiji tourism industry celebrates leaders and innovators at annual awards
The Sheraton Fiji Golf Resort and Spa sparkled with glamour and excitement as the venue of the 2023 ANZ Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards on Saturday night. The event, attended by 700 tourism operators and
Solomon Islands Caretaker PM calls on Australia for a more serious dialogue on reciprocal visa waiver
Solomon Islands caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has re-emphasised Solomon Islands’ call to Australia for a serious and genuine dialogue on a visa reciprocal arrangement beyond the Pacific Engagement
Albert Nicholas appointed Cook Islands Deputy PM
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has confirmed the appointment of Albert Nicholas as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM). The Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston MP holds the Infrastructure Cook Islands,
At least 53 men killed in PNG tribal fighting
Papua New Guinea police say at least 53 people have died in a massacre in the country’s Highlands. A ghastly sight as a picture of bodies piled high on top each other on a police vehicle was shared on online platforms
Asylum seekers taken to Nauru amid renewed political stoush over border arrivals
More than 40 asylum seekers have been taken to Nauru after they were found in a remote part of Western Australia. Guardian Australia has confirmed a second group of 13 asylum seekers was found at an Indigenous campsite
Puma scales down operations, a fuel crisis is imminent in PNG
A fuel crisis is imminent with fuel and liquid gas supplier Puma Energy reducing its Papua New Guinea operation. Effective last Thursday, Puma Energy started to issue termination of contract notices to customers. Early
Australian PM reaffirms backing for PNG NRL side
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on his support for ARLC chairman Peter V’landys’ National Rugby League (NRL) expansion bid, calling for a 20-team competition. V’landys is reportedly
ANT Bicycles Tonga: The first bicycle rental shop in the Kingdom
Visitors to Tonga have a new way of exploring Tongatapu thanks to Alamoni and Taniela Takeifanga. They are the proud owners of ANT Bicycles Tonga, the first family-owned bicycle rental business in the heart of
Black Wednesday: PNG’s Tinder Box explodes
Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, is recovering from looting and burning of businesses in its National Capital District (NCD) after members of the PNG Police Force went on strike last month. “Black
Opinion: The politics of riots in Melanesia
The riots that erupted in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, on January 10 have left a trail of destruction likely to have severe political ramifications. Such disturbances in Melanesia’s major cities are not
Sky-high hopes from Starlink
But experts say it's not the sole solution In the vast expanse of the Pacific, where connectivity challenges have persisted for decades, the arrival of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, is creating
Whispers
Is Tuvalu next? Is Australia heading for another major embarrassment with Tuvalu in its geopolitical strategy in the South Pacific? There were strong indications in the hours before this edition of Islands Business went
Whose tune is sweetest in the Pacific game of musical chairs?
Soon after Australia signed the Falepili union agreement with Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in December, there was chatter that Nauru was next on the list for a similar deal with the Australians.
WHO watches for new covid variants
Three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more than 774 million confirmed cases and more than seven million reported deaths globally, according to recent statistics by the World Health
Dropouts declining, but education challenges remain
Analysis of 2021 data on student retention and attrition of students indicates that student dropouts are gradually decreasing in the region. Data collected by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
The growing impact of technology on education
Technology has had an increasingly significant impact on the education sector, with mobile phone technology upscaling the delivery and accessibility of education in the Pacific, and the growth of artificial intelligence
Pacific women and online abuse
Fijian women are bearing the brunt of online abuse, says the country’s Online Safety Commission (OSC). The OSC says 61.44% of Fijian women experience this form of violence while men account for 38.56%. Facebook
Opinion: The standoff between Tonga’s King and government
Tonga: Early last week, the Secretary of Tonga’s Privy Council wrote to the Chief Secretary (Secretary to Cabinet and to the Prime Minister), saying: “I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty in Council’s
Eroni Leilua, the Samoan Olympian
Having qualified for his second Olympic Games in Paris this year, Samoa’s sailing champion Eroni Leilua recalls how it all started for him while growing up in the village of Vaivase Uta in Upolu, Samoa. “Growing up
Lifting through his struggles: Taniela Rainibogi
Fiji’s new-found weightlifting sensation, Taniela Rainibogi, is powering his way to becoming one of the biggest names in Pacific sports, after becoming the first weightlifter from his country to win a medal in a
Briefs
American Samoa American Samoa’s government has passed a bill that will prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers, with fines of up to US$1000 for its importing, sale, and use. In 2019, a bill was drafted to
