Fiji on Cloud 9 at the Sydney 7s
Fiji has won the Sydney 7s for the first time ever, defeating old rivals South Africa in a thrilling match last night. Both teams were out for redemption having not progressed past the pool stages last week. It was a
Alipate Pareti
Fiji upsets All Blacks in Sydney
By Alipate Pareti Fiji has had a tremendous start to the Sydney 7s, winning against Kenya and surprising the All Blacks. Fiji beat Kenya 28 – 14 then went on to tumble last week champions New Zealand 26 – 5.
Kokomo resort lays off staff
Reports have emerged from Kokomo Island resort that 60 staff have been laid off. Kokomo General Manager Martin Persson says the workforce had been at an augmented (enlarged) level to support “development, construction
Throwing coal on the fire
By New Year’s Day, Australia was on fire. There were more than 200 fires burning across the country, from Western Australia to the east coast states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Since the start of the
The year ahead
Tourism, fish will be star performers Tourism and fish revenues will continue to be key drivers in the performance of the Pacific Island economies in 2020, the World Bank says, although it has urged island leaders not
Solomon Island Tourism Polishing the Gem
In one short week in Solomon Islands, I snorkelled remarkably fish-rich reefs, visited a rustic, fascinating and deserted-but-for-me war museum, meandered through food markets, ate leaves smothered in ngali nuts
Kiribati plods on against ‘Tsunami’ of Opposition
Kiribati faces uncertain times ahead as the Government rules with a minority support in parliament for the first time in the history of the country, the coalition Opposition goes to court twice against the Speaker of
Islands Business January 2020 edition
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Comparing China’s and Taiwan’s aid to the Pacific
In September 2019, after 36 years, Solomon Islands severed its diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and established formal relations with the People’s Republic of China (China). A Solomon
Pacific Islands Forum identity may need refocusing
‘The Blue Pacific’ is touted by all and sundry as the collective ‘identity’ of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members. As such, ‘The Blue Pacific’ is the identity badge by which PIF’s particularity and
Indonesia’s Pacific elevation: Elevating what and who?
In July 2019, at the inaugural Indonesian Exposition held in Auckland, New Zealand, Indonesia launched its ‘Pacific Elevation’, laying claim to a Pacific islands identity and touting its elevated engagement with the
When one country’s loss is another’s gain
When Islands Business was considering our Pacific Person of the Year in December, we looked across Pacific communities and sectors. In sports, there was one clear standout, young weightlifting star, Eileen Cikamatana.
Departure Lounge: Sketches of Fiji
Sketches of Fiji by high-profile Pacific aviator Andrew Drysdale harks back to a different time, when ‘Travelling Ground Engineers’ carried their own toolboxes and played the role of hostess, dispensing soup and
Coronavirus: a Pacific wrap-up
An outbreak of a new coronavirus has killed at least 106 people in China, and has spread to some of the Pacific’s close neighbours, including Australia (with five cases) and Malaysia (with four). The United States,
Disappointment for Fiji in Hamilton 7s
The Fiji 7s Men’s team was disappointed yesterday in Hamilton despite its strong performance in day one of the competition, but is now looking to the Sydney leg of the competition. While disappointed with their
Fijiana create history despite not progressing in Hamilton 7s
The Fijiana 7s team created history by defeated England in their first pool match at the Hamilton 7s tournament yesterday. The English women were caught napping on most occasions as the Pacific Island players
Fiji makes a good start in Hamilton
Pacific Island teams hope to make the crowd go wild again at the Hamilton 7s this weekend. It’s that time of the year when New Zealand rugby fans, especially Pacific Islanders, cram the stands of FMG
Tuvalu to declare state of emergency
Tuvalu looks set to declare a state of emergency due to the level of destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Tino last week. A full assessment of the extent of damage is still unclear, however reports emerged as TC Tino
The Batlow bushfire and Pacific seasonal workers
In January at the height of the Australian bushfires, I received a message from James Walau, a ni-Vanuatu Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) team leader, informing me that he and his team of 47 had left Batlow due to the