Islands Business
Movers and shakers
Professor Sushila Chang is the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji. Professor Chang came from Cardiff Metropolitan University where she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic. Ilalegagana Kenesareta
‘I’ve fulfilled my obligations’
Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva died at the Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand, on 12 September 2019 after he had been medevaced from Tonga the day before. He was the 16th Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga and the first
Whispers
No UN trip for Marape PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape gave the United Nations General Assembly meeting a miss in September, saying it would cost US$352,800 to send him and 55 officials. Marape told local media he
Pacific factor shines in World Cup Rugby
Pacific Island teams will be disappointed with their showing at the Rugby World Cup, which saw a shock loss by Fiji to Uruguay and Samoa and Tonga not living up to the hopes of fans. The tournament has seen strong
Finding her avengers
Business profile: Stella Muller New Zealand-based Samoan entrepreneur and marketer Stella Muller has learnt some difficult lessons about when to hold on and when to loosen the reins as she has built her two
Death of Pacific Regionalism?
THE theme going into Tuvalu’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting from 12-16 August 2019 was: ‘Securing our Future in the Pacific.’ This was to be uniquely focussed and framed around climate change. Even the
Unseaworthy and reckless
Inquiry into Butiraoi sinking is damning The release of a Commission of Inquiry report into the tragic sinking of the MV Butiraoi in Kiribati last year has brought fresh grief to the nation, as it has described a
The digital revolution
Is the Pacific still stuck in the trenches? Is the Pacific taking full advantage of the digital revolution? Are we prepared for the risks that come with such rapid change, and how can we ensure the next
Natural disasters push up premiums in Fiji
One of Fiji’s biggest insurance companies says the cost of reinsurance is hitting the bottom line of insurance companies operating in the Pacific. Premium hikes in Fiji’s general insurance market are largely blamed
Fiji’s Constitution, a 16-year-old suspect and acts of impunity
THE following opinion piece by Fiji solicitor, Filimoni Vosarogo is a response to the reported detention and questioning of a 16-year-old boy for allegedly writing vulgar language on the back
InDepth: New Caledonia’s President Thierry Santa
Common interests New Caledonia’s President wants closer regional ties THIERRY Santa attended his first Pacific Islands Forum in August, just weeks after his election as president of the Government of New
We say – ‘We’re no pawns in your chess game’
There was no joy for Taiwan in September, as it lost the support of two of its Pacific island supporters in quick succession in Solomon Islands and Kiribati. The Solomons, under the leadership of newly-elected Prime
Namosi: Resource rich or resource cursed?
Many moons before white man set foot on Viti Levu, the main island in Fiji, the folklore of moliveitala ni vanua had existed. It speaks of the magic in the water in the two main rivers that the trade winds bring in as
Police after former PM O’Neill
By Samisoni Pareti There is a standoff in Papua New Guinea today over new plans by the country’s police constabulary to arrest former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. Acting Police Commissioner David Manning confirmed
Marshall Islands off EU blacklist No joy yet for American Samoa, Fiji, Samoa,Vanuatu and Guam
Reuters European Union finance ministers have agreed to remove Marshall Islands from the bloc’s lists of countries deemed to be acting as tax havens. The 28-nation EU set up a blacklist and a gray list of tax havens
P?hiva Tu‘i‘onetoa sworn in as new Tongan Prime Minister
P?hiva Tu‘i‘onetoa is officially the prime minister of Tonga. King Tupou VI signed the warrant appointing Tu‘i‘onetoa as prime minister in a swearing in ceremony at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa
FNPF members urged to buy cane farms as sugar industry struggles
Fiji’s Sugar Cane Growers’ Fund (SCGF) is calling on Fiji’s working population to buy sugar cane farms, as more farmers go out of business and defaulters plague its loans portfolio. SCGF’s chief executive
PNG-Papua border closed
By Netani Rika INDONESIA has closed its border with Papua New Guinea as violence continues in Papua. Shots were heard by Indonesian troops on Tuesday with reports of increased rebel activity in the area. The Organisasi
Is Fiji Out of the Playoffs?
By Alipate J Pareti A very poor performance by the Flying Fijians in the first spell of the game saw Uruguay claim one of the biggest upset in the Rugby World Cup 2019. The Fijians lost the game 27 points to 30..
Manu Samoa wins first game at RWC
By Alipate J Pareti Samoa became the only Pacific Island team that won its first game during the Rugby World Cup in Japan with a convincing win over Russia overnight. It won 34 to 8. It was clear though that fatigue
More Papua Students Protest
By Netani Rika PAPUAN students have staged a sit down protest after they were racially abused today. Riot police from the Mobile Brigade have cordoned off the main road in front of the university at Abepura. Students
Tuvalu Chief Judge Suspended
By Samisoni Pareti The Chief Justice of Tuvalu, Australian Queens Counsel Charles Sweeney has been suspended. In a dramatic turn of events, the new government of Tuvalu says Judge Sweeney will be investigated on