United States of the Pacific
THE derivation of the ‘United States of the Pacific’, (USoP), an optional conceptual supra-state construct for the 48-year old Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is reminiscent of the Lae Rebellion of 1965.
Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola
Is PNG part of Pasifika?
IS our region’s largest country, Papua New Guinea, part of Pasifika? It’s a debate that has recently played out on the pages of an influential PNG blog. Two of the country’s most
ADB funds flood management project
YEARS of scoping work on how to manage flooding in flood-prone Nadi town may finally translate into physical work as construction work on a Nadi River flood management project is expected to begin as early as next year.
Konnichiwa Japan
Pacific previews for the 2019 Rugby World Cup THE Land of the Rising Sun is expecting magic as it hosts its first ever Rugby World Cup in less than four months’ time. It’s Japan’s first time to host rugby’s
Ahluwalia’s aspirations
New USP chief talks about plans to make uni greater TWENTY-eight years after first setting foot on the Laucala Campus of the University of the South Pacific, Pal Ahluwalia is back as its ninth Vice Chancellor and
Confidence motion withdrawn
By Samisoni Pareti Eleventh hour negotiations paid off for Prime Minister Carlot Salwai of Vanuatu with the withdrawal of a confidence motion against his government. The motion was scheduled to be tabled in parliament
Khan’s no longer Airports chair
By Samisoni Pareti Operator of Fiji’s airports, Fiji Airports today announced a restructure in the senior management of the company with the scrapping of the executive chairman position. Incumbent Faiz Khan is now
We’ve got consent: Standard Concrete
By Samisoni Pareti We have the lease to construct an access road. That’s the word from a Fijian Holding subsidiary, which a landowning unit in a village in Tailevu had accused of building the road without their
Land damage irks owners
By Samisoni Pareti Landowners of a small village in Tailevu are up in arms over the illegal construction of more than one kilometre of road on their land by Standard Concrete, a subsidiary of the indigenous Fijian
Fijian island embraces 4m trees project
By Peni Komaisavai in Dravuni, Kadavu Planting of one hundred trees may sound microscopic in a project that aims to have four million trees planted by 2022, but at beautiful Dravuni today, the islanders have pledged to
Environment is Huge in Fiji Budget
By Samisoni Pareti Fiji’s minister for economy Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum handed down the country’s 2019-2020 national budget tonight that is big in environmental protection, and thrusting the economy further into the
Outspoken MP is Police Minister
By Samisoni Pareti Just a week after Papua New Guinea had a change in its prime minister, the country today saw a reshuffle of cabinet that ushers in Davis Steven as deputy to Prime Minister James Marabe. Steven will
No more Aiyaznomics , says Rabuka
By: Peni Komaisavai Fiji’s minister for economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will hand down the country’s national 2020 budget in parliament later today. National parliament is sitting this evening to hear
Fiji army ordered to compensate widow
By Anish Chand The Fiji Military Forces has been ordered to pay $113,922 (US$52,958) to the widow of an Abel Seaman who died while on duty at the Suva Naval Base. Salaseini Denarau legally challenged the FMF and
Australian study to scope more trade with Fiji
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be at this year’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tuvalu, and Foreign Minister Marise Payne says she is keen to get to Papua New Guinea soon “to visit our
MHCC BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ON HOLD
By: Peni KomaisavaiThe construction of the new section of the Morris Hedstrom City Central (MHCC) building in Suva has been stopped until further notice.Suva City Council (SCC) Chief Executive Officer Bijay Chand said
Vanuatu and Fiji call for kava quota hike
By: Anish Chand The Governments of Vanuatu and Fiji are asking that any foreign traveler to Australia be allowed to bring up to 10 kilograms of kava into the country with them. Australia currently permits 2kg per
USP investigation by August 16
The final report of an independent investigation into allegations of mismanagement and abuse of process at the University of the South Pacific (USP) is due by August 16. The terms of reference for the investigation have
Calls for urgent action on child sexual exploitation in Fiji
By Anish Chand A new report states that sexual exploitation of children is a serious problem in Fiji and its full extent isn’t known. The report reveals that changing social structures and
Calls for action against child exploitation
By Anish Chand A new report states that sexual exploitation of children is a serious problem in Fiji and its full extent isn’t known. The report reveals that changing social structures and
We demand doers, not preachers!
A cycle of fear is how Reporters Without Borders (RSF) headlined the release of its 2019 World Press Freedom Index. This tool RSF says, “shows how hatred of journalists has degenerated into
It’s James Marape
By Samisoni Pareti James Marape is the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. National parliament voted overwhelmingly for Marape when it took the vote for Prime Minister today. He won 101 votes to 8, beating the other
O’Neill quits as PNG Prime Minister
By Samisoni Pareti Papua New Guinea will have a new Prime Minister tomorrow. This follows the announcement by the incumbent Peter O’Neill that he has tendered his resignation during a visit to the nation’s governor