Reviving the coffee industry on Tanna Island
Coffee is one of the main sources of livelihood for the people of Tanna Island. Home to one of the Pacific’s few active volcanoes, Yasur, its rich soils, abundant sunshine and rainfall, makes Tanna one of the best
MINING High risk, controversial business
On Viti Levu, the areas marked with shaded red are all prospective mining areas where 55 companies are currently carrying out works to see what minerals or metals can be found. The major player in the Namosi area is
Scars of Bougainville
WITH the looming referendum and the future of the Bougainville copper mine hanging in the loop, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s recent appointment of himself as Minister for Bougainville Affairs in a recent
TREATY CRISIS
Boats, payments in limbo THE U.S. government officially announced in mid-January that it is pulling out of the U.S. Pacific islands fisheries treaty, a move that starts a 12-month clock ticking to terminate the nearly
De Brum’s coalition a ‘show’
TWO months after the Pacific joined the world in adopting a new agreement on climate change, news are just emerging that all was not well within the Pacific Island Counties. Finally responding to questions submitted to
Vunibobo: A man of many seasons
A TREASURED document amongst war and modern history aficionados is an old sepia programme entitled “Official Programme of the VICTORY CELEBRATIONS 8th June 1946,” commemorating victory in Europe Day in
Time for regional fuel plans
LAST month the price of crude fell below the $USD30 a barrel mark for the first time since the beginning of the global economic recession. It took but a few days for petrol prices to fall by up to 21 cents in Tonga. But
BACK IN TIME
Former Fiji politician KC Ramrakha, ran foul of the Indian-dominated National Federation Party during the faction fighting of 1977. He speaks to Islands Business about politics, sugar and life. AS a student from Fiji
Whispers
FOR all they do and say about good governance and transparency among state players in our part of the ocean, non-governmental organisations or civil society agencies or non-state actors, however you want to call them,
Poll twists and turns
THE election of the Marshall Islands’ — and the independent Pacific’s first — head of state in late January followed a rollercoaster series of leadership twists and turns in this north Pacific
Battle for top job
IN what may be a record in the Pacific islands for speed of a no confidence motion following election, just three days after Casten Nemra’s inauguration as the new President of the Marshall Islands on January 11,