Restraint in the face of China
NEW Zealand has been quite restrained in how it has publicly approached the issue of China’s provocative territorial expansion in the South China Sea. Although Australia hasn’t been shy about taking what is
2016 June
Australia’s elections and the Pacific
AUSTRALIAN voters go to the polls on 2 July, after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called a double dissolution of both Houses of Parliament on 8 May. Halfway through the lengthy 55-day electoral campaign,
O’Neill survives for now
Financial woes, legal wrangles, public protests mount against PNG leader IT has been a turbulent month in Papua New Guinea as students from four universities boycotted class and demanded for the Prime Minister, Peter
Sex scandal rocks church
Altar boy claims mirror film script SURROUNDED by family, friends and supporters, Roy Taitague Quintanilla, 52, stood in front of the Archdiocese of Hagåtña Chancery and revealed a tormenting secret he had
Bank pushes tourism presence
THE growing middle class in China and India means more travellers from those markets over the next five years. It also means possible investment outside those two economic giants in smaller countries, including the
Vanuatu revival time
Ready for business after repairs VANUATU is back on line after two major disasters – Category Five Cyclone Pam in 2015 and the closure of the runway at its international airport early this year. Cyclone Pam took
The big push North
THE Chinese and Indian markets has been the focus of many Pacific hotels, airlines and travel companies at a tourism exchange on the Gold Coast last month. Chinese tour companies who attended the Bank South Pacific
1 million and counting
Region pushes for more tourists CAUTION – the one word that describes the response of regional tourist destinations to a World Bank reports which predicts revenue gains of up to $US1.8 billion per year and 128,000
Walk the talk
LAST month Fiji marked the 137th year of the arrival of the first Indian labourers under the indenture system. Just under 61,000 labourers were transported to Fiji from India beginning in 1879 under what was to become
Where was the Pacific?
Conference offers answers but no seats A MODERN day land-based engineering feat which has added 250 metres of the coastline of eight kilometres long on the northern coast of the Netherlands is being hailed as one of the
Whispers
GRAFT probe … There must be some uneasy politicians and former politicians in the island republic of Kiribati now that the new government has initiated steps to establish an anti-corruption commission. Despite
From banking to life saving
The woman behind Guam’s first private hospital FOR many years, Guam depended on the government-run Guam Memorial Hospital for medical care. But due to limited services offered at the problematic public
The Region in BRIEF
Tuna Day THE Parties to the Nauru Agreement and the Pacific Small Islands Developing States celebrated World Tuna day at the United Nations last month. It was the first time the event was celebrated at the UN since
World Bank eyes our tuna
Islands need to exploit resource to be key driver of economic growth THE World Bank has just released a futuristic report on the tuna fishery of the Pacific Islands, only confirming what owners of the tuna stock in
No pain, no gain for Hayne
Hard yards to go ahead of Rio for Fijian code hopper THE barrage of negative publicity when Jarryd Hayne chose to join the Fiji team for the London leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series was not a surprise.
Eyes on the skies
Kiribati looks to expand WITH limited freight space and a growing fresh tuna industry, Kiribati has been forced to look at fleet expansion and a return to international flights. Aviation industry insiders point to the
Guns for cops
AFTER RAMSI Provinces support armed forces WHEN Solomon Islands police officers walk onto Honiara’s streets with pistols, they will become the first armed force outside of former United States territories. With
Proceed with caution
THE Solomon Islands’ decision to selectively arm members of its police force must be a matter for extreme concern. For it points to the need for protection of the public and the government from the threat of armed
Indonesia makes tactical move
West Papua human rights abuses continue JAKARTA’S diplomacy in the region is a sight to behold. With the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia’s independence movement and Vanuatu committed to allowing West
Cultural survival and revival
“YOU can’t buy any of the materials you’ll find in these necklaces,” says Chonj Floryne, a jewellery artist from Tahiti, who creates native accessories from coconut fibre, seashells and black
Indonesia is not Melanesia
LATE last week, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement rejecting the Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s comments on the issue of West Papua and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). In his