Fiji wins UN presidency role
HISTORY was made last month when Fiji’s ambassador to the United Nations Peter Thomson won the votes to become President of the upcoming 71st session of the UN General Assembly. He beat leading diplomat of Cyprus,
2016
Solomons challenge
Auditor-General highlights lack of record keeping THE lack of public sector asset record keeping is a growing management issue for the Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands Auditor-General Peter Lokay said the asset
Game of thrones
Customary disputes divide Wallis and Futuna THE French state has effectively chosen sides in a long-running dispute over the monarchy in Uvea, despite a convention to stay out of local customary affairs in Wallis
Vanuatu steps up
GOVERNMENT and Opposition have both been on winning streaks in Vanuatu this month. And they have been appropriately complimented by Head of State Baldwin Lonsdale. In his attempt to open the First Ordinary Sitting of
Air deal links
China finds new door to region A NEW tripartite codeshare service has thrown the door wide open to Asian markets. This month marked the beginning of links between Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu using
Pope suspends bishop
Church takes hard stand against abuse THE head of the Roman Catholic Church in Guam has been suspended over allegations of sexual impropriety. Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, who has led the Agana Archdiocese for 30
PNG bishops stop the rot
People focus of new laws LAST year the Roman Catholic Church in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Kiribati moved swiftly to put in place guidelines to stop sexual abuse by priests and teachers on orders from Pope Francis. Deeply
Time for tolerance
WITH the decriminalisation in Nauru of homosexuality under the Crimes Decree, many questions will surface from concerned individuals and civil society organizations. There will be a number of nongovernment organisations
Pacific islands to bear costs of PACER-Plus
PACIFIC island governments must retain their right to regulate to protect their national development interests as sovereign states, argues a report commissioned by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) on the
Whispers
FAMILY connection … So a senior member of Fiji’s media fraternity found himself aged 55 and recommended for retirement under Civil Service regulations. Hoping for special consideration due to his high-level
The dark side of the trade deal
Pacific nations can open up markets without help of our big brothers THE Pacific Network on Globalisation has been vocal on its opposition to the PACER-Plus trade agreement. It has been at the forefront of civil
Stuck in the slum
Corruption investigation into NGO activities WHEN Fijian Prime Minister, RearAdmiral Frank Bainimarama, handed out keys to the residents of Lagilagi Housing Estate in November 2013, he was giving homes to the
Growth masks Palau’s flaws
ADB highlights setback in policy enforcement. TOURISM continues to be Palau’s bread and butter and a contributed to its economic growth for the past two years but a recent private sector assessment by the Asian
What is Lagilagi Estate?
LAGILAGI (Fijian for Glorious) is a portion land in what was once the Jittu Estate in Fiji’s capital, Suva. In the late 1960s and early 1970s it was the largest squatter settlement in Fiji, housing families from
Smoke and mirrors
The regional scourge of tobacco TOBACCO remains a major contributor to non-communicable diseases in this region. Smokers are more susceptible to coronary artery disease, diabetes and infections involving the lungs,
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