Three Opposition MPs suspended in Nauru
Crackdown against critics continues Police intervention was required twice in Nauru’s parliament as government and opposition MPs clashed over the suspension of three Opposition members last month. The standoff
LNG project absorbs skilled workers in PNG
Calls for more job training Operators of Papua New Guinea’s new liquefied natural gas export company have trained nearly 10,000 locals for production and delivery roles as the region’s biggest commercial
Selling the Pacific to the world under one roof
SPTE 2014 a ‘success,’ says organisers Pacific’s national tourism offices have given thumbs up to efforts by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to organise a regional tourism buyer and
Big construction project in Chuuk in limbo
Legal wrangle holds up road work After huge cost overruns, major delays and problems with faulty designs, the largest construction project ever undertaken in the Federated States of Micronesia is now at a standstill
10,000 foreign workers to go in the Marianas
US Labour Secretary has until July 4 “It will be a disaster,” said Juan T. Guerrero, general manager of the largest and oldest bakery in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as he ponders on the
Air Marshall Islands’ ongoing downward spiral
Lack of money fuels air woes In 2003, an ADB report said: “The financial position of Air Marshall Islands is precarious—it has never made an operating profit and depends heavily on government
Coastal flooding to threaten Vanuatu
Technology predicts catastrophe More than 3000 people displaced by coastal flooding and large sections of Vanuatu’s two main towns inundated is the catastrophic scenario predicted by the end of the century. Coastal
Revival of a disappearing resource
SPC and partners work to rebuild green snail fishery in Vanuatu Human activity has had profound effects on the productivity of fisheries resources. In the future, climate change could have similarly devastating impacts
Whispers
‘Different animal:’ Fiji is a different animal when it comes to tourism. That’s the verdict of a seasoned Pacific tourism campaigner when confronted by Fiji’s aggressive presence in the
Samoa-born Leapai loses fight but $1million richer
Declares “bigger, badder” comeback IT was a fight doomed to favour his opponent yet Samoan-born Alex Leapai entered the world stage ring with an outside chance. He had a few die-hard optimists in his corner
Carsasses’ out, Natuman’s in
I t had all the guile and secrecy of a commando raid. And as much impact. This was the demise of Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses after 14 months in the top job. He entered parliament on May 15 confident he had
A cheap wood-fired cooking stove for the islands
Most islands in the Pacific notably Melanesian countries of Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and PNG have no shortage of wood fuel for cooking. When I analysed the 2008-09 Household Income and Expenditure Survey for the
Lack of data affects tuna stock assessments
Foreign fishing nations who benefit immensely from fishing in the Western and Central Pacific region’s US$7.2 billion fishery are not releasing valuable tuna stock data needed to manage and sustain the industry.
World Oceans Day – 8 June
“We are the sea. We are the ocean. We must wake up to this ancient truth.” – Professor Epeli Hau’ofa The oceans play a vital role in supporting all life on Earth. The oxygen in every third breath
Donations to flood victims in Solomons mount
The two-day flash flooding that began on April 2 struck at the heart of Solomon Islands The two-day flash flooding that began on April 2 struck at the heart of Solomon Islands’ administrative and business and
Australian budget cuts affect TV, climate research
The Australian Government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced its first budget on 13 May and took a hit in the polls. The budget saw significant reductions in spending on domestic health, education and welfare
Mr. Nickel
SMSP’s Andre D ang transforms New Caledonia’s nickel industry It’s just days before New Caledonia’s elections and Andre Dang is angry. The conservative majority in the Southern Province Assembly
Coconut craze with virgin natural oil
Acoconut oil craze has been circulating beauty parlours around the world for the last couple of years – that it is a miracle answer to skin infections and it’s a natural way to remove makeup. So much so that
Nauru Debacle
Your article on Nauru (IB March 2014) contains many inaccuracies and accepts as true untested and generalised defamatory allegations from unnamed persons against ex magistrate Peter Law. I note as follows; Firstly,
Slumbering elephant awakens
India, often described as a sleeping elephant in contrast to the Chinese dragon, has thrown up a clear verdict for change. With a new prime minister and an all-new government, what will this mean for the world – and
It’s a ‘Win-Win’ Scenario
One of the most oft quoted traditional Maori proverbs goes, “He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!” This simple, universally relevant and permanently valid home truth translates as,
Tourism is the winner
I t is rare that positive news from the Pacific Islands region makes it to the world stage. More often than not, it is for all the alarming reasons that the islands find themselves making global headlines. In most cases
Curb on Overfishing
At a major business event in Papua New Guinea late last year, the audience heard from a number of industry leaders about the great business opportunities that this fast growing economy of the region had on offer. While
