New benchmarks for Australian aid
Bishop announces ODA cuts and reviews As Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joined members of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group (MCG) in Suva last month, she highlighted Australia’s new
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Fiji back from the cold?
FiMCG anticipates Fiji’s full Forum participation Fiji is coming back in from the cold. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s announcement that he would step down as military commander on February 28, then on
PM Lilo on a cleanup footing
But will he have the time to complete the job? As his nation prepares for the national general election later this year, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo, is a man whose leadership is under siege. And he
Why I was sacked: Pokajam
Members of the PNA (Parties to the Nauru Agreement) meet in Honiara on March 5-14 to discuss a number of important issues pertaining to their success. For instance what to do with the US$93 million—and that is how
Former AG convicted of public corruption
Focus now shifts to former gov’s extradition In yet another “first” for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and buoyed by a multi-year movement to rid the government of corruption, former
Climate Karma—chickens come home to roost?
According to popular climate change lore, the continuous spewing of carbon and harmful greenhouse gases over nearly 200 years, primarily by western nations, is what has caused the earth to warm up irrevocably these past
Nurturing Entrepreneurs: Key to Economic Growth
Across the Asia-Pacific region, the news is mixed when it comes to ease of doing business, but at least the Pacific Islands are better than the likes of Burma and Somalia. Or, are they? When it comes to doing business,
Land of business and opportunties
Starting from the first March 2014, Papua New Guinea is implementing new rules for Australian nationals visiting the country. The visa on arrival regime will be discontinued. Visitors wishing to travel to Papua New
New SIVB boss outlines plans
Josefa Tuamoto once Fiji’s top tourism marketing official is now taking his vast years of experience to the Solomon Islands. Last month, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) announced Tuamoto’s
Fiji to sharpen teeth on money laundering
Interception of communication through such means as the tapping of telephones lines will soon be legalised in Fiji as part of national effort to combat money laundering and anti-terrorism
Sold for Sex!
Ongoing police investigation into a human trafficking racket in Fiji has uncovered the exploitation of two 12-year old girls who are allegedly being sold for
Tattoo business takes off in Samoa
The gift the Fijians gave away When the gift of tattoo was given to Samoan twin girls in Fiji, they swam all the way to Samoa to perform the first tatau. It was a gift that’s lasted thousands of years and while the
New mag shines light on Pacific’s health issues
Alarming stats for islanders It has been known for some time now that people of Pacific Islands origin living in New Zealand find themselves overrepresented in health-related statistics—particularly around
Memory loss linked to starch and sugar-laden diets
A big worry for Pacific islanders Forget weight gain—long-term spatial memory loss has now been linked to starch and sugar-laden diets as a warning to Pacific islanders over their lifestyle of high fat traditional
More cyclones loom for the region?
As many as 11 predicted in next 3 months It’s been slow in coming this season but the next three months could bring as many as 11 cyclones to the Pacific islands region. In the preceding 2012-13 November-April
Wetlands and agriculture— partnering for sustainability
We commemorate World Wetlands Day on February 2, each year to mark the birthday of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This is an international environment agreement that now has 168 contracting parties, with 2,170
Measuring sea level rise in the Pacific
Crucial for decisionmakers Anticipating the effects of climate change on sea level is a pressing task, particularly in the Pacific. Getting hard data on sea level into the hands of decisionmakers and scientists is one
Low copra prices prompts Karkar’s bio-fuel diesel
The plummeting world copra prices has forced copra plantation owners to look for other avenues to raise the value of their copra. The average price per metric tonne of copra is now just over US$700, down from US$1,500
PM confident Samoa will do well after LDC
New Year’s Day 2014 will be remembered as the day that Samoa left the group of countries considered the least developed in the world. For many years, Samoa had managed to stay as an LDC for many years. The
Yazaki Samoa cuts working hours
The weekly 40 working hours for some 800 Yazaki Samoa factory workers will be reduced starting February to 32 hours. It’s a decision the management of the wire harnessing group says has been taken instead of
PNG launches first national security policy
Security institutions neglected: O’Neil The PNG government has chosen a new Commander for the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF)—Colonel Gilbert Toropo, the former Commanding Officer of the 1st
Gov Inos deals with land issues
US withholds transfer of 5 offshore lands U.S. President Barack Obama signed on Sept. 18, 2013 a law conveying 3-mile submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, only to temporarily withhold the
New MP Tausi to be the next Speaker?
Parliament to decide in March or April Expect a new Speaker for Tuvalu’s parliament when parliament sits either in March or April. Following the Nanumaga by-election on January 14—Otinielu Tausi won the seat
