Movers and Shakers
The Pacific Community (SPC) has appointed Elsie Fukofuka as its Regional Director, Polynesia, stationed at its regional office in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Tuvalu’s new Prime Minister, Feleti Teo has named key ministerial
Latest Magazine Articles
Black Wednesday: PNG’s Tinder Box explodes
Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, is recovering from looting and burning of businesses in its National Capital District (NCD) after members of the PNG Police Force went on strike last month. “Black
Opinion: The politics of riots in Melanesia
The riots that erupted in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, on January 10 have left a trail of destruction likely to have severe political ramifications. Such disturbances in Melanesia’s major cities are not
Sky-high hopes from Starlink
But experts say it's not the sole solution In the vast expanse of the Pacific, where connectivity challenges have persisted for decades, the arrival of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, is creating
Whispers
Is Tuvalu next? Is Australia heading for another major embarrassment with Tuvalu in its geopolitical strategy in the South Pacific? There were strong indications in the hours before this edition of Islands Business went
Whose tune is sweetest in the Pacific game of musical chairs?
Soon after Australia signed the Falepili union agreement with Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in December, there was chatter that Nauru was next on the list for a similar deal with the Australians.
WHO watches for new covid variants
Three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more than 774 million confirmed cases and more than seven million reported deaths globally, according to recent statistics by the World Health
Dropouts declining, but education challenges remain
Analysis of 2021 data on student retention and attrition of students indicates that student dropouts are gradually decreasing in the region. Data collected by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
The growing impact of technology on education
Technology has had an increasingly significant impact on the education sector, with mobile phone technology upscaling the delivery and accessibility of education in the Pacific, and the growth of artificial intelligence
Pacific women and online abuse
Fijian women are bearing the brunt of online abuse, says the country’s Online Safety Commission (OSC). The OSC says 61.44% of Fijian women experience this form of violence while men account for 38.56%. Facebook
Opinion: The standoff between Tonga’s King and government
Tonga: Early last week, the Secretary of Tonga’s Privy Council wrote to the Chief Secretary (Secretary to Cabinet and to the Prime Minister), saying: “I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty in Council’s
Eroni Leilua, the Samoan Olympian
Having qualified for his second Olympic Games in Paris this year, Samoa’s sailing champion Eroni Leilua recalls how it all started for him while growing up in the village of Vaivase Uta in Upolu, Samoa. “Growing up
Lifting through his struggles: Taniela Rainibogi
Fiji’s new-found weightlifting sensation, Taniela Rainibogi, is powering his way to becoming one of the biggest names in Pacific sports, after becoming the first weightlifter from his country to win a medal in a
Briefs
American Samoa American Samoa’s government has passed a bill that will prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers, with fines of up to US$1000 for its importing, sale, and use. In 2019, a bill was drafted to
Movers and Shakers
Si'alei Van Toor is New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Samoa. She is the first person of Samoan heritage to take up the role and is accredited as New Zealand's Consul-General to American Samoa. Elizabeth Genia
The 2024 Pacific Forecast: A Turn for the Worse?
It’s 2024. Heading towards the halfway mark of this decade, the Pacific’s landscape is vastly different from four years ago, gripped in a steadily escalating set of challenges that may well define what the next
Forging Australian priorities for the region
US President Joe Biden designated former Ambassador Frankie Reed as the first-ever US Envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum in 2022. Beijing appointed Qian Bo in February 2023 as Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries
Opinion: One year down, a mixed bag of results for Fiji’s coalition
When Sitiveni Rabuka narrowly won the parliamentary vote to become Fiji Prime Minister a year ago on Christmas Eve 2022, his position looked extremely precarious. With only a one-seat majority, the new coalition
Opinion: COP28 marks the end of business as usual for the Blue Pacific
The United Nations climate talks (COP28) concluded in Dubai delivered a mixed bag of outcomes for the Pacific. An early highlight during these annual talks was the agreement to operationalise a loss and damage
COP28: Short of the finish line
After almost 30 years of haggling over the planet’s future at COP meetings, climate activists descended on COP28 in Dubai in December, intent on achieving the phasing out of fossil fuels. Instead, the meeting approved
Scaling up renewable energy in the Pacific
A rural electrification project launched in Fiji last month will take electricity to almost 200 households from renewable energy sources, with project lead, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) highlighting the increasing
Whispers
Which way after Tuvalu?So, what’s next for Australia’s strategy in the region, after the Falepili agreement with Tuvalu? There are noises there could be another such agreement in the works with Fiji, while the