Wellington eyes strategic denial in the Cook Islands
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ row with the Cook Islands government in February was every bit as odd as his January quarrel with the President of Kiribati. It arose after the Cook Islands Prime Minister,
Confronting geopolitics in Pacific regional diplomacy
In the past two years, concerns about strategic competition and the increasingly uncertain and unpredictable global order have started to take a more central place in the foreign policy and security discourses of the
Risky business: Bridging the insurance gap
The insurance gap is not only a Pacific Island problem. Australia faces a massive insurance gap that leaves home and business owners increasingly vulnerable to either dealing with disasters without being fully insured
Parametric Insurance: A door of opportunity?
Less than a fornight after an earthquake devastated Port Vila on December 17, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) was on a plane to the Vanuatu capital, a US$1.2 million
Insurance sector taps into AI
The insurance industry is under pressure to transform. This shift is global, and is about improving customer experience and ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in a highly competitive
Insurance grows but faces challenges
The general insurance sector in Fiji has maintained a positive performance in 2023, growing 8%.Despite facing challenges such as rising claims costs and increasing competition, the sector showed resilience and is poised
Misogyny on the rise: But women fight back
The opening session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) meeting in New York this month heard that “misogyny is on the rise.” Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, said women and girls are
PNG needs to end “Horrifying Violence”
A staggering 3.414 million Papua New Guinea women may experience intimate partner violence this year, according to statistics provided by the country’s National Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Secretariat this month. They
Movers and Shakers
Former Papua New Guinea Chief Justice and Madang Governor, Sir Arnold Amet, has been appointed asthe new PNG Ambassador to the United States of America. Palau has appointed Stan Shih, founder of Taiwan’s PC brand Acer
Paradise Lost: Eight years later, Freesoul site still a mess
A company found guilty of destruction on Malolo Island is still to rehabilitate the site, years after the judgement. While the case against Freesoul Real Estate Development (Fiji) over destruction on Malolo Island was
Kangava community demands justice for 2019 oil spill
The customary landowners of Kangava Bay in the Solomon Islands have filed a claim with the Solomon Islands High Court for damages caused by a 2019 oil spill, the worst of its kind in the nation. The claim was filed
Cook Islands PM’s challenges go beyond China
It’s a cold weekend in one of the coldest cities in Northeast China. Just before heading back to Rarotonga from a controversial mission to China, Prime Minister Mark Brown stepped outside to film one of his regular
New Zealand’s strange diplomatic stoush with Kiribati
The squabbles between New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters and heads of government in Kiribati and the Cook Islands have been denounced by some as neo-colonial grandstanding but welcomed by others as
We say: It’s time to stop the rot
Five years ago, Pacific leaders recognised the worrying levels of corruption which existed throughout the region. To manifest their concern, the Teieniwa Vision was signed as a commitment towards rooting out systemic
Whispers
Kava questionsFiji is taking the battle for the kava market to the United States, of all places. A large delegation led by Assistant Minister Tomasi Tunabuna visited the US, apparently in response to the growing of kava
Providing stability and school
When a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu in December 2024, it left a trail of destruction, damaging schools, disrupting learning, and adding another layer of trauma to children already vulnerable to the impacts of
The tide turns: Fresh approach to regional education
On a bush track in the interior of Fiji’s mani island, Viti Levu, three weary colleagues trudge toward a village, barely visible through the mist. The team from the Regional Institute for Leadership Development is on
Envisioning ocean literacy across the Pacific
Students at the International School Suva (ISS) learn about the ocean from the moment they step through the school gates. Under the leadership of the Whole School Ocean Coordinator Hannah Nanovu, the school is not just
Trump’s foreign aid freeze: Who will step in for the Pacific
Programs addressing domestic violence, renewable energy, literacy, hospital infrastructure, fisheries management, media capacity building, transport and infrastructure, and health procurement are amongst the many
Fiji’s Garment Industry at (another) crossroads
Look at the label on your clothing, and chances are it will tell you it is made in China, India, Bangladesh, or Vietnam. If it is Pacific wear, the tag may read Fiji or one of her neighbours. Fiji once had a thriving
Pacific Designers: The survivors, young guns and patriarch
Pasifika designs, with their bold and unapologetic aesthetic, have become a powerful symbol of cultural identity for those seeking a deeper connection to the Pacific way of life. Showcased through clothing or
Briefs
American SamoaThe Department of Human and Social Services (DHSS) in American Samoa is investigating Samoans who have returned to Samoa but continue to receive food stamp benefits. DHSS Director Panisia Neueli told a