Opinion: As Western banks leave the Pacific, a new player emerges
Australian banks are gradually withdrawing from the Pacific Islands, leaving the region at risk of being totally disconnected from the global banking system. Bendigo Bank is exiting Nauru, while Westpac has floated
Sailing to sustainability
The arrival of the SV Juren Ae into Majuro Lagoon under full sail at the end of last month was a majestic sight. It was also an important moment for sustainable shipping in our region. In 2020, Marshall Islands
Turning the tide: Inside the longest strike in Fiji’s history
Thirty-three years after it started, Fiji’s longest strike by workers at the Vatukoula Gold Mines came to an end in June, with the Coalition government promising a payout of FJ$9.2 million (US$4.6 million) for the
Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: What’s Next?
On August 2, ballots for the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) closed for eight participating countries, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau who each received a two-week extension. Whether
Restoring visions of paradise
“The meaning of my Japanese name is ‘naked autumn trees clothed by the falls of gentle snowflakes’,” says Samoan artist, Yuki Kihara. “It [speaks of] seasonal changes between autumn and winter, and I kind of
Water: A Connector, Not a Sector
Pacific water expert, Pitolau Lusia Sefo-Leau says the Pacific region is “far from achieving” the goal of having universal access to water and sanitation by 2030 or SDG6. “I feel that there is something very wrong
Briefs
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Star Marianas Air, a commuter airline that provides passenger and air cargo service in the Northern Marianas, plans to terminate its air services to these locations effective
USP Fiji staff vote to go on strike for the second time in 5 months
University of the South Pacific staff in Fiji, where the University is headquartered, have voted to go on strike for the second time in five months, this time demanding to have Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia
Fijian writers launch new book on equality
Emerging Fijian writers, Stephanie Datt Wise and Asish Vinay Prasad, have launched a new chapbook to further conversations around the topic of equality. ‘The After’ is 23 pages of poems and short
Opinion: Free(r) movement at the Forum
The annual Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) always has a wide-ranging agenda. This year the FEMM, which was held at the start of August in Suva, endorsed the now-finalised but yet-to-be-released
Migrant workers feeling the impact of New Zealand’s economic crisis
Hundreds of jobs in the New Zealand meat sector have been “discreetly” lost over the last 18 months and this is due to a decline in livestock breeding numbers, industry officials say. In January last year, the
