Opinion: Tapestry of Pacific ambiguities: Political tensions against the backdrop of FestPac celebrations
The focus of the Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, is always culture, and the 13th iteration held in June 2024 in Hawai’i was no different. More than two dozen island nations sent delegations of dancers,
Opinion: FestPAC: Protecting Oceania and charting future voyages
It’s the first time the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, which starts Thursday, will be held in Hawaii. The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific
Opinion: It’s important to acknowledge PNG’s own interests with China
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected in Papua New Guinea this weekend to sign an agreement clearing the way for PNG’s agricultural exports to enter the Chinese market. This step has already caught
March 2024 Vol 50 No. 3
Threatened strike action, a drop in student numbers and questions over leadership: where is USP heading? Fiji’s support for Israel at the ICJ: An international blunder, or domestic strategy? Is the Pacific moving
Whispers
Nauru-Fiji-TuvaluWhen Nauru did the flip on Taiwan in February, it sent the temperature soaring in Canberra as all eyes turned towards the upcoming election in Tuvalu, to see whether a pro- or anti-Taiwan candidate
Briefs
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas A special committee has been formed to look into the unpaid utility bills of the government of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, which has now ballooned to a whopping
Bill to fund U.S. Government includes money to counter China in Pacific
U.S. congressional negotiators released a bill Sunday that would fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year, which began in October 2023. Among provisions in the appropriations package are
RMI President questions US commitment on COFA funding
Republic of Marshall Islands President, Hilda Heine, has questioned whether the Marshalls have reached a crossroads in its relationship with the United States. As Marshallese gathered to commemorate Nuclear Victims
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.
Taiwan congratulates Hilda Heine as RMI new President
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has extended Taipei’s congratulations to new Marshall Islands’ President, Hilda Heine. Heine assumed the presidency following a vote among newly sworn-in legislators
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
