How two unis are responding to COVID
When Islands Business met with leaders from the University of the South Pacific recently, they were just hours away from making the decision to cancel the year’s graduation ceremonies in Fiji. It was the start of the
Delving into digital: Kina finds its sweet spot
The entry of Papua New Guinea’s Kina bank into the fairly competitive Fiji market later this year will bring a range of digital products that should stimulate further innovation in the sector and more choice for
Oil exploration talks revived in Palau
By Bernadette H. Carreon Proponents behind the efforts to drill exploratory oil and gas wells in one of Palau’s outlying states are reviving the plan, optimistic that the administration of President Surangel Whipps
Collected conversations: Iliesa Samu’s ‘They Said’
By Iliesa Tora First it was Sandalwood Blood. Now it’s They Said. Two books in a space of seven years, authored by a Fijian in Tonga, Iliesa Samu Lala. Now 72 years old, the almost-7-foot giant of a man’s
Near horizons: Vunilagi’s community literacy efforts
“Our children are valuable and we have the responsibility to ensure that they are educated; that they have the basic needs to go through school.” That’s the firmly-held belief of Vunilagi Book Club
Lordi- Where’s your daddy?
By Dennis Rounds I recently built up enough courage to take a pot-holed ride from the growingly decrepit western division to Fiji’s seat of power and burgeoning wealth, Suva. Along the way, I was entertained by
Opinion: The lowdown on Fiji
By Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola In drawing to conclude ‘What Is to Become of USP?’ (see Islands Business August 2020), I acquiesced to the prospect that the University may already be undergoing transition from a
Opinion: Forum’s moral failure for Melanesians
By Professor Wadan Narsey During the recent crisis over the appointment of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat's new Secretary General (former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna), much public debate occurred
Palau travel bubble hits a snag
By Bernadette H. Carreon The travel bubble between Taiwan and Palau is in danger of popping following low interest from Taiwanese tourists to take a holiday from a year of COVID-19 border restrictions.
Training Coalition faces a reckoning
By Samantha Magick A multimillion-dollar program aimed at supporting “a more prosperous Pacific driven by a skilled, competitive and productive workforce” is undergoing controversial changes which could have
Vale finally sells nickel assets in New Caledonia
By Nic Maclellan After months of political dispute, the Brazilian corporation Vale has finally sold its Goro nickel smelter and other assets in New Caledonia’s Southern Province. The new owners Prony Resources and
