Fiji’s provident fund frees up $5.3m for natural disaster assistance
A spate of tropical cyclones has hit Fiji and other Pacific Islands in the past few months, causing widespread damage and flooding in low-lying areas. Image: Dept of Information/Wansolwara By Wansolwara News staff The Fiji National Provident Fund has released $5.33 million in flood assistance funds to 6351 members in the aftermath of two recently […]
Read More →PNG court overturns loggers ban on custom landowners entering own land
Landowners win six-year legal battle in Pomio District, site of a controversial Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) where large tracts of rainforest have been logged and replaced by oil palm plantations. Image: Scott Waide/EMTV By Scott Waide in LaeA group of customary landowners in Papua New Guinea has regained access to their land following a […]
Read More →NZ to give $6 million boost for USPNet telecommunications upgrade
USPNet … the regional University of the South Pacific’s satellite educational communications system. Image: USP By Salote Qalubau in Suva The New Zealand government has committed $NZ6 million ($F8.84 million) to improve the University of the South Pacific’s digital e-learning sector. The commitment was revealed by USP Vice-Chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra during the unveiling of […]
Read More →Governor Juffa, police crack down on PNG’s Collingwood Bay illegal logging
“When fully laden, a ship like this leaves Papua New Guinea shores every week with stolen forest resources. Shipped by transnational criminal cartels posing as developers. When filled, one of these shipments rakes in between K6 million and K7 million for the pirates … every week.,” writes Governor Juffa on Instagram. Image: Juffa/Instagram By Scott […]
Read More →Gary Juffa: How we can stop criminal cartels stealing our PNG forests
Police action squad dealing to illegal loggers in Oro province of Papua New Guinea. Image: Gary Juffa/FB OPINION: By Gary Juffa In the ongoing saga of stopping illegal logging in Papua New Guinea’s Oro province, our facts reveal that the PNG Forest Authority is failing our people. A network exists whereby a few corrupt public […]
Read More →Breaking the glass ceiling – two women top Vanuatu ministry
By Jane Joshua in Port Vila Vanuatu’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade is proud to have two women appointed to the top positions of First Political Adviser and Second Political Adviser – Anthea Arukole and Jeanette Yiu-Hing Faerua respectively. These two are the only women to occupy these leading political adviser […]
Read More →Op-Ed: To achieve gender equality, we need women entrepreneurs
To achieve gender equality, we need women entrepreneurs Op-Ed by Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr. Shamshad Akhtar. In 2018, we have an opportunity to accelerate progress towards gender equality. Movements such as #MeToo have shone the spotlight on an unacceptable status quo and demonstrated how too many women the world over continue to […]
Read More →New Timor treaty will finally set borders to resolve oil, gas row
ANALYSIS: By Tom Clarke Timor-Leste and Australia has signed a maritime boundary agreement at the UN headquarters in New York today, putting their long-running border dispute to rest. Although the finer details of the treaty remained under wraps, all reports suggest that the Timorese will secure their permanent maritime boundaries and a fairer share of […]
Read More →NZ Foreign Minister questions China’s influence in the Pacific
Foreign Minister Winston Peters flags a stronger NZ Pacific aid policy and prime ministers Jacinda Ardern and Malcolm Turnbull discuss New Zealand and Australia friendship and differences in policies. Video: Qldaah/ABC New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters has again hinted the Ardern government may exit China’s One Belt One Road initiative as Wellington “resets” its […]
Read More →Tongan police charge Lord Tu’ivakanō with bribery in passport saga probe
By Kalino Latu, editor of Kaniva News The king’s noble and former Prime Minister, Lord Tu’ivakanō has been charged with passport offences, money laundering and bribery. Police arrested the former Speaker of Parliament yesterday. “Lord Tu’ivakanō has been charged with numerous crimes, including making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport, perjury, […]
Read More →Accidents expose lax safety hitting Indonesia’s infrastructure projects
By Sarah Yuniarni in Jakarta A recent string of accidents in major construction projects in Indonesia has raised concerns of lax safety standards as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo pushes on with his ambitious infrastructure drive. Last week, a retaining wall at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta collapsed and crushed a passing car, killing one man […]
Read More →Philippine mining company wins Bougainville search licence
By Franklin Kolma The Autonomous Bougainville Government has granted its second mining exploration licence to a Philippine company in a low-key event at Tunania, the seaside home of Bougainville crisis commander of rebel forces Sam Kauona. The event was set against the sombre double backdrop of the bloody crisis which had begun as a protest […]
Read More →A timely climate media strategy to empower citizens
BOOKS: By David Robie, editor of Pacific Journalism Review At the time of reviewing this important and timely book, Hurricane Irma had just ripped a trail of unprecedented destruction from Antigua, Barbuda and Saint Barthélemy in the eastern Caribbean to Florida with at least 81 deaths. Florida involved one of the largest mass evacuations in […]
Read More →Michael Powles: ‘Recolonising’ the Pacific would stir security backlash
Australian Foreign Policy White Paper … “Opportunity, Security, Strength” but a step too far for New Zealand. Image: Aust govt ANALYSIS: By Michael Powles with Anna Powles Australia’s recent Foreign Policy White Paper says that Australia’s approach in the region will focus on “helping to integrate Pacific countries in the Australian and New Zealand economies […]
Read More →Indonesia prone to cyber attacks up to the 2025, says digital expert
Anonymous Indonesia … cybersecurity in the country is regarded as being “in its infancy”. Image: Tech In Asia Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Indonesia is predicted to be prone to cyber attacks from this year until 2025, says a media communication and technology consultant. A.T. Kearney’s media communication and technology researcher Germaine Hoe Yen Yi says […]
Read More →Bougainville autonomy ‘positive’ but improvements needed, says poll report
PNG’s NRI researchers present Bougainville referendum reports. Video: EMTV News By Meriba Tulo in Port Moresby The autonomous arrangements for Bougainville have been described as positive. However, there is also room for improvement – among these, the need for the effective use of knowledge, capacity and time. These were points highlighted this week during a […]
Read More →Poor Vanuatu pay ruling risks negative impact on security, say upset police
Vanuatu police in the Manaro rescue operation last year on Ambae. Image: Richard Nanua/Vanuatu Daily Post By Richard M. Nanua in Port Vila Some Vanuatu police officers have raised dissatisfaction on the implementation of the Government Remuneration Tribunal (GRT) ruling taking effect today, claiming it might negatively impact on security in the country. After receiving […]
Read More →Momis calls for unity as Bougainville future status referendum nears
EMTV News report on the call for unity. By Aloysius Laukai in Buka The Autonomous Bougainville Government president, Chief Dr John Momis, has called on the people of the region to unite in spite of their differences with the future status of Bougainville at stake in next year’s referendum. In his New Year message to […]
Read More →Momis announces moratorium on Panguna mining and exploration
Panguna copper mine on Bougainville … the catalyst for decade-long civil war. Image: Aloysius Laukai/Bougainville Forum By Aloysius Laukai in Buka The President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Chief Dr John Momis, has announced an indefinite moratorium on exploration and mining in Panguna. He said the Bougainville Executive Council had its meeting on Wednesday made […]
Read More →PNG mobile revolution about to enter new high-speed cable phase
Papua New Guinea’s cellphone culture change … 3 million mobile users, says new research. Image: Ourmaninproject By Scott Waide in Lae In 2007 when Digicel entered the PNG market, Papua New Guineans realised how much in unnecessary charges they had been paying for mobile and internet services. Until 2007, the mobile phone monopoly run by […]
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