Regional
pacific BRIEFS: PM says sugar cuts will hit Fiji hard
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
FIJI – Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, says Fiji will be facing a cut in its export returns from sugar before 2017.
Cardinal's support crew descends on Vatican
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
VATICAN CITY – Tonga’s flag has been flying at St Peters Square in the Vatican City as Tonga’s first cardinal was formally appointed by the Pope.
'Make it – 100 billion licences!'
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
APIA – Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is “disputing the accuracy” of a news item published in the Samoa Observer last week saying that if his government could sell “one billion fishing licences to foreign fishing companies, it would” – explaining that he had been “misquoted.”
Too many health meetings
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
THE PACIFIC – Pacific health officials are attending “too many meetings” in return for aid and not enough time “doing their jobs”, a policy expert says.
'Here today, in Tonga tomorrow'
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
APIA – Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, this weekdownplayed concerns about his government allowing Foreign Licensed Fishing Vessels to fish in Samoa’s Exclusive Zone saying: “If we can issue a billion licenses so be it.”
Tonga's Bishop Mafi elevated to cardinal
Monday 16 February 2015 | Published in Regional
NUKU‘ALOFA – Churches dot the heavily Christian, tiny island of Tonga everywhere and choirs can be heard singing on any day of the week.
Inter-island transport slows
Saturday 14 February 2015 | Published in Regional
Nuku‘alofa – The capacity of Tonga’s inter-islands sea and air transport system has been reduced dramatically during the past weeks as the government tightens up on public transportation safety requirements.
Partnering to fight coastal erosion
Saturday 14 February 2015 | Published in Regional
NUKU‘ALOFA – Pacific nations Tonga and Palau have partnered up in an effort to reduce the impact of climate change on their coasts.
Massive factory boat declared a 'pirate ship'
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
THE PACIFIC – An enormous fishing boat that changes flags and names routinely as it plunders the South Pacific has finally been declared a pirate ship by a Wellington-based international control agency.
Advisor appointed
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
nuku‘alofa – The new Tongan prime minister has made a researcher who had been working in the New Zealand dairy industry an advisor to his government.
Fractious week in Fiji parliament
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
SUVA – Fiji’s newly democratic government has moved to abolish the death penalty, but the opposition has demanded it be kept in order to deter its military from staging coups.
Another undersea volcano erupting in Tonga
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
NUKU‘ALOFA – Another volcano has begun erupting out of the Pacific Ocean near Tonga.
Rugby union CEO resigns
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
APIA – The Samoa Rugby Union is numbed over the resignation of its chief executive officer, Fred Amoa and the head of the High Performance Unit, Tuala Mathew Vaea, this week.
Foreign boats causing 'marine genocide'
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
THE PACIFIC – A political tsunami is building in the South Pacific over the growing presence of Chinese fishing boats, Fairfax’s Pacific correspondent Michael Field has reported.
Betelnut ban 'not the answer'
Thursday 12 February 2015 | Published in Regional
PORT MORESBY – The head of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea has spoken against the ban on public sale and consumption of betelnut in the national capital.
Pacific BRIEFS: Commoner made governor of Ha'apai
Tuesday 10 February 2015 | Published in Regional
TONGA – The King of Tonga has appointed a commoner to the position of Governor of Ha‘apai for the first time.
PNG government in show of strength
Tuesday 10 February 2015 | Published in Regional
PORT MORESBY – The Papua New Guinea government’s numerical strength was on show this week when 65 members of the ruling Peoples National Congress (PNC) held a party caucus in a Port Moresby hotel.
Doctors lacking crucial skills
Tuesday 10 February 2015 | Published in Regional
THE PACIFIC – Pacific countries say their Cuban-trained doctors are struggling to practise medicine in English because their training was conducted in Spanish.
Church fears Mass in Maori may die out
Tuesday 10 February 2015 | Published in Regional
CHRISTCHURCH – The Catholic Bishop in Christchurch is warning that the celebration of Mass in Te Reo Maori is diminishing, which has prompted the Maori arm of the church to call for the hahi to improve links with tangata whenua.
PNG 'clarifies' West Papua call
Tuesday 10 February 2015 | Published in Regional
PORT MORESBY – There are signs that Papua New Guinea’s government may be backtracking from comments made by the prime minister last week about the sensitive issue of West Papua.
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