Pacific Review

Residents in the town of Lami, in Fiji, are concerned about an Australian-funded defence facility being constructed in a residential area, saying they were not consulted.

Fiji's Reserve Bank defends new bank note after a social media furore.

PNG landowners lodge complaint against Chinese miner with Australia's tax office

Papua New Guinea's long running election has been extended to allow counting to be completed but the move has been questioned by politicians who are threatening to challenge it in court.

Dozens of people have been killed in election violence in Papua New Guinea as officials threaten to declare failed elections in parts of the country. 

Anthony Albanese promised Pacific leaders that Australia would do more on climate as the government re-set relations with the region.

Fijians living overseas concerned they may not get a chance to vote in their country's election. An ADF contingent in Solomon Islands to assist with vital WW2 ordnance clearance work.

Marks of pride inherited from her ancestors adorn Moale's face. But they're also the reason she was turned away from a popular Brisbane club.

Politics is far from boring in Papua New Guinea where the country's national election campaign is "like a festival in itself".

Two former military commanders – both coup makers with chequered pasts are jostling for power as Fiji heads to the polls.

Australia has stepped in to help Pacific leaders resolve a rift that was threatening to split a crucial regional body

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has announced a new eight-year partnership with Samoa to help address human development in the Pacific island nation, as well as a new maritime patrol boat for the country.

Australia's new Foreign Minster Penny Wong has visited Fiji pledging to act on climate change and China's Foreign Minister begins his Pacific tour in Solomon Islands.

The Pacific's tourism sector faces the challenge of finding workers and a new study finds the drug Ivermectin helps treat Scabies in Fiji

Tuberculosis is on the rise as health groups call for more funding for Papua New Guinea.

Fiji's High Court approves US seizure of $450m super yacht belonging to a close associate of Russian president Vladimir Putin

Solomon Island's security pact with China has been dominating headlines but Pacific voters in Australia say they care more about climate change and visas.

Pacific experts call on Australia to tone down the rhetoric on the Solomon Islands-China treaty, while East Timor's youth vote propels Jose Ramos-Horta to a Presidential election victory.

Australia's Pacific Minister put his election campaign on hold for a last minute dash to sway Honiara away from a security treaty with China while Tuvalu makes a U-turn on its support for deep sea mining.

Plans to tax the Pacific's biggest mobile network could threaten a buyout from Telstra and there are fears PNG's gun culture could see political rivalries turn bloody.

In this edition: Australia's overall aid budget is set to increase modestly but international development advocates say temporary COVID-19 spending should be made permanent. Vanutu locals call for tsunami warning improvement in wake of Tonga volcano Marshall Islands' Foreign Minister is considering "expelling" any Russian yachts or boats that have been targeted by Western-led sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. And, As Papua New Guineans prepare to go to the polls in June Advocacy groups fear officials have not taken into consideration the needs of people with mobility, hearing, or visual needs.

Two years since Pacific countries closed their international borders some nations have decided relax restrictions, War between Russia and Ukraine has seen the price of Nickel sky rocket which could be good news for New Caledonia, And, worrying levels of a particular radioactive chemical  have been found in the Pacific.

The World Health Organisation voices its concern as COVID-19 continues to spread through Vanuatu's provinces. Pacific birds sing out in a global online birdsong archive.

Vanuatu loses its COVID-free status — after a quarantine breach this week led to community transmission of the virus. Papua New Guinea criminalises the practice of glassmen and glassmeri, who have the power to accuse men and women of sorcery. And, Pacific leaders walk a delicate tightrope as war between Russia and Ukraine escalates, particularly as China faces criticism for its response to the conflict.

A group of Fijian workers join the flood rescue efforts in eastern Australia after putting out a call on social media. And, Papua New Guinea has appointed its first ever female defence force commander.

A group of Papua New Guinean men who identify as Indigenous Australians are fighting for their right to live and work in Australia and an international team are planning to create a crypto paradise in Vanuatu.

The Fijiana Drua make history competing in the Australia Super W rugby competition and just a year into his three-year term, the leader of the Pacific Islands Forum is expected to step down.

In this edition:   The international space station will eventually join other space junk at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but there are concerns over the environmental impact of this rocketship graveyard. And, Pacific athletes are celebrating a female surfing championship that took place in Hawaii, an event that has been generations in the making.

Tonga works to contain it's COVID-19 outbreak. Fiji police have charged an Australian citizen over offensive posts on TikTok. Tuvalu's Foreign Minister Simon Kofe has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize.

Tonga's economy could be left devastated for years to come, as the financial toll from the damage left by the volcanic eruption and tsunami will be in the millions. And, preserving traditional knowledge can be difficult as it can be lost to time, but there are hopes a new book published in Fiji will preserve traditional knowledge around healing plants.

In this edition: The picture of devastation in Tonga after last week's volcanic eruption and tsunami is becoming more clear as communication to the Island Nation are slowly coming through. Pacific Island nations are starting to register their first cases of community transmission after remaining virtually COVID free for most of the pandemic. You'll meet the man who's taking on the role as coach of Fiji's national sevens rugby team, Ben Gollings. And, as parents gear up for the school year ahead, dieticians are concerned about the increasing prevalence of unhealthy foods in the Pacific.

In this edition: The scourge of sorcery accusation related violence rears its head again in PNG, but this time in the capital. Vanuatu's golden passports are at risk of being tarnished by a European Union suspension. And the IOC's threat to kick weightlifting out of the 2028 Olympics sets the alarm bells ringing in the Pacific.

In this edition: Students start to return to the classroom in Fiji, but is it a wise move? Shot dead by the police, is gang leader Tommy Baker set to take on the same cult status as Australia's Ned Kelly? PNG Hunters coach Matt Church takes steps to plug a communication gap. And good times ahead for Fiji's Silktails, once they emerge from another COVID-19 hiccup.

A special edition of Pacific Review from the Pacific Beat team.

Tonga has a new Prime Minister. We meet the Fijian doctor who is on track to fulfil a medical dream.

Solomon Islands' Prime Minister survives a vote of no confidence, but the rebel Malaita province presses ahead towards self-rule. Manu Samoa seek government approval to set up a temporary home in Dubai, so they can get back on the World Rugb 7s circuit.

The threat of renewed violence continues to linger in Solomon Islands, as Parliament resumes after an outbreak of civil unrest. A momentous day for Fiji and its tourism industry as international flights resume, despite the emergence of the Omicron variant. The Pacific island kava industry races to meet new regulations for Australian import licences.

Unrest returned to the streets of Solomon Islands capital this week, with buildings torched and looted after anti-government protests broke out. Solomon Islands' opposition leader "categorically rejects" claims made by the country's Prime Minister that he incited or is responsible for the unrest in Honiara. And as around 150 Kiribati sailors finally arrived home this week after not being able to get home in almost two years, another group of men is stuck in Australia.

Australia's government accused of creating a climate of fear, as it seeks to stop Pacific seasonal workers from absconding. Solomon Islands' government under fire for seeking to postpone the country's next general election. And how cutting down the amount of high impact contact on the rugby field could open the door for Pacific skills to shine.

The growing problem of absconding among Pacific island seasonal workers in Australia. Fiji reopens its borders, but the news is not so good for Fijians trying to reach Australia; And Welshman Gareth Baber reflects on what it means to coach his adopted nation Fiji against his home nation, on the rugby field.

Children in the Pacific hope their voices will be heard at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Women urged not to fall pregnant during PNG's worsening COVID-19 outbreak. What are the risks with Japan's plan to release wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean?

Concerns are being raised in the lead up to the crucial COP26 climate summit that without ambitious targets the 1.5 dream won't be kept alive; a ransomware attack on Papua New Guinea's finance department during a health crisis has been described as “shameful” and the “lowest of the low”; and, the first Samoan to be appointed head coach of a first grade rugby league club anywhere in the world.