by Martin Haffner Associate Editor De-colonising’ aid the call from Fiji’s Biman Prasad Fiji’s Finance Minister Biman Prasad responds to media at the post-Budget press conference.Fiji’s Finance Minister Biman Prasad responds to media at the post-Budget press conference. Photo: Screenshot / Fiji GovernmentFiji’s deputy prime minister, Biman Prasad, told an international conference last month in…
Tusi Tala The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, has successfully delivered emergency relief supplies to 250 individuals affected by flooding in Papua New Guinea. The Kagua-Erave district, located in the Southern Highlands Province, experienced severe flooding and landslides last October, displacing many residents and causing significant damage. According to a report…
Tusi Tala An opposition MP in Kiribati, Sir Ieremia Tabai, criticized the Budget presented late last year for failing to allocate funds for the commitments outlined in President Taneti Maamau’s electoral manifesto. This manifesto, released before the October elections, detailed 148 specific pledges, including tax reductions and infrastructure improvements, which are to be monitored by…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Frustration is growing in Vanuatu over the snap election, with claims the government has put politics before people. Ballot boxes are still arriving in Port Vila and official counting is unlikely to begin until the weekend. The talk in Vanuatu is that former deputy prime minister Jotham Napat will win…
Francis Tuschek Saudi Arabia is still evaluating potential membership of BRICS, the Gulf nation’s minister of economy and planning, Faisal Al-Ibrahim, told Bloomberg in an interview on Monday. The economic bloc was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining two years later. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor A sudden and unexplained tsunami wave struck the small Pacific island of Tango early yesterday, leaving in its wake a trail of devastation and raising concerns about the island’s vulnerability to natural disasters. The island, home to a tight-knit community of just over 1,500 residents, bore the brunt of the…
Richard Sanders US President-elect Donald Trump wants to visit China in his first 100 days in office to improve relations with Xi Jinping, as the prospect of a new trade war looms, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday citing sources. The trip would aim to deepen ties with the Chinese leader in the face…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Samoa’s prime minister and the five other ousted members of the ruling FAST Party are reportedly challenging their removal. FAST chairman La’auli Leuatea Schmidt on Wednesday announced the removal of the prime minister and five Cabinet ministers from the ruling party. Twenty party members signed for the removal of Fiame…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Samoa’s prime minister and the five other ousted members of the ruling FAST Party are reportedly challenging their removal. FAST chairman La’auli Leuatea Schmidt on Wednesday announced the removal of the prime minister and five Cabinet ministers from the ruling party. Twenty party members signed for the removal of Fiame…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Analysis – With just over a year left in her tenure as Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa faces a political upheaval threatening a peaceful end to her term. Ironically, the rule of law — the very principle that elevated her to power — has now become the source of…