Suva (Fiji Times) – AFTER six years as a mobile telecommunications provider in the country, Digicel Fiji says one of its greatest achievements has been the level of competition it has brought to Fiji. CEO Darren McLean said Fiji had been and continued to be Digicel’s most competitive market in the Pacific. “Digicel is in…
Port Moresby (The National) – Gold Ridge Mining Ltd (GRML) continues to seek approval from the Solomon Islands Government to dewater the tailings storage facility (TSF) at the Gold Ridge mine. In a statement, the company said it was negotiating a potential transfer in ownership of the mine to a landowner company. Gold Ridge is…
Suva-based director of the Sub-regional International Labour Organisation (ILO) David Lamotte has urged the Pacific media to be sensitive when reporting on issues concerning children. He made the reminder at an ILO workshop on children labour and trafficking that ended at Nadi, Fiji, Friday. Lamotte highlighted this following newspaper reports in Fiji on a female…
New video footage showing the bloody aftermath of the Paniai massacre in West Papua highlights the urgent need for Indonesia to hold an independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy, says Minority Rights Group International (MRG). In December 2014, four unarmed Papuan teenagers were killed and 17 more Papuans were injured when the Indonesian army…
THE Pacific continues to face unprecedented health challenges, says World Health Organization regional director Dr Shin Young-Soo. Speaking at the opening of the Eleventh Pacific Health Ministers meeting on Yanuca Island near Sigatoka, Dr Young-Soo said the region’s triple burden of non-communicable diseases, communicable disease and climate change complications threatened to undermine advances in health…
THE Pacific has moved one step closer to achieving a harmonised regional approach to search and rescue capability as promoted in the Search and Rescue Technical Arrangement for Cooperation among Pacific Island countries and territories. At the Sixth Pacific Regional Search and Rescue Workshop held in Noumea, New Caledonia (13–17 April 2015), Pacific Island delegates…
POVERTY and unemployment in Vanuatu are expected to worsen as a consequence of the devastating impact of Cyclone Pam. According to statistics released today by the Department of Labour (DoL) in Vanuatu, approximately U$7 million or VT7 Billion of personal income have been lost due to Pam. The Category 5 cyclone left a trail of…
PORT VILA, (MSG) – A series of workshops for Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) countries are underway in Port Vila, Vanuatu on issues relating to the MSG Trade Agreement. Four events are scheduled with the workshop on Rules of Origin held this week on Tuesday 14th April, followed by the Technical Working Group meeting on Trade…
A Sub-Regional Child Labour and Trafficking forum is currently underway at the Tokatoka Hotel in Nadi, Fiji this week. The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Pacific sub-regional child labour and trafficking programme is conducting forum. Organized by the Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE) project funded by the European Union (EU), the Forum has brought together…
NADI, (FIJI AIRWAYS) – A new codeshare agreement between the national carriers of Fiji and Vanuatu, Fiji Airways and Air Vanuatu will see seven flights a week between the two island nations. Fiji Airways and Air Vanuatu will now offer their customers code-share access on flights to and from Port Vila as well as interlining…