Catch up on news, commentary and analysis from and about the Pacific island region...
- The last polling to be released before the 17 September elections in Fiji indicates that a coalition government may be on the cards. Meanwhile, members of the military and others have cast their votes during the pre-polling period:
- The Tongan Government has been trying hard to persuade China to convert $US119 million of loans into grant assistance but, to date, has been unsuccessful. The negotiation and management of the loans is proving politically contentious.
- In French Polynesia, the political game looks to have ended for veteran politician Gaston Flosse, who has resigned as president having failed to obtain a pardon from Francois Hollande following a conviction for corruption last year. Opposition leader Oscar Temaru has called for fresh elections. Flosse will retain his seat in the French Senate until the end of the month.
- In Solomon Islands, the ninth parliament has been dissolved ahead of elections to be held later this year.
- In this 'In Brief' item, Peter Nuttall looks at the potential for moving to low-carbon shipping options for the Pacific island region.
- In a recent interview, Greg Poling looks at how the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) fits in to the regional architecture.
- The leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have signed a treaty to create the Micronesian Trade and Economic Community.