- Papua New Guinea’s parliament is sitting amid speculation of a vote of no-confidence being moved in the government against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. A grace period against such votes expires on 5 February. O’Neill has been under pressure from the opposition over the cost of hosting the APEC leaders’ summit in Port Moresby last year.
- Bougainville is about to change its mining laws to accommodate the company Caballus Mining, an investor from Perth, which has no public profile in the industry. It's a move that will raise eyebrows before the upcoming independence referendum.
- Following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s historic visit to Vanuatu and Fiji, Tess Newton Cain looks at the benefits of the visit. Meanwhile, Australian Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell is travelling to Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands to strengthen Australia’s position in the Pacific.
- As part of the 25th issue of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Economic Monitor, Rommel Rabanal and Cara Tinio discuss debt sustainability in the Pacific.
- The UK and New Zealand agree to co-locate diplomats in the new UK High Commissions in Tonga and Vanuatu that will open later this year.
- Here is a great long read by Gideon Lewis-Kraus about how DNA research can reveal new information about the history of civilisations in the Pacific.
- Joanne Wallis summarises the various events that impacted the Pacific in 2018 and makes a few projections for 2019.
- In May 2018, Fiji’s parliament passed the Online Safety act and created the Online Safety Commission. Jope Tarai comments on the role of the commission and the first steps of Christine Dunn, the commissioner.
- Finally, the Australasian Aid Conference will be held on 19-20 February in Canberra and tickets are still on sale.
