A Christian has been inaugurated as governor of Jakarta. This is the first time such a thing has happened for 50 years. There have been weeks of protests against it from Islamic hardliners. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is also the first person from the country’s tiny ethnic Chinese minority to become leader of Jakarta. He was sworn in Read more
Billy Vunipola is an English rugby union player. He plays back row for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership and for England. His brother, Mako Vunipola also plays for Saracens. The English team conduct their post-match reviews on Monday mornings. By that time Billy says he has already analysed his performance with his father, former Tongan Read more
The Anglican Archbishop of Polynesia, Winston Halapua, has asked the G20 to consider how they might co-operate to minimise the impact of climate change which is already being felt by people in the Pacific Islands. The G20 is a forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies that are said to Read more
Some parents in the northern district of Fiji are refusing to let their children attend school on religious grounds. iTaukei Affairs Board representative to the Labasa Inter Agency Committee on Child Welfare, Ravuama Naceba, has been in Dogotuki addressing the issue. “When addressing the issue, we had offered the parents a choice on whether they Read more
St Joseph’s Secondary School in Suva, Fiji, took possession of a billboard last Monday which shows a policing community has been set up within the school. The policing community will act as eyes and ears on the ground reporting any suspicious activity to police. Community Policing Commanding Officer in the Central Division Superintendent Tevita Waqabaca Read more
A priest has been suspended in Fiji after a video showing him engaged in sexual acts, with a church member, went viral. Archbishop Peter Loy Chong yesterday confirmed that a priest had been removed from office. Archbishop Chong said the moment the Church was made aware of the video they “did not sweep the matter Read more
In Wallis and Futuna, three kings and the Catholic Church have held their grip on power hundreds of years after France became a secular republic, according to a recent syndicated news report. Life has remained unchanged in Wallis and Futuna for centuries, its young people are packing their bags and leaving the islands’ tropical shores Read more
Bishop Rochus Tatamai of Bereina diocese in Papua New Guinea has called upon various arms of government to take the lead in assisting remote communities in the mountains of Goilala in the Central province. While the Church is present in the area, it is not capable of delivering all the needed services due to limited Read more
The Divine Mercy secretary general for Oceania, Lesina Levy, is in the Solomon Islands for the first ever Divine Mercy Ministry congress to be held there. Lesina, who is from Samoa, is the main speaker at the conference. The theme for this year’s congress is ‘God’s word is active and alive. The hope of humans Read more
The Police in Honiara have told Pacific Beat they briefly held a man in relation to the attack made on two members of the Melanesian Brotherhood, but he has been released without charge. Novice Jackson Lodo and another novice were walking to Tabalia from the capital Honiara when they were the victims of an unprovoked Read more