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Fiji finds itself at the centre of global attention.

The Pacific nation of 900,000 people spanning 330 islands faces an election later this year, the result of which will be closely watched.

Last week it hosted the Pacific Islands Forum which attracted the gaze both of US Vice President Kamala Harris and senior Chinese officials, as the two global powers jostle for influence in the region.

Fiji is also being monitored by governments, business and global agencies for signs of what is being described as "economic scarring" following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The practical impact of this, says Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is countries like Fiji potentially heading down a "lower development path" - something no Pacific nation can afford.

"We need to work with them," she said last week.

Australia is playing a key role in helping Fiji to avoid this economic scarring and its associated fallout.

The Australian government's Fiji development program last year had a budget of $147 million and it is the Pacific nation's largest public health partner.

It provided $83.5 million in direct budget support for the Fijian government, which during the pandemic enabled the country to keep up spending on health and social welfare, strengthen its fiscal position and debt profile, and better position its economy for recovery.

This meant such programs as Fiji's disability allowance and benefit payments for the poor could continue.

It was an important step in rebuilding trust with Fiji, which in the past has seen its share of government instability, poor governance and corruption.

Support for tourism - the country's largest revenue earner - has also been forthcoming, with Aussies voting with their feet and returning to the island nation's resorts in huge numbers.

For the first six months of 2022, Fiji received 205,529 visitors, showing a 50 per cent recovery of arrivals over the same period in 2019.

Exporters of food are also being assisted through an Australian-funded market development facility.

The Fijian government now estimates economic growth of 12.4 per cent this year but officials say it will take three years to restore the economy to pre-pandemic levels.

Education is another major area of co-operation.

Through Australia's $25 million Fiji education program, support is being provided for teacher preparation and development, inclusive education and civil service reforms in the sector.

With schools closed since April 2021 due to COVID, resources were pivoted to respond to remote learning requirements including the development of radio tuition.

Major facilities such as the Blackrock camp and new Maritime Essential Services Centre in Lami - due for completion in 2024 - will not only create jobs but boost Fiji's leadership in responding to natural disasters, protect local fishing and increase naval and coastal rescue capabilities.

Last week's $US1.6 billion acquisition of Digicel Pacific by Telstra, backed by government funding, is also considered critical to the region's growth and security.

However the country is not without its challenges.

Save the Children has been working in Fiji since 1972, with projects in 80 communities across 10 districts.

CEO Mat Tinkler says while Fiji is one of the most developed economies in the Pacific there are a number of difficulties.

Continuity and quality of education delivery is one.

And there are still "significant challenges" with under-nutrition and malnutrition, he says.

As well, children are exposed to a high level of violence in the home - a situation exacerbated by the pandemic as parents lost incomes and many students the protective environment schools provided.

"Many of the vulnerabililties were amplified by COVID," Mr Tinkler told AAP.

He says a cash transfer program was particularly well received by women who lost their jobs.

"All of them said to me (the payments) were life-changing and that if they didn't have that money they would have been struggling to survive."

He says the new government in Australia is "leaning into its role" in the Pacific, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week attending his first Pacific Islands Forum leaders' summit in Suva and a flurry of ministers making a path through the region since the federal election.

There are a number of unknowns ahead for Fiji.

The looming election pits two former coup leaders against each other - current prime minister Frank Bainimarama and Sitiveni Rabuka.

There is the strategic challenge as China takes a closer interest in the region while the Biden administration seeks to boost the scale of US investment and activity.

And there is the existential threat of climate change, with well over 600 villages at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels, cyclones becoming more devastating and frequent, salt water ruining farmland and an increase in pests and diseases.

But what is certain is Australia will maintain a close eye on what is a vital piece of the Pacific puzzle.

© AAP 2022

Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook has a problem - and it's not how to snap the Titans' seven-game NRL losing streak.

Holbrook knows he's got a dilemma on his hands with just how to fit young gun Jayden Campbell into his side when the 22-year-old returns from the hamstring injury that's kept him sidelined since the round 13 loss to North Queensland at the start of June.

In response to a 38-12 loss to Newcastle that Holbrook labelled "embarrassing", the Titans coach made sweeping changes to his line-up for Saturday's local derby against Brisbane.

The alterations didn't end Gold Coast's long wait for a win but it did bring about a much-improved performance as an undermanned Brisbane snatched a 16-12 victory with back-to-back tries erasing a six-point Titans' advantage early in the second-half.

AJ Brimson, back at fullback in Campbell's absence, was among the stand-out performers in the match, racking up 250 running metres.

The ex-Queensland State of Origin representative had started the year at five-eighth to allow Campbell to play fullback but has often looked at his most dangerous when wearing the No.1 jersey.

Tanah Boyd also made the most of his move to the No.6 jersey against the Broncos, scoring a try and linking well with halfback Toby Sexton.

It all adds up to a head-scratcher for Holbrook ahead of next Sunday's trip to Sydney to face Canterbury.

"I'm hopeful that he'll be cleared to be available next week," Holbrook said of Campbell.

"We'll have to get him in there somewhere.

"We all know AJ is a terrific fullback. We'll have to weigh that up this week."

Whether Campbell plays or not, Holbrook feels he's hit upon a set-up which can not only put the Titans' back in the winners' circle but ease the pressure on the third-year coach amid a mid-season review which has already led to the departure of assistant Jim Dymock.

"We need to play like that, that's for sure," he said.

"We don't want to be playing like we did the other week.

"I'm feeling okay. I feel we've got the right things in process ... we've got everything in place, we're just not getting the wins.

"We've just got to stick at it now."

© AAP 2022

Kenyan marathon man Lawrence Cherono and American 400m runner Randolph Ross have been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), ruling them out of the current World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The AIU, which oversees integrity issues in international athletics including doping, said on Saturday a sample collected from Cherono tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance on the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List as a metabolic modulator.

Cherono, the winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019, provided his sample during an out-of-competition test on May 23 and was informed of the adverse analytical finding when he arrived in Eugene on Thursday.

"Substances in this category modify how the body metabolises fat. (It) is approved for use in some countries to treat chest pain stemming from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart," the AIU said in a statement.

"Trimetazidine is a non-specified substance and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such a substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules unless certain conditions apply."

The AIU added that Ross, who was part of the United States 4x400m relay team which won gold at last year's Tokyo Olympics, was suspended over his conduct during the course of an investigation into a potential whereabouts violation.

"There was an unsuccessful attempt by the AIU to test Ross on June 18 and the investigation into this matter concluded when he was interviewed by the AIU in Eugene on July 14," the AIU said.

Both the marathon and 400m heats at the World Championships will be held on Sunday.

© RAW 2022