In this bulletin:
1. VAN — Vanuatu urged to honour UN obligations and protect refugees
2. PACIFIC — NZ boosts support for Tonga’s drug-fighting efforts
3. AUST — Australia’s high court orders ankle bracelets be removed and curfews end for 43 former immigration detainees
4. PACIFIC — Fiji, Australia plan ahead for climate talks
5. FIJI — Establishment of embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Fiji
6. PACIFIC — Charlie Charters: ‘I still love this country’ but Fiji’s anti-corruption fight is far from over
7. PACNEWS BIZ — U.S to require $15,000 bond to visa recipients from 12 more countries
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Conflict in Middle East to challenge PNG: Bank
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Trump issues 60-day waiver of Jones Act
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Safata villages want a say as Manawanui wreck talks roll on
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Decaying World War II bombs in Solomon Islands releasing toxic chemicals, new research finds
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Tonga raises age of marriage to 18 with Save The Children urging other Pacific Island Nations to follow
VAN – REFUGEE: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Vanuatu urged to honor UN obligations and protect refugees
PORT VILA, 19 MARCH 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Vanuatu, as a member of the United Nations (UN), has a responsibility to uphold international humanitarian standards and provide protection to those fleeing conflict, said Human Rights Activist, Anne Pakoa.
She made this remark while highlighting that the seven Burundian nationals who are facing deportation in Vanuatu have been officially recognised as refugees by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Under UNHCR, a refugee is an individual forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, violence, or dangerous conditions, such as conflict or human rights abuses. They are unable to return home safely and are recognised under international law—specifically the 1951 Refugee Convention—as needing protection.
Founder of Vanuatu Human Rights Coalition Pakoa said she was contacted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and an immigration officer when the Burundians arrived, informing her that the group required urgent humanitarian assistance, particularly food and water.
Pakoa, mobilised her team who provided rice, local food, and other essential supplies.
“The seven Burundians were not trafficked. They came here on their own after fleeing civil unrest in their home country. Home is no longer safe for them,” Pakoa said.
Three weeks ago, the group received official refugee certificates from UNHCR, allowing them to seek protection and potentially travel to other UN member countries to rebuild their lives.
While their stay in Vanuatu is still uncertain, Pakoa has been engaging with government authorities to ensure they can remain temporarily while arrangements are made for their next destination.
“Actually, I am not concerned about them getting citizenship here. My focus is on their protection. As humans, they have the right to move from one place to another. If they escaped civil war, sending them back would put their lives at risk,” said the Human Rights Activist.
She emphasised that they may not wish to remain permanently in Vanuatu but are seeking a safe place while they prepare for relocation.
Vanuatu, as a member of the United Nations, has a responsibility to uphold international humanitarian standards and provide protection to those fleeing conflict, Pakoa said.
“Those of us promoting peace cannot send them back to a conflict zone because it would endanger their lives,” she added.
Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa.
On Tuesday this week, the Daily Post reported that these seven individuals are being held under immigration detention, with immigration officials saying they are not legitimate investors.
Authorities said they were initially scheduled for deportation on Monday but could not be sent back due to delays in visa approvals for their transit through Fiji…. PACNEWS
PAC – DRUG FIGHT: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
NZ boosts support for Tonga’s drug-fighting efforts
NUKU’ALOFA, 19 MARCH 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — New Zealand’s prime minister has announced further support to combat drug trafficking in Tonga, following his announcements earlier in the week in Samoa.
Much of Christopher Luxon’s Pacific visit has consisted of events and announcements highlighting stronger collaboration on transnational crime, with Luxon saying the Pacific had become a “super highway” for cartels.
During a visit to Tonga’s police headquarters, Luxon announced further support for the Pacific Detector Dog Programme, an initiative jointly managed by New Zealand Police and Customs.
In 2025, the programme led to the detection and apprehension of methamphetamine, cannabis, currency, ammunition, and weapons, leading to 22 arrests in Tonga.
The new support included funding for two new kennels.
Luxon said the flow of methamphetamine has had “devastating consequences” in New Zealand and Tonga.
“We must work together to stamp it out, and to thwart those who seek to harm our peoples through transnational organised crime.
“To be successful, we must look across the whole spectrum when addressing transnational crime and illicit drugs, those beyond our shores, inside our borders, and also those recovering from the harm.”
Behind Luxon were cars and a motorbike seized under proceeds of crime legislation.
Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua said he was “very comforted” by New Zealand’s contributions, and they would have “great ramifications” for transnational crime.
Luxon also announced Samoa and Tonga would receive two-year funded subscriptions to the Starboard Maritime Intelligence platform, which would allow their transnational crime units to monitor suspicious vessels in real time.
“When you can see the problem, you can tackle it. And even better, if we’re all using the same software, our information sharing and our collaboration will be greatly improved.”
The two prime ministers and the delegation then watched a demonstration of New Zealand-trained detector dogs doing a mock drug seizure.
A $2 million (US$1.16 million) fund was also announced for NGOs and community groups to help returnees to Tonga reintegrate into society and stop them falling back into “bad habits”.
Drugs and transnational crime have been a major focus of Luxon’s visit to the Pacific, with the police commissioner and Customs chief executive joining the delegation.
Commissioner Richard Chambers told Checkpoint on Tuesday networks were using Pacific Island countries to get their product to the lucrative markets in New Zealand and Australia.
“They’ve got some fairly innovative ways of attaching product to the vessels and things like that. So of course, it’s not just on the sea. It’s by air as well.
“Our job is to disrupt that and lift the capability of law enforcement in the Pacific to help deal with the problem.”
On Monday, New Zealand and Samoa signed Police and Customs memorandums of understanding to share more information.
On Wednesday morning, Luxon also had a private audience with Tonga’s King Tupou VI.
Later on, Wednesday afternoon, he visited a construction site for the Fanga’uta Lagoon Bridge project, a US$97m (NZ$165m) Asian Development Bank/World Bank-funded bridge, which New Zealand firm McConnell Dowell has been contracted to build.
He also visited Nishi Trading, the agriculture-focused component of the trip.
Luxon and his delegation returned to New Zealand on Wednesday evening…. PACNEWS
AUST – COURT: THE GUARDIAN PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Australia’s high court orders ankle bracelets be removed and curfews end for 43 former immigration detainees
CANBERRA, 19 MARCH 2026 (THE GUARDIAN) — Dozens of former immigration detainees who have already served prison sentences will have ankle bracelets removed and curfews scrapped, with the high court again striking down laws targeting the group.
On Wednesday, the Albanese government’s preventative detention regime suffered another blow as the court ruled the tough laws to deal with the NZYQ cohort were unconstitutional.
The ruling meant those subject to electronic monitoring and curfew conditions would have their bracelets removed and instead have to regularly report to officials. It also meant the government could no longer impose curfews.
Guardian Australia understands the ruling will affect 43 people with ankle bracelets in the community.
The case was brought by a Papua New Guinea citizen, referred to as EGH19 in the courts, who arrived in Australia in 2000 and was convicted of murder in 2006 while still a minor.
The man was offered a protection visa in 2022, but it was cancelled almost two years later after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence offences.
He was released on parole in December 2024 and placed in immigration detention upon his release in April 2025, when he was then required to wear an ankle bracelet and abide by a curfew.
The high court’s chief justice, Stephen Gageler, and a majority of the court’s seven justices, ruled the laws – amended in November 2024 – were not consistent with the constitution and were therefore invalid.
In her reasons, justice Michelle Gordon found that the law’s “purpose of protecting the community from harm is insufficient” and that any justification for ongoing monitoring had to be “exceptional”, such as preventing a terrorist attack.
After the ruling, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said he was grateful for the $2.5bn (US$1.75 billion) deal struck with Nauru to remove the NZYQ cohort from Australia.
“Fortunately, we now have the agreement with Nauru because the best thing for people who have had their visa cancelled is to not be in this country,” Burke said.
Under the arrangement, the government can apply for 30-year Nauruan visas on behalf of those released into the community on bridging visas, pending removal.
Guardian Australia is aware of at least six men removed from the country and living within a former regional processing centre on Nauru.
The shadow home affairs minister, Jonathon Duniam, said the opposition would work with the government to pass new laws.
“We were assured in 2024 by Tony Burke that they were meticulously working through every eventuality, any risk that was posed by these laws being challenged. We were assured these laws would stand up to tests in the high court,” Duniam said.
“Well, he was wrong. These laws have been struck out, so this government needs to come forward with new laws.”
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s deputy chief executive, Jana Favero, said the ruling showed the government had been “making rushed laws on the run, with no regard for fairness or our country’s constitution”.
“We work with people every day who are affected by these conditions – their lives have been turned upside down by these politicised punishments imposed on them simply because of where they were born,” she said.
Greg Barns SC, spokesperson for the Australians Lawyers Alliance, criticised the government for succumbing to “populist scare mongering by the media and its political opponents”.
“This is an important decision not just for those immediately impacted by these unlawful measures, but it is a broader reminder to governments that it is only the courts that have the constitutional power to impose punishments,” he said.
The government brought in the preventative detention regime in late 2023, after the high court ruled indefinite detention unlawful, resulting in the immediate release of 92 people, including refugees and stateless people, who could not be returned to their country of origin. A larger cohort of more than 300 in long-term detention were ultimately released as well.
In November 2024, the high court found the subsequent monitoring regime, which included ankle bracelets and curfews, to be unconstitutional.
The government then passed amendments, making it so only those that “poses a substantial risk of seriously harming any part of the Australian community by committing a serious offence” could be subject to such conditions.
The judgment said at the end of June 2025 there had been 346 bridging visa removal holders. EGH19 was one of the 46 subjects to both an ankle bracelet and a 10pm-6am curfew.
A further 41 were subject to ankle monitoring, while only one was solely required to comply with a curfew…. PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Fiji, Australia plan ahead for Climate talks
SUVA, 19 MARCH 2026 (FIJJI GOVT) — In a significant step toward regional climate advocacy, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya, held a pivotal meeting with the Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Roberts, earlier this week.
The meeting served as the final briefing before the Minister departed for Brisbane, Australia, to attend the two-day Pacific Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa, beginning today.
During the meeting earlier this week, both sides explored practical arrangements for the proposed Pre-COP gathering in the Pacific, including logistics, timelines, and the participation of regional leaders. Discussions also touched on the challenges of coordinating high-level attendance across the region, including transport, security, event management and technical support.
Minister Tabuya welcomed the support, noting that strong collaboration between Fiji and Australia will be critical in advancing Pacific priorities on the global stage, particularly in the lead-up to COP31.
The two-day Pacific Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa, currently being attended in Brisbane by Minister Tabuya, Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael, and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Raijeli Taga, is expected to solidify the roadmap for the COP31 Pacific Partnership, ensuring that the voices of the Blue Pacific are heard clearly on the international stage. The meeting will also advance ongoing cooperation on the COP31 Pacific Partnership…. PACNEWS
FIJI – EMBASSY: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Establishment of Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Fiji
SUVA, 19 MARCH 2026 (FIJI GOVT) — The Fijian Cabinet has endorsed the establishment of a resident Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Suva, marking a significant milestone in Fiji–UAE diplomatic relations.
Fiji and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2010, with Fiji opening its mission in Abu Dhabi in 2012. The proposed mission will be the first diplomatic presence from the Gulf region in Fiji, with expected accreditation across the wider Oceania region.
The establishment of the UAE Embassy will strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as renewable energy, climate resilience, trade and investment, education, and development assistance, while reinforcing Fiji’s role as a regional diplomatic hub in the Pacific…. PACNEWS
PAC – ANTI-CORRUPTION: PMN PACNEWS 2: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Charlie Charters: ‘I still love this country’ but Fiji’s anti-corruption fight is far from over
WELLINGTON, 19 MARCH 2026 (PMN) — Charlie Charters, a dual Fiji‑British citizen who has been charged in relation to social media posts concerning Fiji’s anti‑corruption agency, says his connection to the country remains strong, even as he waits for his legal case to unfold.
Charters spoke with William Terite on Pacific Mornings from Australia, where he was granted bail to work and is due back in Fiji for his trial later this year.
His interest in Fiji began more than 35 years ago during a 15‑month stay in 1986-87, a period marked by two coups.
“Fiji at its best and, unfortunately, Fiji at its worst,” he said, describing how that time shaped his lifelong relationship with the country and its politics.
Charters says his reporting evolved from a deep interest in Pacific sports administration including work with the Fiji Rugby Union and then into broader scrutiny of governance, as whistleblowers came to him with information they wanted made public.
“People appreciated that I was willing to say the quiet bit out loud…”
He was sceptical from the start about the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), established after the 2006 coup.
Charters described FICAC as a “loaded gun… a very cynical tool of intimidation” when used against critics of government, tying people up in lengthy legal processes.
“I didn’t think the corruption merited a coup,” he said. “FICAC was given these tools in the wrong hands.”
Charters also offered his view on why many commentators on Fijian affairs operate from outside the country.
He pointed to cultural and economic pressures at home that made outspoken reporting difficult.
“There’s a cultural focus on hierarchy and kind of conformity… and under past regimes, the government was a major force in everybody’s lives.”
Despite his legal troubles, Charters said his love for Fiji has not faded. “I still cheer for Fiji in all sports, in all teams… my relationship with Fiji is perhaps even stronger than it’s ever been.”
Officials involved with FICAC have said the agency is acting independently. Acting Commissioner Lavi Rokoika has publicly rejected critics’ claims that FICAC is “weaponised” to target political figures.
Rokoika, whose appointment is under legal scrutiny, told a media conference in Suva that decisions are made through internal checks and legal processes, not political direction.
She has acknowledged challenges but said the agency continues its mandate to prevent and address corruption.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has also weighed in publicly. He said a government review of the law governing FICAC will follow the constitutional process, with no interference from his office.
Rabuka has stressed that any future whistleblower protections must be built on facts and confirmed moves to consider legislative amendments to the FICAC Act.
The latest developments reflect a broader debate in Fiji about the role and future of anti‑corruption work.
Charters argues reform is needed to ensure external oversight and confidence in the process.
Officials counter that existing structures and procedures are designed to protect independence and uphold the rule of law.
Charters says his work has given others “permission to have a shout at the government”.
But he also acknowledged that issues like climate change, economic pressures, and digital challenges facing Pacific societies remain pressing.
As Fiji navigates these debates, the question of how best to balance accountability, transparency, and free speech remains at the heart of public discourse…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – VISA: REUTERS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 19 Mar 2026
U.S to require $15,000 bond to visa recipients from 12 more countries
WASHINGTON, 19 MARCH 2026 (REUTERS) — President Donald Trump’s administration will require citizens from 50 countries to post bonds of $15,000 to apply for U.S entry, a State Department official said on Wednesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 12 countries are being added to a list that already includes 38 other nations, largely in Africa.
The expanded visa bond programme, which requires those foreign nationals to pay $15,000 for a B1 or B2 visa for business and tourism, goes into effect on 2 April. The aim is to prevent visitors from overstaying their visas, the official said.
The new nations included in the visa bond programme are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.
The official said bonds will be returned to visa recipients who return home in compliance with the terms of the visa and the bond, or do not travel in the first place.
Since taking office last January, Trump, a Republican, has pursued a hard-line immigration policy, including an aggressive deportation drive, revocations of visas and green cards, and screens of social media posts and past speeches of immigrants.
Human rights groups have condemned Trump’s immigration and travel-related policies, saying they curb due process guarantees and free speech. Trump and his allies say the policies seek to improve domestic security.
Last June, he issued a travel ban that fully or partially blocked citizens of 19 nations from entering the U.S on national security grounds.
The State Department official said the visa bond programme has reduced the number of people who overstay their visas.
The 38 nations previously included are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe…. PACNEWS
PNG – ECONOMY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Conflict in Middle East to challenge PNG: Bank
PORT MORESBY, 19 MARCH 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — The Bank of Papua New Guinea has described the conflict in the Middle East as one of the country’s biggest economic challenges in future.
Bank of PNG deputy governor Jeffrey Yabom recently outlined the “dual economic impact”, warning that the same crisis driving up global oil prices was delivering both a windfall and a headache to PNG.
Yabom said on the positive side, higher oil prices mean stronger returns for PNG’s LNG and condensate exports.
However, the benefit would be felt in terms of price rather than volume, as most production facilities are already operating at full capacity.
“We should see a definite increase in our export receipts, and that is purely driven by international prices,” Yabom said.
“We should also see balance of payments surpluses.”
But the conflict was pushing up shipping insurance costs and forcing cargo vessels to avoid Middle Eastern shipping lanes.
This significantly increases transportation expenses and ultimately raising the price of imported goods.
“The insurance cost of ships transporting crude oil or LNG has actually gone up, maybe doubled,” Yabom said.
“Transportation costs are also set to rise. All of that feeds through to the price of fuel.”
Yabom argues that every price rise among PNG’s trading partners feeds through in full to domestic inflation.
“The feed-through is 100 per cent,” he said.
“If there is exchange rate depreciation, only 50 per cent of that feeds through to domestic prices.”
With PNG already experiencing gradual Kina depreciation, these two forces are pushing domestic prices in the same direction at the same time…. PACNEWS
PAC – FUEL: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Trump issues 60-day waiver of Jones Act
HAGATNA, 19 MARCH 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — President Trump has issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, allowing foreign ships to move fuel between U.S ports to mitigate the disruptions to the oil market, the White House announced Wednesday.
“This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertiliser, and coal to flow freely to U.S ports for sixty days, and the administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a social media post.
The Jones Act waiver is aimed at controlling energy prices surge amid the escalating war in Iran, which caused the blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries about one-third of the global oil supply.
The law, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, requires goods shipped between American ports to be carried on ships that are U.S-built, -flagged and -crewed, and also limits the number of tankers domestic shippers can use.
Guam Del. James Moylan said the temporary waiver is expected to help stabilise fuel supply and ease price pressures that directly impact the cost of electricity, transportation, and the overall cost of living for families in Guam.
The Jones Act has been considered an economic albatross for Guam, where consumer prices are 1.24 times higher than the U.S.
While Guam obtains fuel supply from Singapore, the island relies on U.S sources for most consumer items.
“I appreciate the administration’s decision to provide flexibility during a time when global conditions are placing pressure on energy supply chains,” Moylan said in a statement.
Critics argue that the Jones Act has created monopolistic conditions, inflated shipping costs and reduced competition, especially in non-contiguous jurisdictions such as Hawaii, Guam, Alaska and Puerto Rico.
“For this reason, I have continued raising these challenges through forums such as the Interagency Group on Insular Areas and in discussions with federal partners to ensure Guam’s unique circumstances remain part of the national conversation,” Moylan said.
“While this waiver comes during a time of global uncertainty, it demonstrates that targeted flexibility can provide real relief when supply chains are under pressure,” he added.
The current oil market disruption is the largest in history, according to the International Energy Agency.
The last Jones Act waiver was issued in 2022 during the Covid‑19 pandemic. At that time, the Biden administration temporarily suspended the law’s requirements for certain U.S‑flagged vessel operations to allow some cargo to be transported on foreign‑flagged ships to ease supply chain disruptions and support the global pandemic response
During his first term in office, Trump temporarily suspended the Jones Act in 2017 to facilitate aid for Puerto Rico, following Hurricane Maria that shattered the U.S territory.
“My hope is that this step can serve as a foundation for broader discussions on long-term solutions that address the unique shipping and energy challenges facing Guam and the territories,” Moylan said…. PACNEWS
PAC – SUNKEN NAVY SHIP: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 19 Mar 2026
Safata villages want a say as Manawanui wreck talks roll on
WELLINGTON, 19 MARCH 2026 (PMN) — Communities along Sāmoa’s Safata coast say they are still waiting to be heard.
Months after the Royal New Zealand Navy ship, HMNZS Manawanui, sank offshore, villagers want a direct role in decisions about what happens next and how it could affect their future.
“We are not sitting at the table,” Safata II MP Tuia Logoiai Pu’a Leota told PMN News. “I think we have to get involved if there are such discussions going on like that.”
The vessel ran aground on 5 October 2024 during a hydrographic survey and sank the next day, with 75 people on board. No lives were lost, but the impact is still being felt.
A Court of Inquiry found the grounding was caused by a series of human errors, including gaps in training, planning, and supervision, as well as time pressure during the operation.
In March 2026, three naval officers were charged, with court-martial proceedings pending.
For Safata communities, the issue is no longer just about how the ship sank but what it means for their land, sea, and way of life.
Tuia said residents remain concerned about how decisions over the wreck are being made.
While his interaction with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at a state dinner on Monday was informal, Tuia says it does not end efforts to address the wreck and its future impact.
“We would like to talk to other organisations, other countries, to help us conduct a special study in the district, a second opinion,” he said. “The problem is that we don’t have the money to conduct these studies ourselves.”
Luxon visited Sāmoa as part of his Pacific tour, where he was bestowed a chiefly matai title in Apia on Monday.
The Manawanui incident has already prompted a NZ$6 million (US$3.48 million) payment from New Zealand.
Luxon said the payment was a complete settlement. “We negotiated in good faith… and paid full and final settlement,” he said during a media engagement in Apia on Monday.
Luxon confirmed that the focus is now on the wreck’s future. An independent shipwreck assessment has been provided to the Sāmoan government.
“The decision sits with the Sāmoan government… we stand ready to help in any way we can,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that while he had not read the report, he had a “sense” of its options.
Sāmoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt said discussions with affected villages are ongoing.
“The continuation of the negotiation is still on, and we need to have time, better time with New Zealand to consider what is good for us here and protective and also preserve what’s going to be affected in the future,” he said.
“That’s where the discussion should be – be fair to New Zealand and also be fair to us in the long run.”
The Sāmoan leader said compensation is being redirected to communities rather than retained by the government.
But for Tuia and Safata residents, concerns go beyond immediate compensation, including cultural and spiritual ties to the waters.
“When these things happen, it can change people’s lives, especially our environment, the freedom to enjoy our shores, the spirit, the culture,” he said. “It’s really affected.”
While some residents are focused on receiving the payments, Tuia said the longer-term effects on the districts must not be ignored.
“My concern is people being affected, or other problems developing. Maybe they care, but they don’t show it. I’m trying to push and talk about the effects on the future of our district.”
As discussions continue between Sāmoa and New Zealand over the wreck, communities along the Safata coast are watching closely and asking for something simple: A seat at the table.
From Sāmoa, Luxon and his delegation moved on to Tonga, the next stop of his Pacific tour. The Prime Minister returns home on Wednesday…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
Decaying World War II bombs in Solomon Islands releasing toxic chemicals, new research finds
HONIARA, 19 MARCH 2026 (UNDP) — Coastal communities in Solomon Islands are facing growing health and environmental risks as decaying World War II bombs release toxic chemicals into land and sea, new research has found.
The Environmental Impact Assessment is the first investigation in the Pacific to examine how aging unexploded bombs contaminate the environment. It was conducted by scientists from The University of Queensland and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from the Government of Japan.
More than 80 years after World War II, thousands of bombs, shells and other munitions remain across the islands. As the metal casings corrode, they release toxic heavy metals and explosive chemicals into soil, water and coastal ecosystems.
The study found elevated levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury at sites where bombs are present. Explosive compounds such as TNT and PETN were also detected.
Contamination found in seafood
Scientists also detected explosive residues in marine life, including shellfish collected from nearshore areas. Communities and clinics reported symptoms after eating seafood from affected areas, including skin rashes, ulcers, vomiting, diarrhoea and neurological problems. Health workers described cases of illness in breastfeeding infants.
Dr Stacey Pizzino, who led the research at The University of Queensland, said the danger is increasing as the bombs continue to decay.
“The health risk from World War II bombs is growing as the ordnance breaks down and releases heavy metals into the environment,” she said.
“Communities are already reporting illnesses that may be linked to exposure to these toxins.”
Researchers tested samples at selected sites, meaning the findings do not represent the entire country. However, the study shows that contamination can occur wherever unexploded bombs interact with soil, water or marine ecosystems.
A wartime legacy still present
The Solomon Islands saw some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific during World War II, including the pivotal Guadalcanal Campaign. Decades later, the threat remains widespread. The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force recorded 7,773 unexploded bomb callouts between 2011 and 2025, most involving live explosives. Many of these bombs lie close to villages, gardens and fishing grounds.
Climate change increasing the danger
Researchers warn that climate change is making the situation worse. Flooding, storms and coastal erosion can expose buried bombs, speed up corrosion and spread contaminated sediments into wells, rivers and coral reefs. Warmer, more acidic seas may also accelerate the release of chemicals.
More than half of known bomb sites are within one kilometre of the coast, where climate impacts are strongest.
Urgent need for clearance
The report calls for faster bomb clearance in high-risk areas, long-term monitoring of water and seafood, and better national mapping of unexploded ordnance across the country.
Raluca Eddon, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Solomon Islands, said the findings highlight the urgent need to remove the bombs.
“Time is running out as more hazardous chemicals leak into the environment, harming reefs, sea life and coastal communities,” she said. “This research shows the urgency of clearing unexploded bombs in Solomon Islands, across the Pacific and around the world.”
The findings were presented with Solomon Islands Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services.
“This is an important resource for our country and for the wider region,” said George Bogese, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. “The Solomon Islands Government sincerely appreciates the continued support of the Japanese Government in strengthening our work on unexploded ordnance.”
For many communities in Solomon Islands, the study highlights the environmental and health consequences of a war fought more than eight decades ago are still unfolding today…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
Tonga raises age of marriage to 18 with Save The Children urging other Pacific Island Nations to follow
NUKU’ALOFA, 19 MARCH 2026 (SAVE THE CHILDREN) — Tonga has raised the legal age of marriage to 18 from 15, with Save the Children urging other Pacific Island nations to follow suit and to invest more in child protection and the future of girls.
Previously, children aged 15-17 could marry in Tonga with parental consent and about one in 10 girls in Tonga were married before the age of 18.
But last year the country’s Women and Children Crisis Centre submitted a formal written submission seeking to raise Tonga’s legal marriage age to 18 in line with international rights standards. Tonga’s government passed a new law this week enacting the change.
Save the Children welcomed Tonga’s decision, highlighting that childhood should be a time for learning, playing and a time when children feel safe. Children represent about 40 percent of Tonga’s 105,000 population.
Despite progress to reduce child marriage worldwide, around 12 million girls still marry each year and there are an estimated 640 million girls or women who have been married in childhood [1]. Childhood marriage exposes girls to risks, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, domestic violence, early pregnancies and school drop-out.
Across the Pacific [2], child marriage remains a significant challenge, with deep inequalities and slow progress in some nations, despite a commitment by countries under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end child marriage by 2030.
In Papua New Guinea, nearly 27 percent of girls marry before age 18 with rates remaining largely unchanged since the early 1990s [3]. Over 1 in 5 girls in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu [4] are married before the age of 18.
In Solomon Islands, Save the Children, along with partners, is campaigning alongside children through the ‘Make it 18’ campaign to have the legal age of marriage raised to 18. Child marriage is currently legal at 15 with parental or judicial consent.
Caregivers there said girls were vulnerable to early marriage partly because bride prices were an attractive means of income for families. Bride prices can be paid in money, property, or other forms of wealth by a groom or his family to the bride’s family.
Save the Children is also calling for greater public investment in children’s services across the Pacific to be prioritised.
Kim Koch, Save the Children’s Pacific Regional Director, said:
“Girls who are married young are robbed of their childhoods and of their futures. This move by Tonga to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 is an important example of positive change for children in the Pacific. It will better support girls’ futures including their education and any economic opportunities that also have an impact on their families and communities.
“This new law will strengthen protection for children and young people, especially girls, making their homes, schools and communities safer and enable them to contribute to Tonga’s development goals.”
Save the Children is calling for more public investment in children’s services in Tonga to support social and economic development and urges the government to ensure financial mechanisms for reform are included in the national budget…. PACNEWS