Pacific CSOs: Our ocean is not a battleground
PACIFIC civil society organisations want regional leaders to reject growing militarisation and have warned that the region must not become a battleground for geopolitical
EMA GANIVATU
Solomons, China focus on relations
SOLOMON Islands and China will discuss expanded cooperation this week, a fortnight after Australia signaled its intention to take a greater role in regional defence.
Solomon Airlines signs deal with Philippines carrier
SOLOMON Airlines has signed an interline agreement with Philippine Airlines, allowing passengers to travel on single tickets and have baggage checked through to their final destinations.
Financial lifeline for island community
CLOSE to 40 per cent of Rotuma's population turned out for the island's first Financial Inclusion Maritime
USP research powers Tuvalu’s first waste plastic-to-fuel project
TUVALU has launched its first plastic waste and used engine oil pyrolysis machine, converting environmental pollution into alternative fuel through research led by the University of the South Pacific.
UNODC consultant warns Pacific over crypto risk
THE region is moving into a digital-asset era faster than its laws can keep
UN warns Pacific digital boom opening door to cybercrime
THE region’s rapid digital expansion is creating new openings for cybercriminals, urging governments, regulators, law enforcement and private companies to join forces to protect young people online.
Social media has become a courtroom battleground, Fiji DPP says
FIJI’S Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Nancy Tikoisuva, has warned that the country’s laws are racing to catch up with a digital world where phones, smart devices, metadata, and artificial intelligence can
EU Film Festival expands with first outdoor screening in Fiji
THE fifth European Film Festival in Fiji will introduce its first-ever outdoor cinema screening this year, as organisers seek to bring European culture to more communities across the
Australia, PNG unveil first mutual defence treaty in more than 70 years
AUSTRALIA and Papua New Guinea have formalised a landmark mutual defence treaty, a move the two governments cast as a major upgrade in security ties and a new phase in the relationships between the Pacific neighbours.
Rarotonga hosts Pacific leaders to strengthen traditional governance for nature
RAROTONGA woke up earlier this month to a different kind of Pacific gathering.
ADB lowers growth forecast amid energy market disruptions
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has cut its growth outlook for developing Asia and the Pacific for 2026 and lifted its inflation
ADB invests in sustainable fashion in Cook Islands
THE Asian Development Bank’s Frontier Seed initiative in the Pacific has made its first investment in the Cook Islands, backing Manini Wear with $USD130,000 in growth capital as the multilateral lender looks to
Pacific cannot be treated as a theatre for force – Marshall Islands
THE Republic of the Marshall Islands has sharply condemned China’s reported submarine-launched missile test in the South Pacific, saying the region cannot be treated as a venue for military signalling.
Cambodia’s HIV model the region cannot ignore
CAMBODIA has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets – 95 per cent of people living with HIV diagnosed, 95 per cent of those on treatment, and 95 per cent of those virally
Will Australia’s diplomatic streak last?
LAST week , Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu’s Jotham Napat, signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra, a security pact that, among other things, bars foreign military bases from Vanuatu’s
Tonga ratifies global nuclear test ban treaty in Pacific milestone
TONGA has ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, becoming the 179th country to do so and completing treaty universalisation across the Pacific region.
Wale takes hard line on corruption
LESS than two months after taking office, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has vowed that his country will not repeat the failures of the logging industry.
USP brings Pacific legend to the stage
THE University of the South Pacific's Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture & Pacific Studies will premiere its first major theatrical production since December 2023, bringing the Pacific legend of Sina and the Eel to the
VITI Reggae Festival unveils 2026 lineup, launches talent search for indigenous artists
THE VITI Reggae Festival at Prince Charles Park in Nadi from October 8-10 will boast a regional lineup headlined by South African reggae star TK Dube, son of the legendary Lucky
USP research targets climate-resilient taro farming for Pacific
A UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific (USP) researcher is developing new tools to help Pacific farmers strengthen taro production as climate change and declining soil health threaten one of the region's most important
FEO rejects voter register misinformation
FIJI’S elections office has reassured the public that the country’s electoral processes, including the National Register of Voters, are administered in strict accordance with the law.
Typhoon Bavi speeds past Guam
SUPER Typhoon Bavi has dropped to a Category Four storm and is racing away from the Marianas, prompting the National Weather Service to lift its typhoon warnings early today.
