In this bulletin:
1. NIUE — Niue sets 02 May election date as Assembly to be dissolved
2. SOL — Solomon Islands Foreign Minister quits, joins opposition to lead government takeover bid
3. PACIFIC — NZ to work closely with Pacific on stopping drug ‘super highway’
4. PACIFIC—NZ PM Luxon, Tongan PM united on sharing more data to combat transnational crime
5. FIJI — Nationwide consultations to gather views on Fiji’s 2013 Constitution set to begin soon
6. FIJI — 68 percent of adults obese as NCDs rates rise in Fiji
7. PACIFIC — A Pacific powerhouse still pushing for secure funding for its future: Polyfest
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific Fisheries officers train in Majuro as region steps up fight against Illegal fishing
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Tourism earnings hit $2.81 billion in 2025
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Airports awards contract for solar farm installation
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Collateral damage: War threatens to blow up inflation in Australia
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Deepfakes, voice cloning and weaponised AI: Global wake-up call to organised fraud
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Commonwealth Investment Network showcases climate solutions from small states to global investors
NIUE – ELECTION: TV NIUE PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Niue sets 02 May election date as Assembly to be dissolved
ALOFI, 18 MARCH 2026 (TV NIUE) — After months of anticipation, Niue will go to the polls on Saturday, 02 May for its general election following confirmation in the final sitting of Parliament.
Speaker of the Niue Assembly, Hima Douglas, announced that the Assembly will be dissolved on 27 March, clearing the way for the national vote.
“The assembly will be dissolved on the 27th of March and the general election will be held on Saturday 02 May,” said Douglas.
The announcement comes as a surprise after earlier indications from Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi that elections could be held later in the year.
In December, Tagelagi had indicated a possible June election and had earlier signalled plans for the Assembly to complete its full three-year term.
Fourteen members attended the final sitting of the 18th Niue Assembly last week, with several members absent overseas.
Minister Esa Mona Ainuu was in Auckland but has since returned, while Minister Crossley Tatui remains there on medical leave.
Common roll members O’love Jacobsen and Billy Talagi are also in Auckland, along with constituency members Tofua Puletama of Makefu and Tutuli Heka of Alofi North.
Prime Minister Tagelagi is currently overseas and is expected to return on 27 March.
In his absence, Sonya Talagi is serving as Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Finance.
Ricky Makani continues as Acting Minister for Infrastructure, while Talaititama Talaiti is Acting Minister for Central Agencies and state-owned enterprises until the Prime Minister returns…. PACNEWS
SOL – POLITICS: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister quits, joins opposition to lead government takeover bid
HONIARA, 18 MARCH 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka says he has been asked to lead a government takeover less than two years since Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele came to power.
Agovaka broke party lines and resigned from Cabinet on Monday night, joining a breakaway of ministers and backbenchers that kicked off on Sunday.
He told RNZ Pacific that the People’s First Party (PFP) have offered him the leadership, meaning a change of government would see him become Prime Minister.
“I feel it’s time, for me representing central Guadacanal, to take up that challenge to lead our country,” he said.
The PFP, joined by the official Opposition, have petitioned for an extraordinary sitting of parliament.
Government House said that petition was submitted Tuesday, with the Governor-General now to decide on whether to call a sitting.
Agovaka said they intend to file a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, and his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party.
He believed the 12-member PFP had the numbers to form a new government with the opposition and independents, but said the situation was “fluid”.
“There is a critical motion that should be dealt with immediately … we’ll just hope that our number, which is 27, holds,” he said.
Current PFP leader Fredrick Kologeto told RNZ Pacific on Monday that he expected their support to rise beyond a simple majority in the Solomons’ 50-seat Parliament.
Kologeto said there was a breakdown in trust between ministers and that he ultimately saw no resolution while Manele’s OUR Party remained in power.
Several ministers have defected from OUR to PFP over the last year, including Finance Minister Harry Kuma and Justice Minister Clezy Rore.
Agovaka, who is now in the process of leaving OUR, called out Manele for sacking two PFP Ministers in February and replacing them with OUR members.
“I can’t work with some of the ministers … undermining the integrity of Cabinet and trying to push their own agendas,” Shanel said.
He said the PFP have yet to offer portfolios to other Ministers, but said that opposition leader Matthew Wale, who leads the Democratic Party, would be invited into a new Cabinet.
“There [will be] a coalition between the opposition, independents, and People First … if we come through that, then we can start sitting down and looking at the portfolios,” Agovaka said.
“We look forward to this change of regime.”
The Prime Minister’s Office declined RNZ Pacific’s request for comment….PACNEWS
PAC – DRUGS FIGHT: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
NZ to work closely with Pacific on stopping drug ‘super highway’
APIA/WELLINGTON, 18 MARCH 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—New Zealand police will work more with counterparts in Samoa and Tonga to try and stop the flow of cocaine and methamphetamine through the region.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon raised the problem during his visit this week to Samoa where both countries have signed a co-operation agreement to work against the illicit drugs trade.
The Pacific Islands region has been described as a “super highway” of drugs from South America to New Zealand by Luxon who said criminal gangs “keep pushing their product on to our people, and we don’t like it”.
Several New Zealand police officers will be embedded in Samoa, adding to existing officer placements there and in Tonga, while customs and police will share intelligence and capabilities for surveying trafficking criminal networks.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, who is on the Prime Minister’s trip to the islands, told Checkpoint the networks were using Pacific Island countries to get their product to the lucrative markets in New Zealand and Australia.
“Frequently we see drugs brought across the Pacific and attempts to corrupt those nations as well. Our job is to work with the Pacific nations to keep drugs out and corruption out.”
Chambers said the impact of corruption was being felt in the Pacific through attempts to influence, “not only police officers, customs baggage handlers, port workers, but even government officials as well’.
This comes as police in Pacific countries including Samoa, Tonga and Fiji say they are struggling to stem surging drug use, particularly among the young. They have have turned to Australia and New Zealand who have welcomed the chance for more for co-operation in this area.
Chambers said drug traffickers had increasingly sophisticated ways of getting drugs through the islands to New Zealand, not simply drop-offs of consignments into the ocean
“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,” the police commissioner explained.
To deal with this regional threat, another four New Zealand police will join the two officers already embedded in Samoa in the next couple of months, Chambers said, while there were already four in Tonga and other police personnel in Fiji and other territories too…..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
NZ PM Luxon, Tongan prime minister united on sharing more data to combat transnational crime
NUKU’ALOFA, 18 MARCH 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—New Zealand and Tonga’s prime ministers say they are united on sharing more data on transnational crime and fuel resilience, in their first official meeting together.
Christopher Luxon arrived in Nuku’alofa for the second leg of his Pacific mission, and walked straight from the plane into a bilateral meeting with Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua.
In a media conference afterwards, Luxon and Lord Fakafanua both said they were aligned on economic growth, better public services, and law and order.
Transnational crime has been a large focus of Luxon’s Pacific mission, with the police commissioner and chief executive of customs travelling with him.
Similar to his comments in Samoa, Luxon said all Pacific nations were wrestling with the problem, and they were all stepping up their efforts and sharing more intelligence.
“We’ve been coordinating and working with your organisations, your agencies, as well as ours, as well as Australia, as well as Samoa, as well as Fiji, in a much more regional coordination, because essentially, it’s a Pacific problem, and it’s a Pacific solution that’s needed to be designed,” he said.
Lord Fakafanua said domestically the prices of street drugs had increased, which was an indication of scarcity of supply, but Tonga still needed more data on the consumption of drugs.
“We are now advocating for wastewater testing, which will start with public facilities such as the police stations, government facilities like the prime minister’s office, and hospitals, schools. It would give us a lot more scientific data on a level that we don’t currently have,” he said.
The two also discussed fuel resilience, amid ongoing uncertainty from the Iran war.
Luxon repeated that New Zealand was in good shape, and stood ready to share any of the intelligence or information it had with Tonga and other Pacific nations.
Lord Fakafanua said Tonga’s government was managing expectations and improving information sharing.
Air New Zealand’s chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar is travelling with the prime minister’s business delegation, and Luxon said he had received assurances that Air New Zealand was committed to doing everything it could to maintain Pacific air links.
Lord Fakafanua was less concerned at the prospect of airlines reducing their flights to and from Tonga, and he would wait to hear what Air New Zealand had to say.
“My concern is about ensuring that we have enough energy for the country in the meantime and for now, we seem to be OK.”
Lord Fakafanua was also less concerned about visa waivers, a topic that has followed Luxon across the Pacific.
Luxon was encouraged extensively in Samoa by its Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Polataivao Leuatea Fosi Schmidt., community leaders, and media to allow Pacific visitors to access visa waivers, just as visitors from 60 other countries are allowed to access.
Luxon has not wanted to pre-empt a petition handed to Parliament last month, saying it will be considered by a Select Committee.
But he has been reluctant to support visa waivers, saying it had been tried previously and had led to overstayers and overrun hospitals and schools.
Luxon has instead referred to measures the government has brought in to increase the length of stay for Pacific visas, speeding up processing times, and introducing cheaper visas on a trial basis.
Speaking in Nuku’alofa following a bilateral meeting with Luxon, Tonga’s Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua said what New Zealand did with its domestic policy was up to New Zealand.
“I respect their position, however on a personal note we do acknowledge there are 100,000 Tongans in New Zealand. And there are lots of considerations that have to be made, not just by the government but also the Parliament in New Zealand,” he said.
“I support whatever move New Zealand decides to make, whether they want to liberalise the step towards facilitating and making it more affordable in terms of the current visa situation is one that’s most welcome.
“But I don’t want to preempt anything that’s happening within New Zealand’s domestic politics.”
Fakafanua said his first congratulatory call when he became prime minister was from Luxon, and considered it a “a small gesture, but perhaps one that truly reflects the closeness of our two nations.”
Tonga is still paying off a significant loan from China, and continues to deal with the fallout from the volcanic eruption of 2022.
But Lord Fakafanua said he expected the loan would be paid off by 2030, and while there were other things the government wanted to spend money on, Tonga’s commitment was to pay its debts.
“We are currently in a position where we’re not taking any more loans. We’re not taking any more debt. We’re being a lot more clever with our fiscal management,” he said.
“And as a matter of principle, our budget is one of deficit, and so we have to support that with bonds, internal bonds, and also just being a lot more clever and efficient about our spending.”
Luxon’s trip to Tonga wraps up on Wednesday with a further transnational crime collaboration event with Tonga’s police, as well as education and business visits with his delegation….PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Nationwide consultations to gather views on Fiji’s 2013 Constitution set to begin soon
SUVA, 18 MARCH 2026 (FIJI SUN)—The Constitution Review Commission is urging Fijians to take part in upcoming consultations on the review of the 2013 Constitution.
Chairperson Sevuloni Valenitabua said the commission had been mandated to engage directly with the people through a broad consultative process to ensure the country’s supreme law reflects the values, needs and aspirations of its citizens.
Valenitabua emphasised the independence of the commission, saying its work would remain separate from any election-related activities.
He said while Government and donor partners would provide funding and logistical support, the commission would maintain full autonomy in its operations and decision-making.
“The commission will assess submissions, review expert advice, and prepare its reports including recommendations through its own analysis,” he said.
Consultation preparations are already underway, with support staff assisting commissioners to organise a nationwide schedule.
Details on consultation venues and dates will be announced through official notices and media broadcasts…PACNEWS
FIJI – HEALTH: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
68 percent of adults obese as NCDs rates rise in Fiji
SUVA, 18 MARCH 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Nearly 68 pe cent of adults in Fiji are obese, highlighting a growing health crisis linked to rising rates of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes.
New data from the Fiji STEPS Survey 2025 shows that 17 percent of Fijians are living with diabetes.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said the figures underscored the urgent need to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment.
The survey also found that adults aged 18 to 69 have at least one major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, while nearly half the population lives with three or more risk factors.
Health officials say poor diet, lack of physical activity and increasing obesity levels are key contributors.
Ravunawa said addressing the crisis would require stronger collaboration between Government, health workers, development partners and communities.
Fiji has taken another step in the fight against diabetes with the handover of 100 diabetic foot care toolkits and 10 autoclave machines to improve treatment and prevent amputations.
The equipment was handed over during a ceremony organised yesterday in Suva by Diabetes Fiji with support from the Australian High Commission through the Australian Fiji Health Program.
Speaking at the event, Diabetes Fiji board member Pranil Goundar said the initiative marks an important milestone in strengthening care for people living with diabetes.
“Diabetes continues to take a heavy toll in Fiji and many health centres previously lacked the clinical tools needed to prevent complications such as foot infections and amputations,” Goundar said.
He said the Healthy Steps Project, revived in September 2025, aims to address this gap by training nurses and providing them with the right equipment.
So far, 37 primary health care nurses from the six subdivisions in the Central Division have completed a two-week diabetic foot care training at the Diabetes Hub.
The nurses were trained to assess patients’ feet, identify risks, provide advice and manage diabetic foot conditions.
Goundar said the training is especially important as Fiji has experienced a shortage of trained nurses in recent years.
At the same time, studies and the 2025 STEPS survey show diabetes and related amputations are increasing.
Data also shows that 83 percent of the trained nurses are actively using their skills and maintaining patient registers in their health centres.
Despite challenges such as flooding and damaged records in some areas, many nurses in regions such as Suva, Rewa and Namosi have continued conducting foot screenings and risk assessments with limited resources.
Goundar said the handover of the new equipment represents more than just tools.
“We are not just handing over metal and plastic,” he said. “We are handing over hope, mobility and a future where saving the foot becomes the standard of care.”
Senior Programme Manager for Health at the Australian High Commission, Francis Bingwor, said Australia was pleased to support Fiji in responding to the growing non-communicable disease crisis.
He said the toolkits and autoclaves will help healthcare workers provide early treatment and prevent minor diabetic foot problems from developing into severe infections or amputations.
Bingwor added that proper sterilisation equipment is also essential for safe clinical practice and infection prevention.
Australia’s support aligns with its partnership with Fiji to strengthen health systems, including improving health supply chains, strengthening digital health systems, and supporting workforce development.
Bingwor also acknowledged the work of healthcare teams, including the Central Division Diabetes Hub, the Wellness Unit of the Ministry of Health, and nurses on the frontline caring for diabetic patients.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve primary health care services and reduce preventable illness in Fiji…..PACNEWS
PAC – POLYFEST: PMN PACNEWS 2: Wed 18 Mar 2026
A Pacific powerhouse still pushing for secure funding for its future: Polyfest
AUCKLAND, 18 MARCH 2026 (PMN)—Polyfest has been going for half-a-century, but organisers say the Auckland cultural festival still struggles to secure stable long-term funding.
Festival director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu says ASB Polyfest relies on a mix of sponsors, funders and community support to keep it running.
“It is frustrating to have to justify every year why we exist and why we should happen,” Seiuli told Pacific Mornings
“But at the end of the day, our people always show up.”
Now in its 51st year, the festival remains one of the largest cultural events for secondary school students in the country.
This year, 73 schools and 263 groups are taking part, with about 10,000 students expected to perform across the week-long event.
Seiuli said the scale of the festival is not always visible to those who only see the performances on stage.
“We’re more than a four-day event,” she said.
“We’re a 365 commitment to our young people and their families and what they’re doing in school.”
Polyfest has long been powered by the efforts of teachers, parents and communities who spend months preparing students for the performances, Seiuli said.
“The success of the festival is because of our families and our communities and our funders and sponsors.
“So we all get behind our young people.”
Despite its reach and popularity, organisers say securing funding remains a yearly challenge.
“Every year costs go up. And that’s just the reality of it,” Seiuli said.
“When it comes to funding, every year we’re having to talk to funders.”
The outdoor festival, held at the Manukau Sports Bowl since the mid-1990s, also carries additional logistical and weather-related risks which can add to the event costs.
Seiuli said organisers work with government agencies, philanthropic organisations and sponsors to ensure the festival can continue.
She said a funding strategy is currently being developed with support from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples to explore more sustainable options for the future.
“We’ve been working on a funding strategy over the last year,” she said.
“We’re looking at what that may look like going forward.”
The director also highlighted Polyfest’s growing international reach, with families overseas increasingly watching performances online.
“We know that we also have a massive international appeal,” she said.
Auckland Council is one of the key supporters of the festival, including providing access to the Manukau Sports Bowl venue.
Seiuli said the partnership remains important as the event continues to grow.
“There’s a lot of growth, and we need to prepare for that growth,” she said.
Auckland Council says Polyfest is one of many events competing for limited public funding.
Rachel Kelleher, Director of Community at Auckland Council, said the festival has received consistent support through the council’s regional event grants programme.
“Auckland Council is a long-running supporter of the ASB Polyfest, with funding allocated every year since amalgamation to assist with the festival’s running costs,” Kelleher said.
She said all event funding must be carefully managed to ensure fairness and accountability to ratepayers.
“We have an obligation to ratepayers to ensure accountability as well as to provide all event organisers with equal opportunity for council support.”
Polyfest is one of 27 events funded through the programme in the last financial year and received the largest individual grant of $75,000 (US$43,943).
This chart was created by AI tool Gemini Pro.
Council data shows Polyfest funding has generally ranged between $50,000 and $75,000 annually over the past decade, with a peak of $100,000(US$58,951) in 2023 following reduced demand during the Covid pandemic.
Local boards have also contributed to the festival over time, including $64,000 (US$37,948) from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board for Polyfest’s 50th anniversary in 2025.
Seiuli said organisers remain hopeful that a more sustainable funding model can be developed for the future…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – FISHERIES: PACNEWS/FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Pacific Fisheries officers train in Majuro as region steps up fight against Illegal fishing
MAJURO/HONIARA, 18 MARCH 2026 (PACNEWS/FFA) —Officials from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia are in Majuro for a two-week technical training aimed at strengthening fisheries export controls and market access.
The training, organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), runs from 9 to 21 March and brings together officers from National Competent Authorities responsible for overseeing fisheries standards and compliance.
The programme focuses on improving understanding of national control plans, industry standards and updated European Union regulatory requirements, including new provisions for brine freezing.
Participants will also receive practical training on purse seine fishing operations, onboard refrigeration systems and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation for fishing vessels.
The sessions include hands-on work in inspection planning and scheduling to strengthen official fisheries control programmes.
Nine officers are taking part in the training, which is supported by the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program for Economic Resilience (PROPER) and the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership Programme (PEUMP).
The training is facilitated by FFA Market Access Advisor Ratu Jope Tamani with consultant Cushla Hogarth.
FFA says the initiative is part of ongoing efforts to help member countries strengthen fisheries management systems, improve compliance with international standards and maintain access to key global seafood markets.
Meanwhile, regional efforts to protect tuna resources will continue later this month at the 29th Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Working Group Meeting.
The meeting will be held at FFA headquarters in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from 23 to 27 March 2026.
Fisheries, maritime and security officials from across the Pacific are expected to attend the annual meeting, which focuses on strengthening monitoring, surveillance and coordination among FFA members and partners.
The discussions will target stronger regional action to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing across the Pacific Ocean, home to the world’s largest tuna fisheries….PACNEWS
FIJI – TOURISM INDUSTRY: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Fiji Tourism earnings hit $2.81 billion in 2025
SUVA, 18 MARCH 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—Fiji’s tourism sector recorded strong growth in 2025, with total earnings reaching $2.81 billion(US$1.40 billion), according to the latest figures.
The data shows tourism earnings increased by 10.9 percent, or $277 million(US$138.5 million), compared to $2.53 billion(US$1.26 billion) in 2024.
“Total tourism earnings for the year 2025 stood at $2,813.8 million(US$1, 406.65 million),” the Fiji Bureau of Statistics said in its Fiji’s Earnings from Tourism report released yesterday.
Tourism earnings are calculated based on visitors’ average daily spending and total visitor days in the country.
Australia remained Fiji’s largest source market, contributing $1.39 billion(US$695 million), accounting for 49.4 percent of total earnings.
New Zealand followed with $634.2 million(US$317.1 million) (22.5 percent), while the United States contributed $313.8 million(US$156.9 million)(11.2 percent).
Other Pacific Island countries added $116.3 million (US$58.15 million), representing 4.1 percent of total tourism earnings.
The report noted that major source markets collectively accounted for 87.2 percent of total tourism earnings in 2025.
The steady increase reflects continued recovery and growth in the tourism sector following earlier downturns in recent years.
Figures also show a strong upward trend over time, with earnings rising from $594.1 million(US$297.05 million) in 2021 to over $2.8 billion(US$1.4 billion) in 2025.
The growth highlights the importance of tourism as a key contributor to Fiji’s economy, supporting jobs, businesses and foreign exchange earnings….PACNEWS
FIJI – AIRPORT: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Fiji Airports awards contract for solar farm installation
NADI, 18 MARCH 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)— Fiji Airports has appointed CBS Power Solutions Fiji Ltd to deliver the first stage of its planned solar farm at Nadi International Airport.
The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process and covers the installation of a 3.25-megawatt solar system at the airport’s solar farm site in Namaka. The project is expected to be the largest ground-mounted solar development in Fiji.
Fiji Airports Chief Executive Mesake Nawari said the project would help reduce the airport’s reliance on traditional power sources while improving the reliability of electricity supply at Nadi International Airport.
“As our operations continue to grow, we need infrastructure that can keep up with demand,” Nawari said.
“This project is about making our power supply more reliable, while also being environmentally friendly, helping reduce our carbon emissions.
“It is an important investment for Fiji Airports and for the future of our operations at Nadi International Airport.”
Once operational, it is estimated that the system will offset a significant portion of its energy consumption during peak generation periods, with approximately 25 percent of excess energy being fed back into the national grid.
As part of the project scope, the contractor will further develop the existing 30 percent concept design prepared by ITP Australia, our solar consultant for the Phase 1 of the project, into a 90 percent detailed design, along with the necessary engineering studies to support the installation.
Given the location of the solar farm within the Fiji Airports Compound, aviation safety will be a key consideration throughout the design phase. This will include a comprehensive glare study to ensure the installation does not affect aircraft operations.
CBS Power Solutions director Amit Singh said undertaking this project is quite a proud moment for his team, and with the commissioning next year, this will become the largest project.
He said that, considering the significance of this project in terms of capacity, they look forward to delivering this important project for Fiji Airports, which will also be the biggest for ports in the Pacific region.
As part of capacity building, Fiji Airports technical staff will undergo training during this first stage of this vital solar farm investment by working alongside CBS Power Solutions experts.
Looking ahead, Phase Two of the project is currently undergoing feasibility assessment, with plans to expand the system to between 8 and 10 megawatts, potentially supported by a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
The solar farm is part of Fiji Airports’ long-term sustainability plans as it works towards its net-zero emissions target by 2050….PACNEWS
AUST – IRAN CRISIS/INFLATION: AAP PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Collateral damage: War threatens to blow up inflation in Australia
CANBERRA, 18 MARCH 2026 (AAP)—The Reserve Bank of Australia has hiked interest rates for the second straight month, warning of more pain the longer the war in the Middle East drags on.
In a split five-four decision on Tuesday – the tightest since the central bank started publishing vote tallies – the RBA’s monetary policy board lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 percent.
It follows a rise of the same size in February.
The move was tipped by the majority of economists and money markets, which had priced in the chance of a rise at about two-thirds before the decision.
Governor Michele Bullock said arguments for a hold mainly centred around timing, with the four dissenters preferring to wait until May for more information, rather than disagreeing with the direction of travel.
Money markets were pricing in about a 50 percent chance of a third consecutive rate rise, with economists at all four big banks maintaining their predictions for a May hike.
Domestic price pressures, including a tight labour market and strong economic growth, were already driving inflation further away from the RBA’s 2-3 percent target band before U.S-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The war, and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, led to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz through which about one fifth of global oil supplies transit, and plunged global energy markets into chaos.
If the conflict worsened or was not resolved soon, higher fuel costs would push inflation in Australia even higher, Ms Bullock said in her post-meeting press conference.
But she insisted the reasons for the rate rise were homegrown.
“Higher petrol prices will add to inflation, but they’re not the reason for today’s decision,” she said.
‘Inflation was already too high, reflecting the fact that demand is outstripping supply.
‘Higher fuel costs will not slow demand enough on their own to address this”
While geopolitics was the trigger, weakness in the Australian economy was the underlying cause, argued Deloitte Access Economics partner Pradeep Philip.
“In the public imagination, today’s rate hike will inevitably be read as the Reserve Bank primarily reacting to conflict in the Middle East, kick-starting a tightening cycle to battle a new inflationary wave,” he said.
“In reality, the meeting was already live well before the conflict began and reflects concerns about the dire state of the supply side of the Australian economy – unable to grow at or above two percent without breaking out in inflation sweats.”
The RBA board and Bullock expressed concerns inflation expectations were rising.
If the bank wasn’t seen to be acting quickly, there was a risk it would cause inflation to become entrenched.
Bullock said she understood the bank’s decision would be hard to take for mortgage holders dealing with rising petrol prices.
Each 25 basis point rise adds about $90(US$63 in monthly repayments to a typical loan of $600,000(US$426,000) on an owner-occupied property.
“But it’ll be much worse if inflation gets built into the fibres and then we will see the cost of everything going up,” she said.
“That will be a much worse outcome.”
The big banks said they would pass on the hikes in full.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the RBA’s decision would be tough news for millions of Australians with a mortgage.
“We’ve strengthened the budget over the course of the last three-and-a-half years and there will be more of that in May” he said.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said the decision could be the final nail in the coffin for many businesses.
“The current fuel crisis only elevates the need to pursue economic reforms that will drive productivity growth, by making it easier to do business and encouraging businesses to invest,” he said……PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Deepfakes, voice cloning and weaponised AI: Global wake-up call to organised fraud
BANGKOK, 18 MARCH 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —The Sawyers from Australia were never really interested in volatile investing. As their retirement age approached, the idea of a low-risk investment for their pension seemed attractive. But one day, after clicking on a seemingly legitimate online advert that offered a reasonable risk-averse plan, they unlocked a process that would lead them to lose over US$2.5 million.
“The scammer was extraordinarily believable,” Kim Sawyer, a former university professor in Melbourne, said. “He had a British accent, used all the right financial market terms and knew how to induce us by appearing credible every time.”
The Sawyers are not an isolated case.
Using sophisticated cyber-tools, artificial intelligence and impersonation techniques, scammers trapped in centres across Southeast Asia have been defrauding victims of their savings for billions of dollars. In 2024, the United States alone reported losses amounting to US$10 billion to scam operations based in the region[AP1] [LG2] .
The victims that scammers target are all over the world and, in many cases, highly educated: the Sawyers both have master’s degrees and are experienced stock market investors.
Partnerships against organised fraud
Though scams are becoming increasingly global, the response to these crimes is also becoming transnational.
Governments, law enforcement agencies, private companies and civil society were brought together by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL at the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna, Austria, with a mandate to work more closely together including:
*shared intelligence
*joint investigations
*streamlined prosecutions across borders
Additionally, last December in Bangkok, Thailand, representatives from nearly 60 countries gathered alongside tech giants Meta and TikTok to launch the Global Partnership Against Online Scams.
The Bangkok conference, hosted by the Government of Thailand and UNODC, followed by the Global Fraud Summit, mark a diplomatic inflection point for international cooperation against scam centres.
But, the criminal infrastructure entrenched across Southeast Asia that drives fraud maintains a global reach.
An entire criminal ecosystem at work
These operations across the region go beyond just fraud. These networks facilitate money laundering, develop and deploy malware, weaponise artificial intelligence (AI) for deepfakes and voice cloning and sell cybercrime capabilities as services.
Recent raids in the Philippines and Cambodia tell the same story: one scam centre is in fact just a small slice of a connected crime infrastructure generating billions in illicit financial flows.
It is organised crime at scale, where fraud operations are merely the surface layer of a deeper ecosystem involving corruption, human trafficking and transnational money laundering.
“We need to be looking into prosecuting high-level criminals, following the money through financial investigations and identifying the giant networks that operate behind these operations,” said Delphine Schantz, UNODC’s regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
“The complexity of these crimes requires an equally complex, whole-of-government approach and enhanced coordination among governments, financial intelligence units and digital banks.”
On-the-ground responses
Philippines: On a recent visit to a former scam centre in Manila, the Philippines, UNODC officials and investigators walked through rooms where crime bosses once orchestrated fraud operations just hundreds of metres from government offices and foreign embassies.
In the compound, now converted into offices for the Philippines’ Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC), certain rooms have been left in their original state: places where bosses would enjoy entertainment, like a karaoke room and a gaming hall, alongside a torture chamber used to punish trafficked workers who did not meet their quotas.
A logbook from the entertainment area listed politicians, municipal officials and police officers entertained as guests, evidence of the corruption that allowed these operations to flourish.
“How do you prove a cybercrime in 36 hours? It is not possible,” said PAOCC’s operations director, recalling the scramble when police first raided the site. They had just over a day to file charges before legal deadlines expired.
UNODC is helping countries in the region to address these gaps:
*targeting capacities to gather, analyse and share electronic evidence
*reducing space for organised criminal groups to move and invest resources via underground banking systems and the region’s casino industry
*improving cooperation to stop the flow of people trafficked into scam centres in the region
In the Philippines, UNODC is assisting PAOCC and other relevant agencies involved in fighting scam operations to develop standard operating procedures for victim-centred responses:
*identifying and repatriating victims
*collecting evidence
8taking alleged perpetrators into custody.
Scammers who do not meet their quotas are often tortured
Cambodia: A delegation of prosecutors, investigators and central authorities from various countries visited a raided scam centre in Phnom Penh last December, together with UNODC officials.
Participants discussed mutual legal assistance, extradition, asset recovery and the proper handling of digital evidence across borders – critical aspects in addressing the scam industry.
The timing was deliberate: Cambodia had recently established the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), a high-level coordinating body chaired by the Prime Minister with representatives from 25 ministries and the authority to work with armed forces and law enforcement across the country.
Towards implementing a global response to fraud
Despite increased attention and local law enforcement efforts, scam centres continue to operate, often simply relocating when one compound is raided. While governments race to chase the crime, victims continue to lose billions. This week’s Global Fraud Summit focused on exactly that challenge: translating political will into concrete, long-term impact.
Global leaders discussed priorities, aligned responses and advanced solutions, but officials stress the next phase requires operational follow-through:
*joint cross-border operations
*coordinated prosecutions
*real-time intelligence sharing
‘They take your money and they take your soul’
Sawyer said that he and his wife, along with hundreds of victims, feel let down by the response they got from banks and governments.
“The scammer works twice: they take your money and they take your soul. They really do. They take your self-worth. And then, you feel like you’re being scammed again, by authorities’ lack of response,” he said.
He hopes that as countries share solutions, engage in international cooperation and draw more global attention to the issue, victims like him can benefit from responses that have already worked in other countries…..PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Commonwealth Investment Network showcases climate solutions from small states to global investors
LONDON, 18 MARCH 2026 (COMSEC)—Entrepreneurs from across Commonwealth small island developing states (SIDS) in the Pacific and Caribbean are presenting practical climate and economic solutions to global investors last week at the Commonwealth Investment Network (CIN) Summit.
Held during Commonwealth Week, the summit brings together investors, policymakers and business leaders in London to connect capital with businesses in the Commonwealth’s 25 small island developing states, supporting initiatives in renewable energy access, waste management, sustainable agriculture and disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Opening the summit, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey highlighted the importance of turning Commonwealth collaboration into practical investment opportunities for small and vulnerable economies: “In a world where economic uncertainty is rising, where investment flows are increasingly concentrated, and where small and vulnerable economies face ever greater barriers to capital, the question before us is simple: How do we unlock opportunity — together? The Commonwealth Investment Network is part of that answer.
CIN reflects a simple but powerful idea: that when the Commonwealth’s unique networks of trust, expertise and partnership are mobilised effectively, we can turn shared values into shared prosperity.”
The CIN Summit, held from 9–13 March, is jointly hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the UK Government and the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School.
At the centre of last week’s Summit is the CIN Investment Showcase, where seven small and medium-sized enterprises from Fiji, Grenada, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are presenting their businesses to international investors.
Their projects include converting organic waste and invasive seaweed into renewable energy, transforming agricultural by-products into soil restoration materials, expanding recycling systems in island towns, and designing safer buildings for disaster-prone communities.
These enterprises show that Commonwealth SIDS are developing practical, commercially viable solutions. Yet access to investment remains a major barrier. They are part of the CIN accelerator programme, which aims to help close this gap through technical support, mentorship and investor connections, while working with national investment promotion agencies to strengthen pipelines of investable projects.
Interest in the programme highlights the depth of innovation emerging across the Commonwealth. More than 130 businesses from 15 Commonwealth SIDS applied to participate in the accelerator, reflecting both strong entrepreneurial potential and the financing gaps many companies continue to face.
Today’s opening session included a ministerial panel discussion on “Scaling Climate Finance across the Commonwealth: Investing in Resilient and Sustainable Economies.” The panel included Fitzgerald Bramble, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs of St Vincent and the Grenadines; Peter Shanel Agovaka, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Solomon Islands; Kevin Arthurton of St Kitts and Nevis, Co-Chair of the Sub-Action Group on Investment; and John Virgoe, United Kingdom Commonwealth Envoy. Launched at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Commonwealth Investment Network is translating local innovation into real investment opportunities, strengthening economies, protecting natural resources and building resilience for Commonwealth countries. Together with initiatives such as the newly launched Commonwealth Small States Bulletin, the Commonwealth is highlighting both the immense talent emerging across small states and SIDS and the practical pathways needed to connect their solutions with global investment…..PACNEWS