In this bulletin:
1. FIJI — Israeli Foreign Minister heads to Fiji to open new embassy
2. PACIFIC — Pacific aid rises as domestic cuts hit Ministry for Pacific Peoples in Budget26
3. PACIFIC — Samoan nationals could face death penalty over ‘Coconut Cartel’ killing of Sydney gang leader in Vietnam
4. PACIFIC — Fund for climate-exposed Pacific nation invests in fossil fuels
5. FIJI — Fiji strengthens regional security and cyber resilience
6. VAN — Governance advocate supports PM’s PSC reform push
7. FIJI — Australia’s $47m grant to Fiji not reserved solely for fuel relief – Fiji’s Finance Minister
8. MARSH — Scientists set to return deep sea expedition discoveries to Marshall Islands community
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Government eyes Quad support for key Fiji infrastructure projects
10. PACNEWS BIZ — VT208M contract to develop and implement new tax system
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Cabinet approves plan for Fiji-owned aircraft fleet
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — The Quad dividend for Australia and India
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Global Economic Outlook Hangs in Balance between Geopolitical Headwinds and AI boost, Chief Economists Warn
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — New species of ghost pipefish named after Sesame Street character found in Australia
FIJI – DIPLOMACY: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Israeli Foreign Minister heads to Fiji to open new embassy
SUVA, 29 MAY 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Israel is expected to open a resident embassy in Fiji this weekend, marking a significant milestone in the growing relationship between the two countries and strengthening Israel’s diplomatic presence in the Pacific region.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is expected to travel to Fiji for the opening as Jerusalem and Suva move to expand diplomatic, strategic and development cooperation.
The embassy will provide Israel with a permanent diplomatic presence in the Blue Pacific, a region that has attracted increasing attention from global powers seeking influence through development assistance, climate initiatives, security partnerships and economic engagement.
The development follows Fiji’s opening of its embassy in Jerusalem last year, making it one of a small number of countries with an embassy in Israel’s capital.
Israel later announced plans to establish a reciprocal diplomatic mission in Fiji in 2026, citing Fiji’s consistent support for Israel in international forums, including the United Nations.
In March this year, Fiji’s Cabinet approved the establishment of a resident Israeli Embassy in Suva, describing the move as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas.
These include security, climate change adaptation, agriculture, emerging technologies and broader diplomatic engagement.
Fiji and Israel have maintained diplomatic relations since 1970 and have worked together for decades through various Israeli development programmes, particularly in agriculture and technical assistance.
The opening of the embassy is also being viewed as part of Israel’s broader effort to increase its engagement with Pacific Island nations amid growing geopolitical competition in the region.
For Fiji, officials have previously described the relationship as part of a balanced foreign policy approach that seeks to maintain traditional partnerships while broadening engagement with countries beyond the Pacific.
However, the growing relationship has not been without controversy.
Fiji’s decision to establish an embassy in Jerusalem last year drew criticism from Palestinian officials and some local groups, who argued that the move carried diplomatic and legal implications because of the disputed status of the city.
The Fiji Government has defended the decision, saying it is consistent with Fiji’s sovereign foreign policy and reflects the longstanding friendship between the two nations.
The opening of the Israeli Embassy in Suva is expected to further deepen bilateral ties and expand cooperation between the two countries in the years ahead…. PACNEWS
PAC – BUDGET: PMN PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Pacific aid rises as domestic cuts hit Ministry for Pacific Peoples in Budget26
WELLINGTON, 29 MAY 2026 (PMN) — New Zealand is increasing its financial support for the Pacific region in Budget 2026, even as the Coalition Government tightens spending at home and cuts funding for the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP).
The Budget shows a clear split between Aotearoa’s regional priorities and its domestic cost-cutting drive.
On the international front, the Government is stepping up its Pacific engagement.
New Zealand will spend $1.2 billion (US$713.7 million) on foreign aid this fiscal year, around $116 million (US$68.98 million) more than the last year.
A $20 million (US$11.89 million) investment has been set aside to cover the costs of hosting the 2027 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ week. The major geopolitical event is expected to bring 17 Pacific leaders and about 1500 delegates to New Zealand’s shores.
The Government has also committed $109.75 million (US$65.26 million) for development cooperation and humanitarian assistance across the Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions.
Officials say the funding is aimed at helping countries deal with economic pressures, climate impacts, and security challenges. A further $145.3 million (US$86.4 million) will go towards maintaining what the Budget describes as a “resilient, safe and secure” offshore diplomatic network.
While Pacific-focused funding overseas is rising, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples is facing a tighter financial outlook at home.
Budget 2026 includes no new significant funding for MPP and confirms baseline reductions are already underway with further savings expected over the coming years.
The Ministry will lose $2.8 million (US$1.66 million) over four years, averaging a $700,000 (US$416,203) reduction each year from 2025/26 to 2029/30.
The Budget says the savings will come from “increased efficiencies in workforce and operational management”.
Immigration is another key area in this year’s Budget, with new funding aimed at both enforcement and system upgrades.
The Government is investing $18 million (US$10.7 million) into Immigration New Zealand and Labour Inspectorate compliance work.
Officials say funding will help respond to breaches, reduce backlogs, and improve enforcement action against exploitation.
For Pacific communities, including families working under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme or on temporary visas, the move is aimed at strengthening protections for vulnerable workers.
But the Budget also signals that immigration costs may increase. An “Immigration Funding Package” includes $31.2 million (US$18.54 million) in operating funding and an $84 million (US$49.96 million) capital contingency fund.
The money will go towards identity technology and maintaining core immigration services.
For Pacific communities in Aotearoa, today’s Budget announcements highlight increased spending on New Zealand’s relationships and responsibilities in the region, while domestic agencies focused on Pasifika communities face tighter budgets and reduced funding…. PACNEWS
PAC – CRIME: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Samoan nationals could face death penalty over ‘Coconut Cartel’ killing of Sydney gang leader in Vietnam
WELLINGTON, 29 MAY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — The bank accounts of two New Zealanders have been frozen as police probe an extraordinary international case of two alleged Samoan hitmen who confessed to murdering a Sydney gang boss.
Joseph Vaa, 27, admitted on Vietnamese television to gunning down suspected ‘Coconut Cartel’ ringleader Lorenzo Lemalu Tovia, outside a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 21 May.
His associate, Steve Tofa, 23, also called Tafia in some news reports, then confessed to being his accomplice in the shooting.
Fiji police have since confirmed the pair, who are facing down a potential death penalty, transited through the island nation’s international airport.
Tovia died at the scene while his associate Sauni Sam, 27, is in intensive care in hospital with serious injuries.
Tovia is believed to be the mastermind behind Sydney’s ‘Coconut Cartel’, which reportedly broke away and declared war on the rival Alameddine gang earlier this year.
Samoa police have frozen the bank accounts of the duo as well as four other people as their investigations into the bizarre international case widen.
Documents obtained by RNZ Pacific show the transnational crime unit issued an urgent directive to the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) on Wednesday, ordering six accounts and transactions connected to them to be immobilised.
CBS governor Maiava Atalina Ainuu-Enari immediately ordered commercial banks to freeze accounts belonging to Vaa and Tovia “without delay”, as well as those belonging to two New Zealand nationals, a United States citizen and a Thai.
Those named in the order, issued on 27 May under Samoa’s money laundering laws, were Tafia Tovia (aka Steve Tofa), Vaa Soloa Vaa (aka Joseph Vaa), Connor Songkran Strickert, Fred Olivia Junior Papalii, Olini Atiua and James Tuisavailuu Atua.
The document states the request relates to “an ongoing investigation into a serious violent incident that occurred in Vietnam” and “two Samoan nationals alleged to have been involved in the shooting of another Samoan man, believed to be associated with organised criminal activity”.
In a further connection to New Zealand, three people have been stopped by police investigating the gang hit as they tried to board a flight from Samoa to Auckland.
The man, woman and child were bound for Auckland when they were arrested at Faleolo International Airport in Samoa on Thursday, 7 News Australia reported.
A video on Vietnamese television channel VTV9 showed Vaa and Tofa, wearing black hoods and handcuffs, while being marched into a room by police to confess. The footage showed that the two were reading their confessions from a script.
Fiji police spokesperson Ana Naisoro told RNZ Pacific that the two “travelled through Fiji, using their Samoan passports”.
However, Naisoro declined to confirm local media reports that there had been a security breach, which was only discovered after overseas law enforcement agencies shared intelligence with Fijian border officials.
According to local reports, the suspects used fake passports and false names to transit through Fiji’s main international airport in Nadi.
Fiji police and immigration are now reportedly working closely with international police networks, including Interpol, to trace the pair’s movements during their short stay in the country.
Australian drug policy researcher Dr Ben Mostyn told RNZ Morning Report the alleged hitmen could face execution under Vietnam’s capital punishment laws.
The Sydney University senior lecturer said the Australian and Samoan governments were opposed to capital punishment and could try to intervene.
“Often when you have these sort of dual citizens in foreign countries you can get diplomatic behaviour from both countries trying to intervene.”
But he said “quite a few” Australian nationals have been executed in South East Asia in the past, despite diplomatic efforts.
The duo were initially thought to be Australian but 7News reports they used fake passports and false names; Lang Kenny Trong Minh do and Justin John White, to travel to Vietnam. They were arrested at the Cambodian border less than three days after the shooting.
Mostyn said police believed the killing was meant to send a message to the cartel, which was trying to separate from a larger gang.
Violence around the drug trade is not unusual in the South East Asia, he added.
Authorities also identified Unalei Car Rentals in the Apia suburb of Vaitele as an “associated entity” linked to the investigation.
The order stated that the Financial Intelligence Unity (FIU) had grounds to suspect the transactions involved proceeds of serious crime, money landering offences or offences linked to the financing of terrorism.
The development comes after three people due to fly to Auckland on Air New Zealand were stopped at Faleolo International Airport on Wednesday night.
Sources told the Samoa Observer that a man was given a stop order before boarding the aircraft. Video footage reportedly obtained by the newspaper shows a man dressed in black being escorted by police at the airport.
In a bizarre twist, the police later issued a statement saying they were seeking Strickert for questioning.
The Thai citizen claimed on Facebook that he had already been questioned by the police, was “willing to cooperate fully” and had “nothing to hide”.
Lieutenant General Mai Hoàng, the director of the HCM City Police, said authorities would deal strictly with all lawbreakers operating within Vietnamese territory.
“If the subjects provide sincere declarations, they will receive the leniency of Vietnamese law,” he stated.
Local police said the alleged hitmen used “military-grade firearms” during the attack last Wednesday night outside the Cee’f seafood restaurant on Truong Dinh Street in Ben Thanh ward. Surveillance footage showed them fleeing on foot immediately afterwards.
Deputy director of police Nguyen Thanh Hung told state media that police used surveillance measures and digital mapping to trace their movements and escape route.
Investigators issued emergency detention orders against the two suspects and said at the time that they were “highly dangerous” and “prepared to resist arrest”.
The Khmer Times reported that during their initial interrogation, the suspects told police that they were acting on behalf of a individual based abroad.
They said they had arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM city on 14 May and spent several days monitoring the activities of the two Australian victims…. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE/FOSSIL: AFP PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Fund for climate-exposed Pacific nation invests in fossil fuels
SYDNEY, 29 MAY 2026 (AFP) — A trust fund set up to help a South Pacific nation gravely threatened by climate change has invested in coal mining, gas exploration and the world’s largest crude oil refinery, an AFP investigation has revealed.
Low-lying Pacific island nation Tuvalu said it was reviewing the “fossil fuel exposure” of the $200 million (US$143.29 million) fund after it was presented with AFP’s findings.
Few countries are more exposed to climate change than Tuvalu, a chain of coral atolls reckoning with acidifying oceans, tropical disease and rising seas.
Land is already so scarce across the archipelago halfway between Australia and Hawaii that the international airport runway doubles as a makeshift sports field.
With a fragile economy and few natural resources, Tuvalu relies on a government trust fund to help foot the spiralling costs of the climate crisis.
Tuvalu has entrusted management of its single-largest financial asset to advisory firm Mercer, which has invested in funds holding stakes in major fossil fuel companies, according to financial records and government reports reviewed by AFP.
Tuvalu climate activist Richard Gokrun said it was “really shocking” to see the nation tied up with fossil fuel companies.
“We stand strong for the phase-out of fossil fuels, because we see the impacts to our country,” the former weather forecaster told AFP from the capital of Funafuti.
“The major changes that we are seeing are sea-level rise. We are starting to see new places are getting flooded or inundated.”
The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 with help from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, providing crucial revenue to a nation reliant on foreign aid.
Mercer took over management in 2022.
Tuvalu’s expectations are laid out in the fund’s “investment objectives”.
“Tuvalu is particularly susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change and it is appropriate to reflect this in the investment strategy,” the document states.
The fund must minimise its exposure to “fossil fuel reserves and carbon emissions” where possible, the document adds.
Mercer invested Tuvalu’s money in funds specialising in sectors like “Australian shares”, “international shares” and “emerging markets”, according to a quarterly report dated September 2025.
Mercer is not required to list each of the dozens of companies in these funds, but does publish the 10 biggest holdings.
AFP analysed this data for 14 Mercer funds held by Tuvalu.
Mercer’s “emerging markets” fund invested in Indian multinational Reliance Industries, according to holdings data from December 2025.
Reliance Industries owns the Jamnagar petrochemical complex in western India, a sprawling industrial facility described as the largest single-site crude oil refinery in the world.
It pumped out nearly 20 million tonnes of planet-heating carbon dioxide in 2022, making it the world’s highest-emitting oil refinery, according to non-profit Climate Trace.
Tuvalu is also invested in a Mercer fund that that holds American utilities The Southern Company and Duke Energy, the second and third-largest greenhouse gas emitters in the United States, according to the Political Economy Research Institute.
The Southern Company paid $60 million (US$42.96 million) to “groups and firms involved in climate disinformation campaigns between 1993 and 2004”, the US-based Energy and Policy Institute found in a 2024 report.
And Mercer put Tuvalu’s money into funds invested in mining behemoth Rio Tinto and Australian oil-and-gas giant Woodside Energy, which government data says are among Australia’s 10 largest greenhouse gas emitters.
Investments in Woodside are particularly awkward for Tuvalu, which was scathing when Australia approved a 40-year extension for Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project in 2025.
Climate Minister Maina Talia warned then that the project’s emissions threatened Tuvalu’s very “survival”, urging Australia to reject the extension.
About 12 percent of the Tuvalu Trust Fund — or $25 million (US$17.89 million) — is invested in Mercer’s “Australian shares fund”, which has its largest holding in mining and metals firm BHP, one of Australia’s most valuable companies and the world’s biggest miner.
BHP has significantly divested from thermal coal in recent years, but still has a stake in Australian mines digging up the fossil fuel for steelmaking.
Tuvalu will receive a rare burst of international attention later this year when it hosts leaders for a special summit ahead of the UN’s COP31 climate conference, billed as a chance to show how climate change is battering the region.
Tuvalu is targeting the COP process to find “new contributors” to its trust fund, according to a September government report.
Its Prime Minister Feleti Teo has made clear that he believes “opening, subsidising and exporting fossil fuels is immoral and unacceptable”.
“To put it plainly — it is a death sentence for us if larger nations continue to open new fossil fuel projects,” he said in 2024.
But Mercer’s investments appear to show “virtually no formal consideration for climate change”, said University of Otago climate finance expert Sebastian Gehricke.
AFP’s reporting “clearly warrants further investigation,” added Ivan Diaz-Rainey, a finance professor at Australia’s Griffith University.
He urged “full disclosure of holdings and a clear account of what actions have been taken to give effect to the fund’s commitments to climate action”.
A spokeswoman said Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) was reviewing its exposure to fossil fuels in light of AFP’s reporting.
“Since Tuvalu is particularly susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change, the TTF continues to seek to minimise the fund’s exposure to fossil fuel reserves and carbon emissions,” she added.
Mercer said: “We do not provide commentary or analysis on our clients or their investment portfolios.”…. PACNEWS
FIJI – RESILIENCE: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Fiji strengthens regional security and cyber resilience
SUVA, 29 MAY 2026 (FIJI GOVT) — Government is continuing to strengthen Fiji’s response to transnational organised crime, cybersecurity threats and regional security challenges through a more integrated and intelligence-led approach.
The Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua told Parliament that Fiji’s strategic focus includes the modernisation of policing laws, stronger maritime security coordination, expanded community policing networks and improved regional partnerships across the Pacific.
Key priorities include the proposed Fiji Police Bill 2026, establishment of the Counter Narcotics Bureau, strengthening of cybersecurity and resilience systems, and enhanced cooperation with regional law enforcement agencies.
Minister Naivalurua said the Pacific region faces increasingly interconnected threats, including illicit drugs, organised crime and cyber-enabled offences, requiring stronger collaboration between Pacific nations.
He also highlighted the importance of the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration, which reinforces the shared responsibility of Pacific countries to ensure the region remains secure, peaceful and protected from criminal exploitation.
Pacific Ocean connects the region and must continue to be safeguarded through unity, cooperation and collective action…. PACNEWS
VAN – POLITICS: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Governance advocate supports PM’s PSC reform push
PORT VILA, 29 MAY 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — The Prime Minister’s (PM) move to reform the Public Service Commission (PSC) and establish an independent investigation into its operations has received backing from governance and anti-corruption advocate Jenny Ligo, who says legal reform is essential to ensure lasting change.
In a statement released this week, Jenny Ligo, Technical Lead and Human Rights Defender with the WACC Vanuatu Advocacy Group, welcomed the PM’s commitment, describing it as a critical step toward restoring trust in the country’s public service system.
Ligo said the decision demonstrates leadership at a time when public confidence in government institutions needs strengthening.
“We welcome and support the PM’s commitment to reform the PSC and his announcement to appoint an independent investigation into PSC operations,” she said.
Ligo said an independent investigation is necessary to identify weaknesses within the system, address any misconduct, and create a pathway for meaningful reform.
“These steps are critical to restoring public confidence in our public service,” she said. “An independent investigation will help identify weaknesses, address any misconduct, and lay the foundation for genuine reform based on merit, transparency and accountability.”
However, Ligo said investigations alone would not be enough unless Parliament also takes legislative action.
She argued that genuine PSC reform can only succeed through amendments to the Public Service Act [CAP 246], which would strengthen the commission’s independence and protect it from political interference.
“We believe real PSC reform will only happen if Parliament passes law reform to amend the Public Service Act and strengthen the PSC’s independence from political interference,” Ligo said.
“Without amending the Public Service Act [CAP 246], any investigation or policy change will have no legal effect.”
The PSC plays a key role in government administration, overseeing recruitment, promotion and discipline of public servants across the country.
Ligo said ensuring the commission operates independently is vital if Vanuatu is to improve delivery of essential public services such as health, education and infrastructure.
“For Vanuatu to deliver better health, education and infrastructure services, the Commission must operate free from political interference and in line with the law,” she said.
While welcoming the PM’s announcement, Ligo also called on lawmakers, civil society organisations and the wider public to support the reform process.
She said broad support would be necessary to ensure reforms are not only announced but successfully implemented.
“We commend the PM for taking decisive action and urge all members of Parliament, civil society and the public to back this process,” Ligo said.
“Reform will only succeed if it is supported across government and the community.”
Ligo further appealed to citizens who support good governance to stand behind efforts aimed at reforming both the PSC and the legal framework governing it.
Her statement comes amid ongoing public discussions around governance, transparency and accountability in state institutions, with the future role and independence of the PSC increasingly under scrutiny…. PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Australia’s $47m grant to Fiji not reserved solely for fuel relief – Fiji’s Finance Minister
SUVA, 29 MAY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Australia’s AUD$30 million (FJD$47 million/US$21.49 million) grant to Fiji will not be ring-fenced specifically for fuel relief but will instead be pooled into the Government’s consolidated fund and allocated according to broader national priorities.
Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel made the clarification Thursday in response to Opposition MP Premila Kumar, who questioned how the funding would be used and what accountability mechanisms were in place to ensure it directly assisted Fijians affected by the fuel crisis.
“It will not be directly used for direct fuel support,” Immanuel told Parliament.
“But it will be part of the whole government funds and will be utilised based on priorities, including fuel assistance.”
The funding forms part of an amendment to a multi-year general budget support arrangement between Australia and Fiji that began in 2024, increasing Australia’s total contribution from AUD$120 million (US$85.97 million) to AUD$150 million (US$107.49 million).
Access to the funding is tied to Fiji meeting agreed reforms in public financial management and economic resilience.
Kumar questioned what safeguards were in place to prevent the money from being used to address budget shortfalls rather than directly supporting ordinary Fijians.
General budget support — unlike project-specific funding — allows governments flexibility in allocating funds, with accountability measured through broader reform benchmarks rather than direct expenditure tracking.
The Government has already redirected $56 million (US$40.09 million) in the 2025-2026 National Budget to help families and businesses cope with the crisis, including measures to maintain affordable bus fares and a temporary 50 per cent increase in social welfare payments.
Immanuel said the Australian grant strengthened Fiji’s overall fiscal position and helped preserve the Government’s ability to maintain essential services during the ongoing fuel and cost-of-living crisis…. PACNEWS
MARSH – MARINE: PMN PACNEWS 2: Fri 29 May 2026
Scientists set to return deep sea expedition discoveries to Marshall Islands community
MAJURO, 29 MAY 2026 (PMN) — Under sunny skies in the northern Marshall Islands, the Enewetak community is preparing for a rare exchange.
The locals will receive the first results of a two-week ocean expedition exploring their surrounding waters.
Visiting researchers from National Geographic Pristine Seas (NGPS) have spent a week studying Ailinginae Atoll and a second week working at Enewetak, studying reefs from shallow waters to the deep sea.
Kelly Moore, the Expedition Leader for this second leg in the Republic of Marshall Island’s waters, says the Enewetak communities gave them “a beautiful warm welcome”.
“They came on board our ship. The women in the community made lei [flower adornments] for our team, and sang songs and danced with us,” Moore says.
“They brought this beautiful, inviting, welcoming energy into our first day here. What’s beautiful for us is we’ve been working really hard this whole week to gather as much data as we can for the Marshallese people.”
She says the current work is unique because the team is replicating older ecosystem studies to understand long-term changes.
One of Moore’s highlights so far includes a deep sea discovery at nearby Ailinginae Atoll, where a local Marshallese researcher descended 800 metres in a small submersible called the Argonauta.
“They said the dive went by like the blink of an eye and they came out of the submersible and said, ‘we have to go back!’
“We can just feel the energy and enthusiasm and excitement from them. That’s one of those moments I’ll always remember: how special it is to get to experience something like that.”
The dive successfully filmed a lantern shark, a ghost shark, and a deepwater cat shark, which is a new expedition record for NGPS.
Across these atolls, the team have documented healthy corals, a rare combination of thriving corals, large groupers, and sharks across the reef systems.
“It’s such a rare thing to find a marine space like this, where all of these key species are showing up. Our team is absolutely thrilled to see it. It gives us a big sense of hope. We hope it also does for the community here.” Moore says.
This beauty stands alongside a difficult history. The Enewetak people were forced to leave their home ahead of 43 US atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1948 and 1958.
The testing programme stripped the landscape and completely vaporised islands, including the 10.4-megaton “Mike” blast that destroyed Elugelab Island.
When the community left Ujelang Atoll in 1980, it left that isolated area untouched for over 40 years. This human absence turned the atoll into a sanctuary where seabirds returned and rare seagrass beds have healed and grown.
Although standard practice for NGPS, Moore says visiting Enewetak before surveying Ujelang was crucial in better informing their approach.
“Those conversations really inform where we go and what we do. It’s such a critical part to our planning of the expedition. the final execution of how our route takes shape, the different places we have permission to visit and those places we may not have permission to visit
“That really comes out in a great way in those conversations. We’ve been told there’s about 300 people on this atoll, in this community. There’s a rich history of how they have survived over many decades through World War II and how that’s impacted this community.
“There’s an energy here of resilience, and it’s in the community… it’s also in what we have observed in the reefs”
The expedition’s data will feed into Reimaanlok, a national framework that requires community approval so Marshallese leaders retain ownership over scientific information collected in their waters.
The 50th National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition will end with a final debrief with Marshallese partners in early June…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – DEVELOPMENT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 29 May 2026
Fiji Government eyes Quad support for key Fiji infrastructure projects
SUVA, 29 MAY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Major infrastructure projects, including the redevelopment of Suva Port, a convention centre in Suva and the expansion of Nausori Airport, are being considered under potential support arrangements linked to the Quad partnership and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the Government initially planned to undertake the projects through funding from development partners, but support from multilateral partners, including the Quad and MCC, had been encouraging.
He said Fiji would submit its voluntary report to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in July next year, with the projects forming part of the country’s development agenda.
“The big one that we have in mind is the Suva Port, whether we can fit it into that or whether we will still move ahead looking at public-private partnerships based on the plans we already have,” Rabuka said.
“We have other things and one of them is a big convention centre in Suva. Another is the development of Nausori into a fully international-standard airport.
“We are thinking of naming that the Kingsford Smith International Airport, named after the pilot who made the first trans-Pacific flight.”
Rabuka said the partnership with the Quad and MCC was aimed at helping Fiji address development challenges, including climate change, slow economic growth, unemployment and productivity.
He said the engagement aligned with the Government’s broader priorities of strengthening economic resilience, improving infrastructure, promoting private sector-led growth, creating employment opportunities, enhancing trade competitiveness and improving the ease of doing business in Fiji.
Rabuka also clarified that the partnership was not linked to military co-operation.
The Quad is a diplomatic partnership involving the United States, Australia, India and Japan focused on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region…. PACNEWS
VAN – TAX SYSTEM: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 29 May 2026
VT208M contract to develop and implement new tax system
PORT VILA, 29 MAY 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — A VT208 million (US$1.76 million) contract agreement has been signed for the development and implementation of the government’s new tax administration system.
Signed by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of Finance Johnny Koanapo, the contract was awarded to Zest IT Limited, a New Zealand company.
This will be the company’s third project in Vanuatu, following the development of a Management Information System for the Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and a Knowledge Information Management System for the Ministry of Trade and Commerce.
According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MoFEM), the procurement process was conducted transparently through the Central Tender Board, with the selected contract receiving legal clearance from the State Law Office and approval from the Council of Ministers before signing.
Funds were appropriated in the 2026 national budget following a procurement process initiated in 2025. A comprehensive concept paper was developed for the new Vanuatu Tax Administration System, outlining the technical requirements, expected benefits and implementation roadmap.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Deputy PM Koanapo said the new tax system represents a critical upgrade of the country’s tax infrastructure.
“After 27 years of faithful service, the old Revenue Management System (RMS) has served its purpose. This new system will enhance efficiency, improve compliance, strengthen revenue collection and better support Vanuatu’s economic development goals. We are committed to a smooth transition that minimises disruption to taxpayers and businesses,” he said.
Implementation of the new system is scheduled to begin soon, with the project designed to ensure continuity of tax operations beyond the December 2025 deadline of the legacy system.
Vanuatu’s first comprehensive tax system was introduced in 1998 with the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT). To support this, the government deployed the RMS, a computer-based platform that has served as the backbone of tax administration for nearly three decades.
However, the RMS has reached the end of its effective lifespan. In 2024, the system’s supplier notified the government that technical support would cease on 31 December 2025. Continued use of the outdated platform beyond this date would pose serious risks to revenue collection, compliance monitoring and overall tax administration efficiency.
The new system is expected to deliver improved digital capabilities, better data management, enhanced taxpayer services and stronger analytics for the Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue Department.
Officers of the Customs Department were present to witness the contract signing…. PACNEWS
FIJI – AIRCRAFT FLEET: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 29 May 2026
Cabinet approves plan for Fiji-owned aircraft fleet
SUVA, 29 MAY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Cabinet has endorsed a plan for Fiji to own a sovereign aviation capability and have its own aircraft fleet.
This is to boost national security, disaster response, and improve government services to remote communities.
Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua told Parliament on Wednesday the decision followed recommendations from an interagency technical advisory board that met in April 2026, supported by Australia’s Defence Pacific Air Programme (DPAP).
“Cabinet has endorsed that any future asset must be a whole of government capability that provides support across a range of government activities,” Tikoduadua said.
The plan covers three core priorities: maritime surveillance to combat illegal fishing and drug trafficking; rapid transport for the RFMF, police, and health teams during emergencies; and passenger and cargo services to outer islands that currently have limited access.
Fiji has been hosting rotating Australian C-27J Spartan aircraft under its Vuvale Partnership with Australia – a programme that has already taken government officials as far as Rotuma – giving Fiji a taste of what owning such capability could mean.
Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya asked whether airport and seaport infrastructure upgrades were also part of the plan.
Tikoduadua confirmed they were, noting that any new aircraft –whether fixed-wing or helicopter – needed supporting facilities, including on smaller islands with limited airstrips.
Leader of Opposition Inia Seruiratu asked whether the future fleet would serve the broader Pacific region.
Tikoduadua said the capability was primarily for Fiji, but consistent with Fiji’s tradition of regional cooperation, neighbours could benefit – much like the Maritime Essential Service Centre.
The next step is working with Australia and the private sector to identify specific aircraft options within Fiji’s budget…. 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
The Quad dividend for Australia and India
By Shruti Pandalai
The New Delhi foreign ministers’ meeting was more operational than declaratory – and for Australia and India, that shift is already producing results.
NEW DELHI, 29 MAY 2026 (THE INTERPRETER) — Penny Wong had a number that speaks to the momentum now driving Australia’s ties with India. After meeting with her Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar in New Delhi this week, Wong observed this was their 28th in-person meeting of her four years in the job.
“So we have spent a lot of time together, which reflects the importance of the partnership between our countries, as well as our personal friendship.”
Wong and Jaishankar met on the sidelines of the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting – the grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the United States that continues to draw headlines debating its relevance. Commentators have argued Beijing emerged from the recent Xi-Trump summit looking more confident, while the Quad has not convened at a leader’s level in almost two years. Tension has instead bubbled between New Delhi and Washington, over tariff disputes, visa regimes, purchases of Russian oil, and the coddling of Pakistan.
But it is worth remembering that the Quad’s agenda – critical minerals, supply chain resilience, infrastructure investment, maritime coordination and defence cooperation – was never an ambition for containment. It was about creating alternatives to China’s expanding influence.
China’s predictable criticism of “cliques” and “exclusionary” geopolitics is itself evidence that the grouping still gets under Beijing’s skin.
The real ask from India, Australia and Japan, at present, is policy coherence from the United States. U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s four-day visit to India culminating with the Quad talks tried to offer that reassurance, explicitly acknowledging the weight India brings to burden-sharing in the Indo-Pacific. Both sides appeared clear-eyed about their mutual necessity. Jaishankar’s “India First” framing during a joint press conference with Rubio – recognising convergences while stressing independent pursuit of national interests – was illustrative.
Against that backdrop, the Quad meeting in New Delhi was more substantive and focused than critics have allowed. The Quad appears to be learning from its earlier limitations – attempting to institutionalise forms of cooperation that can outlast individual leaders and electoral cycles. China’s predictable criticism of “cliques” and “exclusionary” geopolitics is itself evidence that the grouping still gets under Beijing’s skin.
Many of these threads and outcomes of the Quad meeting intersect directly with the India–Australia relationship.
The Quad Critical Minerals Framework, which explicitly covers mining, processing and recycling, is perhaps the most consequential development for Canberra and New Delhi. China’s suspension of rare earth and semiconductor mineral exports during the recent U.S-China tensions gave the framework fresh urgency. Australia and India had already signed critical minerals agreements, identified projects and convened investment forums. Yet the processing stage – where China dominates – has remained undeveloped. For the first time, the framework formally recognises all three stages of the supply chain and introduces private-sector coordination into the architecture. That makes it less declaratory and potentially more operational.
Infrastructure is another area where the Quad is beginning to move. It has been estimated that between 2000 and 2025, Chinese lenders and state-owned enterprises invested nearly $24 billion into 168 port projects across 90 countries, creating an extensive global maritime footprint. Against that backdrop, the Quad’s planned Fiji port upgrade – the grouping’s first joint infrastructure project – is notable despite its modest scale. For Australia, it provides multilateral backing to push back even if it cannot counter China’s growing infrastructure inroads in the Pacific. For India, it offers a credible avenue to expand its development role through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation.
Lowy Institute research has warned that surging external aid has exposed governance weaknesses in several Pacific states, aggravating economic fragility, corruption and limited administrative capacity. In that context, a successful Quad pilot project emphasising transparency, accountability and standardised infrastructure practices could offer the region an alternative that avoids forcing binary geopolitical choices.
Defence cooperation is another area where Quad initiatives overlap with the agenda for India-Australia ties. Defence planners often describe the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement between the two countries as the take-off point for deeper logistical coordination and faster regional responsiveness. The 2024 air-to-air refuelling arrangement further improved interoperability, extending the reach of both countries across the Indo-Pacific.
The proposed Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Coordination mechanism – layering real-time operational information sharing onto the existing Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness framework – builds on these bilateral efforts. It also expands the role of India’s Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) as the central coordinating node for regional maritime awareness. That falls neatly within the proposed Joint Roadmap for Maritime Security Collaboration announced during the India-Australia Defence Policy Talks earlier this year. Both Australia’s National Defence Strategy and India’s Maritime Doctrine emphasise bridging operational gaps across the Indian Ocean region.
The outcomes of the Quad meeting in New Delhi have opened new pathways for cooperation between Australia and India. Even symbolic but politically important gestures, such as the joint reference to the Bondi and Pahalgam terror attacks in the joint statement, speak to the growing strength of the relationship. This grunt work will define the agenda for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Australia in the coming months…. 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
Global Economic Outlook Hangs in Balance between Geopolitical Headwinds and AI boost, Chief Economists Warn
GENEVA, 29 MAY 2026 (WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM) — The global economic outlook has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists’ Outlook published today.
Nearly nine in ten chief economists surveyed expect global growth to weaken over the next 12 months, reversing the cautious optimism seen at the start of the year, as conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz fuel concerns over a major global economic shock.
Chief economists already rank the current closure duration of the Strait of Hormuz as significantly more disruptive than last year’s tariff turmoil. If the closure persists into the second half of the year, they expect its impact could approach the severity of the COVID-19 crisis, compounding effects across global supply chains, energy and food costs. An overwhelming 94 percent of the surveyed chief economists expect global inflation to increase over the coming year.
“Only months ago, the Chief Economists community was cautiously optimistic. The conflict in the Middle East changed that, and the economic scarring from the situation thus far is already expected to last into the months ahead,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. “The longer the disruption lasts, the heavier the long-term cost for those who can least afford it.”
An uneven regional outlook
The fallout is expected to hit the Middle East and North Africa region the hardest. After being viewed as one of the brighter economic regions only months ago, 88 percent of the surveyed chief economists now expect weak or very weak growth – the sharpest regional reversal in the survey. Elsewhere, the outlook is mixed: inflation expectations have climbed sharply in sub-Saharan Africa, now the highest of any region surveyed, while Europe faces mounting stagflation risks as growth weakens and inflation fears mount. By contrast, India and the United States are expected to remain relatively resilient, supported by domestic demand and investment.
Low recession risk but high volatility
Despite the sharp deterioration, the survey does not point to a significant downturn. Most of the chief economists do not expect a recession within the next 12 months, even as they see little prospect of the economy growing more resilient in the near term. Much will depend on the length of the disruption: a shorter shock could leave room for recovery, while a prolonged closure would deepen the strain on the global economy. Financial markets are expected to come under increasing strain, with 79 percent of respondents anticipating rising volatility in private debt markets over the next year, as signs of stress in private credit emerge; 74 percent also expect public debt market volatility to increase and 68 percent expect stock market volatility to increase.
AI optimism is high but cooling
AI remains a source of tailwinds in the global economy, with 92 percent of chief economists expecting greater artificial intelligence adoption over the coming year. However, optimism about the speed of productivity gains from AI adoption has now become more measured. Meaningful productivity gains are expected to take longer in almost all industries compared to the respondents’ views in January 2026. Information technology and education are the only sectors where expectations have held steady, with the most significantly delayed productivity gains now expected in engineering, construction, utilities, medical, healthcare and care services.
About the Chief Economists’ Outlook
The Chief Economists’ Outlook builds on consultations and surveys with leading chief economists from the public and private sectors, organised by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society. The survey featured in this edition was conducted from 6 to 17 April 2026. The report supports the Forum’s Future of Growth Initiative, enabling dialogue between business and government on growth in the new economy.
About the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026
The 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions will take place from 23 to 25 June 2026 in Dalian, People’s Republic of China, under the theme “Innovating at Scale”. The meeting will bring together 1,500 cross-sector leaders to explore how innovation and emerging technologies can unlock new growth models and drive positive economic momentum in a fast-shifting global landscape…. 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
New species of ghost pipefish named after Sesame Street character found in Australia
CANBERRA, 29 MAY 2026 (MONGABAY) — It’s “hairy,” bright orange or red and “exceptional” at camouflaging. Meet the hairy ghost pipefish, whose recent formal description demonstrates that even well-studied marine environments like the Great Barrier Reef still hold remarkable secrets for science.
In a recent study, researchers shared the name of the ghost pipefish, Solenostomus snuffleupagus, for its “conspicuously shaggy appearance,” and long, trunk-like snout that makes it resemble the beloved Sesame Street character, Snuffleupagus.
Ghost pipefish, with their long pipe-like snouts, are distantly related to pipefishes and seahorses. But they differ in how they reproduce: while males in pipefish and seahorses brood eggs in specialised abdominal pouches; in ghost pipefish, it’s females who do the same.
Found across the tropical Indo-Pacific, ghost pipefish are also very well-camouflaged in their environments of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and algal beds. Until recently, there were just six known species.
The discovery of a seventh species, the hairy ghost pipefish, led by marine biologists Graham Short and David Harasti, is the culmination of a two-decade search.
Harasti, a senior research scientist at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute in Australia, told Popular Science he first spotted the animal in 2001 while diving near Papua New Guinea. “I was perplexed,” Harasti said, adding that after checking his reference books, he realised they “might be looking at something entirely new to science.”
Since 2005, local divers had also regularly reported seeing the orange-red animal on the Great Barrier Reef on Facebook groups and citizen science platforms like iNaturalist, the authors wrote.
They said the animal remained misidentified and scientifically undescribed, because it was frequently confused with the rough snout ghost pipefish (S. paegnius) that has a similar “hairy” look.
The hairy ghost pipefish also has “exceptional” camouflaging, visually mimicking drifting red macroalgae.
Short told Science News the fish have evolved to move like floating debris. “They’re just stunning underwater… It’s just amazing that they’re actually fish,” he said.
He added that Harasti and he brought back a female and a male ghost pipefish from the Great Barrier Reef in 2022 for formal identification.
Their examination revealed that S. snuffleupagus has 36 vertebrae, more than the other known ghost pipefish, and unique “star-shaped bony” structures in its skin. Genetic analysis showed it split off from its closest relative into its own lineage roughly 18 million years ago, according to the study
As for Sesame Street inspiring the new-to-science species’ name, Rosemarie Truglio, senior vice president of global education at Sesame Workshop, said in a statement to Popular Science: “Connecting science with imagination and discovery is what Sesame Street has always been about, and this charming new species is a wonderful reminder that there is still so much to explore and learn about the world.”…. PACNEWS
