PNG eyes new wave of mining and gas projects

PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape earlier this week pitched PNG as a stable destination for foreign capital, saying the country was “open for business” as it moves toward a wave of mining and gas

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PACNEWS THREE 22 JULY 2026

In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — China warned Pacific missile sparks ‘strong concerns’2. NZ — Prime Ministers of Samoa and New Zealand reaffirm enduring partnership3. PACIFIC — Minister

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PACNEWS TWO 22 JULY 2026

In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — Australia defends Fiji pre-COP spending, says Climate talks critical for Pacific2. SOL — China ally Solomon Islands invites U.S Coast Guard patrols3. PALAU — Palau Senate

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PACNEWS ONE, 22 JULY 2026

In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — Pacific must stay united as Climate threat grows, Solomon Islands Minister tells regional meeting2. PACIFIC — Pacific Climate Ministers advance united regional agenda ahead of

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PACNEWS TWO, Monday 20 July 2026

In this bulletin: 1. A/SAMOA — The U.S plans to auction off sections of water around American Samoa in a push for deep-sea mining2. PACIFIC — U.S moves ahead with American Samoa seabed mining plan amid

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PACNEWS-THREE, Monday 20 July 2026

In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — Pacific voices condemn U.S plan for offshore mineral extraction off American Samoa2. PACIFIC — Quiet change to Nauru’s policing laws could impact NZYQ legal challenges3.

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Wale takes hard line on corruption

LESS than two months after taking office, new Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has vowed that his country will not repeat the failures of the logging industry.

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Business leaders urge investment in mining 

FIJI’S private sector has called for greater investment in mining and clearer accountability on excise tax

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Pacific civil society criticises exclusion from ISA ocean mining dialogue

PACIFIC civil society leaders are alleging organisers of shutting them out of key discussions on the future of the ocean, warning

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Copper mine exits Fijian province

A MULTI-MILLION dollar copper mining project in Fiji’s interior has been forced to quit after years of

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What’s under the waves?

FOR decades, the Cook Islands have sold a dream of ‘paradise’ – a sanctuary of vibrant coral reefs and crystal-clear lagoons that

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PM Marape: “Our people must benefit fairly from the resources on their land”

PAPUA New Guinea’s economy is flourishing, evidenced by a significant surge in tax revenue that has nearly doubled since

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Legal analysis raises questions over pro-investor approaches to deep-sea mining

A LEGAL analysis released by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) raises regional concerns for Pacific Island Countries exploring deep-sea mining through contentious contracts with private

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Bougainville government takes control of copper assets

THE Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has consolidated its control over the island’s largest potential economic

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Cook Islanders confront US-funded vessel over seabed mining threat

COOK Islands activists in kayaks confronted a United States-funded exploration vessel as it returned to port in Rarotonga on Wednesday, holding a banner that read “Don’t Mine the

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France urges caution on deep-sea mining

FRANCE has urged a cautionary approach on deep sea

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Chief wants illegal miners out

A GUADALCANAL chief has appealed to illegal gold panners to vacate the site and make way for a Chinese

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US seeks Cooks mining deal

NEGOTIATIONS are underway in the Cook Islands as the United States seeks a deal which will allow for the exploration of seabed

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Offshore firm to develop seafloor minerals: PNG Mining Department

Papua New Guinea will licence an offshore mining company to develop the mineral resources found on the seafloor, according to the Mining Department.  It said offshore (deep-sea) mining was never considered possible due

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Deep ocean groundings

Solomon Kahoʻohalahala opened Thursday’s Deep Ocean Symposium, an academic conference at the University of the South Pacific Cook Islands campus, with a

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Rio Tinto class action begins over Bougainville mining disaster

An initial hearing of a class action against mining giant Rio Tinto over the toxic legacy of the Panguna copper mine has been held in Papua New Guinea.

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Environmentalists slam ‘premature’ seabed minerals harvesting regulations

Cook Islands has enacted seabed minerals harvesting regulations despite concerns about the lack of 'meaningful

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Australia’s coalmine decision ‘a direct threat to our collective future’: Tuvalu MP

Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question its claim to be a "member of the Pacific

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Nauru uses high-profile UN address to press case for sea-bed mining

Nauru’s President David Adeang declared in a speech to the United Nations that the international community must not let “fear and misinformation” block the exploitation of sea-bed

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