A project of the East-West Center and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

News Roundup

Pacific Islands News Roundup – May 17-23, 2024

Political Leadership, Regionalism, Peace and Security

  • French president says priority is return to calm amid unrest in New Caledonia, calls for France to drop voting changes (PACNEWS)
  • ‘France lost the plot’: Journalist David Robie on Kanaky/New Caledonia riots (RNZ)
  • $800M plan to give Australia major police oversight in Pacific (1 News)
  • US Dept of Defense representatives in Palau to discuss new defense site proposal (Island Times)
  • China and Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners, says Chinese premier (Solomon Star)
  • US Pacific Fleet announces 29th RIMPAC exercise (Maui Now)
  • Bougainville plans constitution consultations in parts of Papua New Guinea (RNZ)
  • Fiji home affairs minister wants a national intelligence service (ABC Australia)
  • PNG PM: Govt unshaken by vote-of-no-confidence motion (Post-Courier)
  • Vanuatu elections minister urges Ni-Vanuatu in New Caledonia to vote in national referendum (APR)
  • Samoa citizenship bill: New Zealand urged to ‘do the right thing’ (RNZ)

People-Centered Development

  • New Caledonia and Vanuatu withdraw from FestPAC amid deadly unrest (HPR)
  • Drug shortages in Honiara clinics, senior nurse warns (Sunday Isles)
  • Human Rights Watch director urges human rights vetting for Fiji defense treaty (Islands Business)
  • Fiji police compromised in battle against methamphetamine (1 News)
  • Journalists challenge PNG govt over ‘media control policy’ (PACNEWS)
  • Cook Islands bans vapes, smoking age raised to 21 (RNZ)
  • RMI elections authority endorses establishment of disability access working group (SPC)
  • Cook Islands passes public health bill to improve health outcomes (Cook Islands News)
  • Samoa launches first alcohol standards guidelines (Talanei)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

  • Pacific science body welcomes global maritime ruling as win for science, Blue Pacific (PACNEWS)
  • PIF chair: Pacific focuses on climate and economic security (FBC News)
  • Pacific leaders endorse first Pacific-led agriculture and forestry strategy (SPC)
  • US Air Force wants to build 7 new telescopes on Maui to track space debris (Civil Beat)
  • Sea level rise in PNG concerning, says Madang governor (National)
  • Pacific leaders, experts gather in Samoa for Pacific Climate Change Conference (Samoa Observer)
  • Micronesian Centre for Sustainable Transport calls for fair revenue disbursement from IMO emission reduction measures (PACNEWS)
  • Vanuatu introduces Rapid Climate Risk Assessment Framework for tourism sector (SPREP)
  • Hawaiʻi should have a milder hurricane season this year, experts say (Civil Beat)
  • Papua New Guinea transitions into dry season (National)

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

  • Hundreds of workers stranded as Vanuatu’s airline woes continues (ABC Australia)
  • Experts warn of Pacific economic crisis if seasonal work schemes not carefully managed (PMN)
  • Starlink now live in Fiji, says CEO Elon Musk (Fiji Times)
  • Fiji Immigration struggling to meet passport demand (RNZ)
  • Samoa in discussions with China for fishing port and processing facility at Faleolo (Talanei)
  • Palau’s COFA trust fund reaches $310M, investment managers cautiously optimistic (Island Times)
  • Solomon Islands PM urges broader support for economic growth (Sunday Isles)
  • 30 Solomon Islanders attend agriculture training in China (SIBC)
  • Tonga govt receives donation of 100 laptops from China’s Donguan Municipal Govt (Matangi Tonga)

Announcement

The Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Center in collaboration with the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CPIS) are proud to announce the launch of their revamped digital platform aimed at offering concise updates and fresh insights on matters of shared concern in the Pacific Islands region.

The official relaunch of the Pacific Islands Report will be celebrated in a free, public online event on May 23 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Hawai‘i Standard Time, featuring a talk story session with authors of works published in the inaugural issue of Visions & Voices, a new quarterly periodical published on the Pacific Islands Report website.

The Pacific Islands Report (PIR) is a project of the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Center and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies (CPIS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

This non-exhaustive news roundup is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.

Subscribe to get our news roundups delivered to your email inbox and explore our archives at pireport.org.

We value your feedback.