Pacific Islands News Roundup – January 1 – 7, 2026 

Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security

• ‘Tonga is not a threat’: anger as small Pacific nation falls under Trump visa restrictions (Talanoa ‘O Tonga/The Guardian)
  
• Palau Reacts to Whipps’ Deportee Deal as Questions Mount over Process, Costs and Transparency (Island Times)
  
• US sends a warning message as China increases pressure against Taiwan (Pacific Island Times)
  
• 2025 in review: US began retreating from the Pacific island region again (Pacific Island Times)
  
• The purge: Guam’s attorney general to ramp up deportation of errant migrants (Pacific Island Times)
  
• Do not restrict religious freedom says church minister in Samoa (Samoa Observer)
  
• Sanctioned oil tanker falsely using Cook Islands flag, authority says (RNZ)
  
• US expand visa bond to Fiji (Fiji One)
  
• More cooperation and engagements unfold for Fiji and Australia (Pacific News Service)
  
• Tonga’s new Cabinet focuses on climate change, economy, health and governance (PMN)
  
• Guam EPA to senators: Andersen Air Force Base possible source of dieldrin contamination (Pacific Daily News)
  
• Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama outlines independence and development priorities for New Year (PNG Today)

People-Centered Development

• Grace Road in Fiji: Investment engine or human rights headache? (Island Business/Business and Human Rights Centre)
  
• The long walk to the market: How distance shapes PNG food (RNZ)
  
• Few women seeking protection despite high domestic violence rates in Marshall Islands (RNZ)
  
• Escaped inmate recaptured as prison safety concerns grow in Palau (Island Times)
  
• Sharp decline in births in French Polynesia in 2025 (Tahiti Infos)
  
• What’s Cooking: Culinary Institute chefs help transform Hawaii public school menus (Hawaii News Now)
  
• ‘Cooking Matters’ tours with UOG Land Grant to help with healthier but cheaper meals (Pacific Daily News)
  
• Walking with Moai: Unlocking the mysteries of Easter Island stone statues (Island Times)
  
• Study on NZ-born Pasifika shows cultural obligations leading to burnout (RNZ)
  
• Young people in West Kwaio, Solomon Islands urged to plant more coconut trees (The Island Sun)
  
• Engineer uses holiday to bring water to community in Papua New Guinea (The National)
  
• USP student champions culture and conservation (Islands Business)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

• Cook Islands govt rejects research saying deep sea mining not profitable (RNZ)
  
• What are the rules? Scientist worried over a lack of a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining in Marianas region (Pacific Island Times)
  
• Smart farming transforms food security (FBC News)
  
• You’d probably recognize this invasive algae that has now reached Papahānaumokuākea (HPR)
  
• Climate disasters in 2025 impact Pacific children, review finds (PMN)
  
• Climate change and human rights demands telling our Pacific stories with clarity and impact (APR/Wansolwara News)
  
• Nation’s first climate impact fee among new Hawaiʻi laws that went in effect in new year (Maui Now)
  
• Exhibit highlights role of water in environmental justice & climate justice (KUAM News)
  
• Vanuatu Gov’t prioritises climate-resilient roads using fibre reinforced concrete (Daily Post)
  
• Suwarrow rangers highlight vulnerability of island ecosystem (Cook Islands News)
  
• Palau–Taiwan Partnership Enhances Maritime Safety Through AIS Emergency Response Under the Coastal Fisheries Project (Island Times)

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• Fishing: an industry under pressure despite high volumes (Tahiti Infos)
  
• Cooks, Niue say data secure after NZ hack but independent Niue users could be at risk (RNZ)
  
• Big developments in Majuro as power plant, fuel farm and solar get underway (Marianas Business Journal)
  
• Population time bomb ticks, pressure on PNG resources (Islands Business)
  
• Innovate: Drone dominance built on Guam-2026 blueprint to turn robotics into our next industry (Guam PDN)
  
• Fiji welcomes 901,372 visitors by November end, Reserve Bank of Fiji warns of rising risks (Fiji Times)
  
• Trade deficit widens as imports surge in Fiji (FBC News)
  
• Solomons tuna processing plant design completed, awaiting finance (Islands Business)
  
• New journal warns Pacific media near breaking point amid revenue collapse and political pressure (APR/Wansolwara News)
  
• Hawaiian Airlines details $600M upgrade plan for planes, terminals and tech (HPR)
  
• American Samoa December food prices show downward trend for 4th straight month (Samoa News)
  
• Permit Program Drives Vanuatu Agriculture Reform (VBTC)

Disclaimer:

The PIR seeks to include news coverage from news outlets across the Pacific, representing a diversity of coverage in the region. Please note that the inclusion of article links does not represent PIR or PIDP endorsement of the information presented in the articles.

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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, featuring open-access information, is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.

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