News Roundup

Pacific Islands News Roundup – March 19 – 25, 2026

Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security

  • ‘Solomons in political flux as MPs change sides (Islands Business)
  • Tonga among nations hit as Trump team accused of ‘Largest Fraud’ in U.S. immigration history (Kaniva Tonga)
  • Papua New Guinea added to US visa bond list requiring $15000 for travel (RNZ)
  • Samoa Deputy PM loses seat over bribery as court flags $100,000 payoff claim (Samoa Observer)
  • Think tank report says US military treats Guam as a ‘disposable asset’ (Pacific Island Times)
  • Will The Feds Help Hawaiʻi After The Floods? It’s Up To Trump (Civil Beat)
  • Winston Peters meets Cook Island PM ‘informally’ in Auckland, but no deal on key issues (RNZ)
  • China’s grip grows on fragile Solomon Islands’ media (Islands Business)
  • Significant victories for pro-France parties in French Polynesia, New Caledonia municipal elections (RNZ)
  • Wenda condemns ‘cruel’ arbitrary arrests of West Papuans in Tambrauw (APR)
  • If it’s not cultural, what is it?’ Fiame questions use of matai titles amid Luxon controversy (RNZ)
  • Additional filings outline competing claims in Independent Prosecutor case before FSM Supreme Court (Kaselehlie Press)
  • Israel to open resident embassy in Suva (FBC)
  • Press freedom under pressure in Sāmoa as Prime Minister ramps up crackdown rhetoric (PMN)
  • Amata notes US Embassy and Consulate staffing needs in the Pacific Islands (Samoa News)
  • A fresh start: Cook Islands and New Zealand rebuild trust (PMN)
  • Samoa MPs to be Drug Tested before they can Run for Parliament (Samoa Global News)

People-Centered Development

  • Tongan kava servers face assault as kava clubs spread across the Pacific (ABC/Audio Report)
  • COFA Citizens Lose Access To Commercial Driver’s Licenses (Civil Beat)
  • 58% of Fijians lack access to safe drinking water (FBC)
  • Nearly half of Fiji’s water lost in distribution, says FBoS (Fiji Times)
  • Children ‘Falling Through the Cracks’ Spur Push for Juvenile Justice Reform in Palau (Island Times)
  • ‘No excuse for noncompliance’: Guam Department of Labor ramps up enforcement of labor law requirements (Guam PDN)
  • New initiative aims to fast-track medical evacuations in Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post)
  • ‘Pressure Points’ exhibit on Guam highlights printmakers, global collaboration (Pacific Island Times)
  • PNG Nurses Warn of Nationwide Strike Over Delayed Payments (PNG Today)
  • We Rise Coalition: Power, Solidarity, and the Fight for Feminist Justice in the Pacific (Islands Business)
  • Niue extends artist residency to 2028, boosting opportunities for Pasifika creatives (PMN)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

  • ‘Catastrophic’ North Shore, Oahu Flooding Prompts Evacuation, Alerts (Civil Beat)
  • Dome over contaminated nuclear blast site is leaking — expert warns risk from lethal landfill could be ‘devastating’ (PACNEWS/New York Post)
  • Decaying World War II bombs in Solomon Islands releasing toxic chemicals, new research finds (PACNEWS/UNDP)
  • Parkinson: Guam less than 1,000 miles away from Japan’s planned nuclear waste dump island Minamitorishima (Guam PDN)
  • Guam’s fish are disappearing; island scientists now have data to show how bad it really is (Guam PDN)
  • Human Rights Watch urges UN Members to back Vanuatu Climate resolution despite U.S Opposition (Pasifika Environews/PACNEWS)
  • Marshall Islands leads ocean mission, blending ancestral knowledge with modern science (PMN)
  • Should Oil And Gas Companies Pay To Clean Up Hawaiʻi’s Flood Damage? (Civil Beat)
  • Tongan group wins award for battling invasive species across Pacific (Fiji One)
  • Pacific islands urged to pool traditional knowledge and diverse practices to provide climate security solutions (Pacific Island Times)
  • Deep-sea mining target area moves closer to Guam (Pacific Island Times)
  • WCPFC report shows record Pacific tuna catch, warns of climate change risks (Pacific News Service)

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

  • Marshall Islands government slashes income tax as living costs skyrocket (RNZ)
  • Hawai‘i Farmers Confront $11M In Flood Damage Without A Safety Net (Civil Beat)
  • Northern Mariana Islands struggles under fuel prices as government orders austerity measures (RNZ)
  • In the dark: Tonga’s power crisis demands more than patience (Kaniva Tonga)
  • American Samoans pay almost 3 times as much for electricity as the U.S. average (Samoa News)
  • Trump issues 60-day waiver on Jones Act, long seen as increasing prices for Guam (Guam PDN)
  • Shipping expert says don’t expect changes after Guam Jones Act waiver (Marianas Business Journal)
  • Bougainville launches ‘Return Home’ drive, calls professionals back (PACNEWS)
  • Vanuatu launches landmark tax system (Islands Business)
  • PNG Air Niugini Engineers Reach Historic Airbus A220 Certification (PNG Today)
  • U.S. Funds $132M for Marshall Islands and American Samoa to join Pacific Connect Initiative (Samoa News)
  • Waterfall, Melsisi and Larimaat Pico-Hydro Power Stations on Pentecost officially launched and handed over to the Vanuatu Government (Islands Business)

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.

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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