Pacific Islands News Roundup – April 9 – 15, 2026

Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security

• Palauan leader Whipps makes historic first state visit to New Zealand (RNZ)
  
• Chaos in French Polynesia as young MPs split from ruling party (Islands Business)
  
• Cook Islands declares equal standing in New Zealand security pact: PM Brown (PACNEWS)
  
• Samoa opposition leader vows to appeal after court clears PM Laauli in conspiracy case (RNZ)
  
• Coalition’s Court Challenge a ‘Futile Exercise’, Says Solomons Attorney General Muria Jr (In-Depth Solomons)
  
• Solomon Islands PM challenges court order to face no-confidence vote within days (RNZ)
  
• Military buildup in Palau faces growing dissatisfaction, report says (Pacific Island Times)
  
• Fiji military puts public ‘on notice’ citing national security threats (RNZ)
  
• Solomon Islands Hosts Landmark Asia-Pacific Maritime Safety Forum (In-Depth Solomons)
  
• Congress and DOJ can strip Guam’s citizenship, federal government asserts (Guam Daily Post)
  
• Palau says partnership with the US makes it safer as tensions grow (PMN)
  
• Hawaiʻi Police Union Officials Got Pay Raises Without Approval (Civil Beat)
  
• GHD awarded a $120M contract for the Navy hangar project on Guam (Pacific Island Times)

People-Centered Development

• Kiribati makes bid for UN women’s body, pushes Pacific voice in global stage (PACNEWS)
  
• Free School Meals Are Popular. Hawaiʻi Isn’t Sold. (Civil Beat)
  
• JABSOM at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers discover novel approach to cancer therapy (KHON2)
  
• $1,100 each as Manawanui compensation (Samoa Observer)
  
• Samoa launches education qualifications framework (Islands Business)
  
• Stolen Time: A Hawaiʻi Family Remembers WWII Incarceration (Civil Beat)
  
• Lost at sea for a week: Family found alive in vast Pacific search (PMN)
  
• New Tax Bill Seeks to Cut Costs for Small Businesses in Palau (Island Times)
  
• Hidden stories in Fiji’s ancient clay pots (Pacific Island Times)
  
• Vanuatu strengthens HIV awareness for students overseas (Daily Post)
  
• Palau Boosts Drug Enforcement with Advanced DEA Training (Island Times)
  
• $1.4 Million in HUD grants slated for American Samoa (Samoa News)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• Fiji waste-to-energy plan sparks major backlash over Vuda coastal development (PMN)
  
• Whipps: Allowing Starlink Now Risks $50M Debt Burden on Palau (Island Times)
  
• Hawaiian Electric Co ‘May Be Screwed’: $1 Billion Power Project Is In A Flood Zone (Civil Beat)
  
• Tuvalu fuel supply ‘not assured’ beyond June (RNZ)
  
• Court initiates judicial process for Air Calédonie (RNZ)
  
• French Polynesia Economy: Tourism is booming (Tahiti Infos)
  
• Government Releases K100 Million To Stabilise Fuel Prices, Announces Further Support Measures (The PNG Bulletin)
  
• Vanuatu removes vessels after fishing fines (Islands Business)
  
• Debt crisis locks Fijians out of home ownership (FBC News)
  
• Only 20% of government vehicles pass roadworthy inspection in Port Vila (VBTC)
  
• PNG to roll out electric buses, waste-to-energy project after China talks (PNG Today)

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.

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

We value your feedback.