Pacific Islands News Roundup – May 7 – 13, 2026

Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security

• Solomon Islands To Elect New Prime Minister, Following Ousting Of Manele In No-Confidence Vote (In-Depth Solomons)
  
• Billions Promised, But Bottlenecks Persists: GAO Flags Compact Delays Affecting Palau (Island Times)
  
• Nauru Parliament backs move to rename nation as Naoero (PACNEWS)
  
• China, U.S to be invited to New Zealand for next year’s Pacific Islands Forum (Island Times)
  
• France commits €2 billion to rebuild New Caledonia (Vanuatu Daily Post)
  
• UN warns France over New Caledonia decolonization process (Islands Business)
  
• New Caledonia provincial elections date set for June as voter roll changes draws criticism (RNZ)
  
• Pacific security shift: Aotearoa and Australia influence grows as Fiji treaty talks advance (PMN)
  
• Vanuatu’s Council of Ministers has approved a revised Nakamal Agreement with Australia (ABC/Audio Report)
  
• Palau Senate Rejects Elite Visa Bill Over House Budget Riders (Island Times)
  
• Guam think tank opens regional security talks as tensions over China, missiles and island sovereignty mount (Guam Daily Post)
  
• West Papuan graduation parade turns violent after police object to Morning Star symbol (RNZ)
  
• Gunman that threatened Tongan Journalist over ABC story at large (ABC/Audio Report)
  
• Vanuatu Police target nightclubs, bars and public disorder in 60-day crackdown on crime (Vanuatu Daily Post)
  
• Tonga parliamentary delegation continues high-level engagements during China visit (Talanoa O’ Tonga)
  
• Timor-Leste president in PNG for bilateral talks (National PNG)

People-Centered Development

• Urgent action needed for Fiji’s healthcare system (Islands Business)
  
• Pacific workers face $4 million financial disaster as labour firm collapses (Islands Business)
  
• Pacific youth boom could become an economic growth engine (Islands Business)
  
• SI to have highest youth population in Pacific by 2035 (Island Sun)
  
• Tonga ‘homelessness’ concern grows as most land remains under King and nobles (Kaniva Tonga)
  
• Vanuatu workers could lose right to strike: VTU (Vanuatu Daily Post)
  
• Cook Islands inclusive education students embrace the joy of dance (Cook Islands News)
  
• PNG Political Parties to endorse 10% women’s candidates: Registrar Pok (PNG Bulletin)
  
• PNG, Solomon Islands, Germany launch water initiative (National PNG)
  
• A contact case of Hantavirus transited through Tahiti and then Mangareva on May 7th (Tahiti Infos)
  
• Calls grow for stronger labour protection amid growing migration (FBC)
  
• Fiji, Kiribati unite to cut infant deaths (FBC)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• New Caledonia suspends trade cooperation with Vanuatu over FLNKS meeting (Vanuatu Business Review)
  
• GovGuam secures dual economic wins with two-day cruise visit and record low unemployment stats (Mariana Business Journal)
  
• $700m donations, one low-carbon ship (Islands Business)
  
• Fiji secures US$200M concessional financing support from ADB (Fiji Village)
  
• Australia announces $30 million fuel support for Fiji as Wong confirms Vuvale Union deal (PACNEWS)
  
• Tonga electricity tariff up 35.8 per cent amid diesel cost surges (Islands Business)
  
• Starlink brings digital age to villages (National PNG)
  
• Inflation rate for American Samoa up for the second consecutive month (Samoa News)
  
• No Diplomatic Resolution Yet in Indonesia-Palau Fishing Vessel Dispute (Island Times)
  
• Guam outlines $1.3 billion bond plan; PSS fraud sentencing concludes in NMI (Mariana Business Journal)
  
• Lawmakers want answers about micro-nuclear reactors on Guam (Guam Daily Post)
  
• Marshall Islands welcomes first of 2 new US-made planes (RNZ)

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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