Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security
- Pacific Islands reject missile test in ‘blue continent’ (PACNEWS/AFP)
- Pacific cannot be treated as a theatre for force – Marshall Islands (Islands Business)
- Palau’s President warns of rising nuclear anxiety in the Pacific, after China missile test (Asia Pacific Report)
- Pacific CSO’s: Our ocean is not a battleground (Islands Business)
- Chinese embassy in Kiribati accuses critics of ‘double standards’ over missile test (RNZ)
- China does not seek ‘sphere of influence’ in ties with Pacific island nations, foreign minister says (PACNEWS/China Daily)
- PNG, Vanuatu Sign Landmark Kumul Vanua Police Agreement (VBTC)
- Solomon Islands Foreign Minister begins first Official Visit to China in Jiangsu Province (SIBC)
- Social media has become a courtroom battleground, Fiji DPP says (Islands Business)
- ‘We’re opening the door’: Young Cook Islanders call for new generation of leaders (PMN)
- Pacific: Who fact-checks the coconut wireless? (The Interpreter/Analysis)
- Kiribati celebrates 47 years of independence (Pacific Beat/Audio)
- Thousands Celebrate Solomon Islands’ 48th Independence at National Stadium (Sunday Isles)
- Guam presses UN on deep sea mining, militarization in region (Guam Daily Post)
- Marshall Islands Releases 2026 UN Voluntary Country Report (Micronesia Sun)
- Hawaii’s new ‘millionaire tax’ rivals top rate among other states (Hawaii Tribune-Herald/Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
People-Centered Development
- The real mystery behind Moana: after 1,700 years, why did Polynesians suddenly sail east? (The Conversation/Analysis)
- Focus on Film selection to hone Pacific storytelling (Pasifika TV)
- New poetry anthology puts Pacific languages and stories centre stage (PMN)
- Live-action Moana sparks wider debate and a push to reclaim onscreen Pacific stories (PMN)
- Cook Islander sets stunning new coconut climbing record (RNZ/Cook Island News)
- Pacific nations sign $250 million rugby league partnership to grow sport and youth opportunities (Talanoa ‘O Tonga)
- ‘Periods don’t stop for a cyclone’: Pacific advocates say menstrual health is vital for disaster preparedness (RNZ)
- American Samoa: Public school inspections find unaddressed conditions (Talanei)
- PNG must reduce reliance on imported food (The National)
- Solomon Islands: ‘Skin diseases remain major public health concern’ (The Islands Sun)
- Japan Hands Over $130M Landmark Kilu’ufi Hospital Upgrade to Malaita (In-depth Solomons)
- In Wallis and Futuna, a unique healthcare system: “You don’t govern in Wallis the same way you govern elsewhere.” (les Nouvelle Caledoniennes/Interview)
Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment
- CNMI: Storm chaser says Bavi’s destruction on Rota among worst he has seen (Marianas Variety)
- US declares public health emergency for CNMI and Guam after Super Typhoon Bavi (RNZ)
- Majority of telecom restored on Guam, restorations continue in NMI as Rota wireless services come back online (MBJ Guam)
- Hawaiʻi Tsunami Panic: Most Who Evacuated Shouldn’t Have, Report Says (Civil Beat)
- El Niño is underway: A warming Pacific, a shifting storm belt and a region learning to read every cloud as a warning sign (Pacific Island Times)
- After storm damage, Hawaii’s reefs brace for another blow from El Nino (Hawaii Tribune-Herald/Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
- UXO threat from WWII still hindering Solomon Islands’ development (The Islands Sun)
- USP research powers Tuvalu’s first waste plastic-to-fuel project (Islands Business)
- Pacific climate forum to become biennial platform (The Indigenous Business Review)
- FSM, Tuvalu back UN push for methane cuts, seek stronger global accountability (Pacific Island Times)
- Solomon Islands: MFMR Issues Public Reminder on Coconut Crab Seasonal Ban (Solomon Star)
- Hawai‘i: Local nonprofits given more opportunities for natural, cultural stewardship (HPR)
Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity
- Pacific: Dark waters: The dangerous world behind your can of tuna (SBS News/Investigation)
- The ocean wealth that keeps leaving Micronesia (Pacific Island Times)
- ADB invests in sustainable fashion in Cook Islands (Islands Business)
- Labour shortages force businesses to look overseas (Fiji Sun)
- Tourism is booming but Cook Islands families are still feeling the pinch, hotel boss says (PMN)
- Exam tourism: Reviving Guam’s forgotten market (Pacific Island Times)
- Financial lifeline for island community, Rotuma (Islands Business)
- French Polynesia: Tourism is declining, but construction is sustaining the Polynesian economy (Tahiti Infos)
- Papua New Guinea’s economy grows, but jobs gap remains (Pacific Island Times)
- Tonga’s Economy Grew 4.4 Per Cent, But the Numbers Reveal a Deeper Challenge (Tonga Independent)
- Pacific Trade Ministers back new five-year Aid-for-Trade strategy (PACNEWS)
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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