Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Fiji dominates kava exports to Australia
FIJI has exported a total of 223.2 tonnes of kava to Australia under Australia’s Kava Pilot Program since phase two of the program was launched in December 2021. And according to Pacific Trade Invest Australia (PTI) who recently released a Q2,...

Court cases will determine Fiji’s legal landscape and moral compass
Venkat Raman Auckland, October 14, 2025 The legal proceedings currently underway against former Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and others mark not only a judicial milestone but also a symbolic...
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA- Sikaile C. Sikaile
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA Greetings to you, Mr. President, This letter serves as feedback and a reflection on your recent address to the UPND leadership in Lusaka. One key issue you raised and which caught my attention was your...
On Road to Belem, Pacific countries raise their voice on 1.5…
Pacific countries at the forefront of the climate crisis, described as a “ticking time bomb”, have vowed that their One Pacific Voice on keeping 1.5 alive, is heard loud and clear at the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework...

Why loss and damage matter in the Pacific
For many Pacific Island nations, climate change isn’t a distant threat or an abstract statistic – it’s an everyday reality reshaping homes, traditions, and futures. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, increasing temperatures and severe weather...

Heated rivals Stefano Utoikamanu and Payne Haas on new collision course days after NRL grand final
Stefano Utoikamanu will get another crack at Payne Haas to continue their own private war when he debuts for Tonga in the Pacific Championships. The Melbourne powerhouse and Brisbane force of nature are on a collision course to resume grand final...

Seizing on disaster
When the Indian Ocean tsunami reached Myanmar’s coast in 2004, the Moken people had already sought safety on higher ground. They had no written records of tsunamis. What guided them were oral histories of an ancient wave -- stories passed through...

Farmgate Backpackers leads with integrity amid industry challenges
At a time when the agriculture and horticulture industries are again experiencing issues in some southern mainland states, a Bundaberg operation is standing up for workers and farmers. ERLE LEVEY goes to Childers to speak with Bill Darby of...

Student-led effort makes legal history in efforts to reshape global policy: 'It's a pretty grim thing to have to do'
"What I was pouring into my assignments was my own worries about the implications … on me as a person." by Drew JonesOctober 6, 2025 A group of law students at the University of the South Pacific (USP) has turned rising tides and failing climate...
Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 13 October
Manu Samoa team bows in prayer after their 31-12 loss to Chile on Sunday morning. Photo: Supplied/Manu Samoa Rugby Manu Samoa has missed out on playing Italy in a rugby international clash on 22 November. The Samoans were originally billed to meet...

A Pacific reflection on Women, Peace and Security
This year marks 25 years since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), a global commitment to elevate women’s voices in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and recovery. For the Pacific,...
Pacific news in brief for 30 September
Tongans line the viewing deck draped in the black and purple of mourning to watch the casket carrying the body of King George Tupou V arrive at Fua'amotu International Airport on March 26, 2012 from Hong Kong. Photo: AFP PHOTO / Torsten BLACKWOOD...

Scientists return with clues to uncover what led to the ‘eruption of the century’
CSIRO A collaborative research team led by University of Tasmania scientists has returned from a major 54-day voyage on CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator to explore the impacts of the devastating 2022 eruption of Tonga’s underwater Hunga...

An Open Letter Rejecting Presidential Attacks on Nonprofit Organizations
Human Rights Watch stands with civil society and signed this letter, alongside more than 3700 other organizations, condemning the Trump administration’s attacks. It is a testament to our community’s solidarity.We are a coalition of nonprofit and...

Economy forecast up by 2.5% in 2025, says ADB report
Tonga’s economy is set to grow by 2.5 per cent in 2025, easing to 2.3 per cent in 2026. The Asian Development Bank’s Asian Development Outlook September 2025 projects Tonga will benefit from sustained expansion in tourism and construction. This...
CITES Parties in the Pacific take part in training on implementation through fisheries legal frameworks
The waters of the Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are home to numerous aquatic species that are listed in the CITES Appendices, and which support livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities in over a dozen Parties to the Convention....

Letters to the Editor | October 5, 2025
Ratu Asaeli’s pursuit! Ratu Asaeli Eden Uaniceva Vosavakadua, 23, whose inspirational story hit the People column (FT: 04/10), had an enriching, simple yet profound message for environmentalists, “Do not limit yourself to the four walls of your...

Teachers and their unions use innovative and empowering approaches to ensure the right to education for girls in all their diversity
On the International Day of the Girl Child and every day, educators around the world are fully committed to advancing girls’ rights through education. “Access to quality education for girls in all their diversity is a fundamental right and an...

Sitdown Sunday: What happened when a Pacific island was cut off from the internet
IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair. We’ve hand-picked some of the week’s best reads for you to savour. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A volcanic eruption almost four years ago sundered the...
The European Union and the Pacific Community boost border security in Marshall Islands with advanced X-Ray technology
Photo: European Union Ambassador Barbara Plinkert and Marshall Islands Minister Anthony Muller, key handover of the Airport X-ray machine The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) has received a state-of-the-art X-ray machine to reinforce border...