Global Economists Demand Urgent African Debt Relief

More than 20 leading economists call for comprehensive reform as crushing debt costs prevent millions from accessing clean water and basic healthcare Over 20 prominent global economists, including Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, have issued an...

Analysis: Te Pāti Māori turmoil exposes a deeper hurt for Māori

Analysis: It is hard to overstate how damaging the past few weeks have been, not just for Te Pāti Māori but for Māori. The movement, supposed to represent a political resistance, has found itself imploding under the weight of internal accusations,...

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...

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...

Position grades from the Patriots’ win over the Saints: Drake Maye aces another test

Coming off an electric primetime victory over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots traveled to New Orleans for a meeting with a one-win Saints team. The focus throughout the week was clear: don’t fall into the trap. The...

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...

Rare white humpback whale sighting off Kaikōura sparks excitement

“And you just saw a glimpse the first time it came up to the surface, but we ended up watching for maybe an hour and a half.” Phelps had been tipped off about their rare visitor by friends Abi and Megan, who had seen the white whale heading...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Princess Angelika inaugurates new classrooms and facilities at GPS ‘Eueiki

‘Eueiki, Tonga — Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mata’aho Napua ‘Okalani Tuku’aho officiated the opening ceremony of newly constructed and upgraded facilities at Government Primary School ‘Eueiki, marking a major...

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,...

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....