The mice that roared: how eight tiny countries took on foreign fishing fleets

By Christopher Pala It has been described as “the most remarkable achievement of the Pacific island countries in the last 50 years”. In 1982, eight, mostly minuscule Pacific island countries in whose waters much of the world’s skipjack tuna was...

The 2025 Australian election:Consequential for Pacific migration

THE Pacific had an unusually high profile in the 2022 Australian election campaign. Labor was able with great effect to challenge the Coalition’s normally strong credentials in the national security space by claiming that it was asleep at the...

Australia Foreign Minister Wong backing Waqa as PIF secretary general

Australia will stand behind Baron Waqa, the controversial pick as Pacific Islands Forum leader, despite his chequered record as Nauru president. The 63-year-old has been nominated by Micronesian nations to be the next Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)...

Pacific migration | The consequential 2025 Australian election

The Pacific had an unusually high profile in the 2022 Australian election campaign. Labor was able with great effect to challenge the Coalition’s normally strong credentials in the national security space by claiming that it was asleep at the...

Philippine Warship Sinks on Its Way to a Military Exercise

The United States Navy and the Philippine Navy were forced to cancel a planned joint exercise on Monday because the target warship sank in rough seas en route to the target site. The upcoming maritime strike (MARSTRIKE) was set to begin as part of...

WHO pushes for safer, affordable surgeries across the Pacific

Surgery is meant to save lives, but in the Western Pacific, it can lead to financial hardship, long delays, or preventable deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging health ministers to prioritise safer surgical practices within the...

Kiribati responds to NZ aid review, calls for diplomatic dialogue

The Kiribati government has officially addressed New Zealand’s review of its $102 million development programme for the Pacific island nation. This is the first time Tarawa has responded officially. Several Cabinet ministers have defended their...

Kiribati President concludes Fiji visit

One of the last of Papua New Guinea’s founding fathers and one of the country’s longest serving politicians, Sir Julius Chan, has died. Sir Julius passed away at his home in Huris, New Ireland province, where he has served as governor since 2007....

Kiribati rejects claims of diplomatic rift over NZ deputy PM’s cancelled…

The Government of Kiribati has pushed back against claims of a diplomatic fallout with New Zealand following the cancellation of deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ planned visit, insisting that the matter was still under negotiation when New...

How anxieties about national security could shape the election outcome

With Australian voters facing an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world, both Labor and the Coalition are trying to burnish their national security credentials. As election day looms, the main debate has been around who is prepared to spend...

Kiribati: 'New Zealand government cancelled its own proposed visit'

Taneti Maamai, left, and Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ The Kiribati government, has for the first time, commented on its diplomatic rift with Aotearoa, stating that the "New Zealand government cancelled its own proposed visit". Last week, Deputy...

Kiribati rejects claims of diplomatic rift over NZ deputy PM’s cancelled visit

CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios said the Office of the Budget Management’s rescinded memo that called for a pause on all federal assistance programmes served as a wake-up call for all states and territories. “The new [U.S] administration is...

Visualizing Government Debt-to-GDP Around the World

Visualized: Government Debt-to-GDP Around the World This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. In 2025, public debt...

Australia's election: Crucial decision for future Pacific relations

Today marks an important day in Australia as nearly 18 million citizens go to the polls to choose their next leader. More than 7000 polling stations across the country are open from 8am to 6pm (10am to 8pm in New Zealand). Many Australians have...

Kiribati pushes back amid Peters visit cancellation fallout

Taneti Maamai, left, and Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ Kiribati President Taneti Maamau was unable to meet New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters because he had "a pre-planned and significant historical event", a Cabinet minister in Kiribati...

Kiribati pushes back over no-show at meetings

By Lydia Lews of RNZ Pacific Kiribati President Taneti Maamau was unable to meet New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters because he had "a pre-planned and significant historical event", a Cabinet minister in Kiribati says. Alexander Teabo,...

110 Years of ANZAC legacy, 60 Years of self-governance

Prime Minister Mark Brown and the family of Tetuanui (Fariu) Arapari (September 23, 1900 – July 18, 1983) who served in the 3rd Contingent in World War I attended the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. MELINA ETCHES/25042527 Prime Minister Mark Brown has...

Kiribati President says AUKUS nuclear submarine deal puts Pacific at risk

The United Kingdom is a long way from the Pacific. But London is front and centre of moves to secure this region against the perceived China threat while Pacific Islands themselves complain they are sidelined. The AUKUS alliance has come as an...

Kiribati president acknowledges Fijian hospitality

Pacific cultures and traditions will only be preserved if the owners continue to practice it on a daily basis. This was the message stressed by the President of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, during his Fijian traditional welcoming ceremony in Suva this...

Politics live: NZ reviews aid for Kiribati after high-level meeting cancelled

Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Follow latest updates with RNZ's liveblog: Kiribati has been receiving increased aid from China in recent years and its leader, President Taneti Maamau, called off a meeting with...