Ads by Google Ads by Google

Pacific Islands

Qian Bo,
HONG KONG — China has named a special envoy to fill a new role in its Pacific Islands diplomacy as it competes with the United States for influence in the region. Qian Bo, China’s ambassador to Fiji since 2018, was appointed as the first special envoy of the Chinese government on Pacific Islands...
Tonga volcano damage on Nuku'alofa
Sydney, AUSTRALIA  — In 1989, distinguished Australian geographer Gerard Ward wrote that the Pacific was emptying out. As people on smaller islands left to seek opportunity elsewhere, the region risked becoming Earth’s empty quarter. He wrote: Perhaps 100 years hence, almost all of the descendants...
Meth
Suva, FIJI — The illicit drugs trade in the Pacific Islands continues to evolve despite COVID-19 border closures. The seizure of more than 500 kilograms of cocaine in Papua New Guinea in 2020 demonstrated that the pandemic had not diminished the trafficking of drugs through the region. The cocaine...
Fiame Naomi Mata'afa
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's prime minister has put climate change and ocean protection to the fore in a speech to the United Nations. Fiame Naomi Mata'afa told the 76th UN General Assembly in New York that there was no greater challenge facing the global community than climate change - including its...
Climate Change in American Samoa front cover
PACIFIC ISLANDS — Pacific leaders on Thursday met COP26 president Alok Sharma to set out their priorities for the major climate change summit in November. The major UN climate change summit, known as COP26, an event the UK will co-host with Italy is the most important climate summit since the...
Facebook app on cell phone
Menlo Park, CA — Facebook says it has launched a public education campaign to combat health-related misinformation in the Pacific Islands region. In a time of critical public vaccination efforts, Facebook says its campaign will help people in five Pacific Island countries and territories learn how...
Samoa Ministry of Health logo
Apia, SAMOA — People in Samoan eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are being urged to do so after new figures show the country's rates of vaccination falling behind other Pacific nations. The Samoa Observer reports the ANZ and Our World in Data survey shows only 35 percent of people have...
Dame Meg Taylor
Canberra, AUSTRALIA — As is the case the world over, the early part of 2021 will see no let up in the impacts of COVID-19 in the region. That is not to say that it will simply be ‘more of the same’ as we saw in 2020. The advent of vaccines will have a significant effect, and they are already being...
Covid-19 vaccine bottles
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND — Governments all around the world are scrambling to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines for their citizens. Over the past few weeks, companies Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen Pharmaceutica have released results of significantly effective vaccines in preventing the virus. But...
CNMI Customs Division logo
Saipan, CNMI — With no flights coming from China, illegal drugs coming into the Northern Marianas are being smuggled via post from the US mainland. In September and October more than 400 grams of crystal meth with a combined street value of US$182,700 have been seized from the post office. The...

Pages