Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A deep sea mining company leading the charge for the budding future industry is being accused by environmental groups of changing its corporate branding from fueling the green transition to supporting security and defense.

However, The Metals Company (TMC) said the claims were not true and were another attempt to try and stop the industry before it can even start.

The call from environmental groups follows a press release in December from TMC, which said it "applauds" the US defense feasibility study on nodule refining.

It continued to say TMC, through its US subsidiary, had applied for a US$9 million defense grant to advance feasibility work on a domestic refinery for deep sea nodules.

TMC's chief executive Gerrard Barron also told the US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party in September last year, that his company, "a Western company", is leading by about five years when it comes to mining and extracting deep sea minerals.

"I firmly believe that in order for the United States to outcompete China in the critical mineral space, we must invest in domesticated capabilities to harvest and also to refine seabed minerals," he said.

Deep Sea Conservation Coalition's Phil McCabe said the apparent shift to defense reveals the "true character" of the company.

"They have moved away from deep sea mining for the green transition and moved towards critical minerals for security and defense."

ESCAPEE RECAPTURED

A criminal was captured by Samoa police on Monday after being on the run for nearly two months.

The Samoa Observer reported that police arrested Lauititi Tualima at a rental property behind the Aele Primary School rugby field.

Tualima had been on the run since he escaped from the high-security Tanumalala prison at the end of January.

Police Commissioner, Auapa'au Logotino Filipo told the Observer there was a possibility charges could be laid against residents of the property if they had been harboring the prisoner.

TONGA DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT

Tonga's Crown Prince says the country's future depends on meeting the needs of its people.

Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala told the national development summit the people must be provided with access to quality education, healthcare, and a way to make a living.

The summit, which is to develop a new long-term plan for the country, has been underwaythis week in Nuku'alofa.

Matangi Tonga reported the Crown Prince saying the "people are our nation's most valuable asset for development".

CNMI CASINO

The Northern Marianas governor is disappointed the moth-balled Saipan casino is set to sell for US$12.9 million.

Arnold Palacios said he was hoping the Imperial Pacific Resort would sell for $25 million.

He said there is going to be a hearing on whether that bid is acceptable, and the Office of Attorney General will be monitoring it fairly closely.

NEW ZEALAND – U.S. TALKS

New Zealand's foreign minister says the prosperity of the Pacific Islands is something New Zealand and the United States agree on.

Winston Peters said there's a lot happening at present in the Indo-Pacific and the world, and it was a valuable time to talk to the United States.

Peters said they also talked about all the areas where New Zealand and the United States have interests in common, including the prosperity and stability of the Pacific Islands and promoting a balanced and mutually beneficial trade and economic relationship.

VANUATU SECURITY

Vanuatu's new prime minister says his government intends to "revisit" a security agreement with Australia, arguing it does not reflect his country's priorities including climate change and travel mobility for its citizens.

Jotham Napat, who was elected in February, said the pact with Canberra had to be taken "back to the drawing board" as he sought a "win-win situation" in a renegotiated deal.

He told the Guardian that "an official waiver-free agreement with Australia" is needed as part of the new deal so citizens could more easily travel between the two countries.

Napat had already spoken about these terms to Australian officials including the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, and they were "happy for the two countries to revisit the security agreement".

The bipartisan security deal, signed in 2022 but yet to be ratified by either nation, aims to strengthen cooperation in areas including disaster response, policing, cybersecurity and border security.

Climate change is mentioned once in the document, under a section on "Environment and Resource Security".

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

A Human Rights Watch report says the rights of the Walande people in Solomon Islands are undermined by issues, including limited access to land and sea-level rise.

The 66-page report is called, There's Just No More Land': Community-led Planned Relocation as Last-resort Adaptation to Sea Level Rise in Solomon Islands.

Until the mid-2010s, the Walande community lived on a small island off the coast, but following devastating "king" tides in 2009, the entire community relocated to the mainland.

Human Rights Watch found the Solomon Islands' government has taken important steps to support communities facing the most acute impacts of the climate crisis, but has not yet fully put them in operation.

DENGUE OUTBREAK

Tonga's Ministry of Health says 6 new cases have shown as positive on a rapid dengue test, as of Wednesday last week.

This brings the total to 308 cases: 170 of these are from Vava'u, 100 from Tongatapu, and 38 from 'Eua.

As of Wednesday, there 12 people in hospital.

CLIMATE ACTION

Fiji's deputy prime minister Biman Prasad has urged stronger political leadership in climate action.

He spoke at a debrief for the Political Climate Champions in Nadi, as the leader of Fiji's COP29 delegation last year.

Prasad called for early engagement with COP30 hosts to push Pacific priorities.

He said the time for vague commitments is over, and real political will and action is needed.

SEX EDUCATION SCRAPPED

Pacific scholars in Aotearoa say the scrapping of the 2020 Relationship and Sex Education Guidelines is a backward step.

The Ministry of Education has reverted to using guidelines implemented in 2007, and a new curriculum will be devised this year.

University of Auckland research fellow Dr Analosa Veukiso-Ulugia said the 2020 guidelines gave space for Pacific communities to see themselves in education, reflecting their worldviews, values, diverse sexualities, and experiences.

University of Otago senior lecturer Dr Edmond Fehoko said removing the Relationship and Sexuality Education framework risks silencing vital conversations that empower Pacific current and future students to navigate identity, relationships, and well-being.