Sharks, clams, turtles and classrooms: Inside the latest Pristine Seas ocean mission in Fiji

The National Geographic Pristine Seas (NGPS) team is conducting research in Fiji’s Kadavu region, focusing on the Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the world’s largest barrier reefs and a critical site for marine biodiversity. The expedition is the...

UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office Announces Alison Davidian As New Representative

Tuesday, 20 May 2025, 7:18 am Press Release: UN Women Suva, Fiji UN Women has appointed Ms. Alison Davidian as the new Representative for its Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO), which supports 14 Pacific Island countries in advancing gender equality...

NZ celebrates Rotuman language as part of Pacific Language Week series

Aotearoa celebrates Rotuman language as part of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples' Pacific Language Week series this week. Rotuman is one of five UNESCO-listed endangered languages among the 12 officially celebrated in New Zealand. The others being...

UN CEDAW Committee concludes first technical cooperation session in the Pacific

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) concluded its first regional technical cooperation session in Fiji, from 7 to 11 April, during which it engaged in country exchanges with three States parties:...

Raised by dreamers: Another Filipina completes travel to 193 countries

April Peregrino in Slovakia, completing all 193 United Nations (UN)-recognized countries (Photo courtesy of April Peregrino) MANILA, Philippines — April Peregrino’s parents immigrated decades ago from their small towns in Leyte and Samar in search...

Pacific Community Calls Out Urgency of Climate Loss and Damage Finance for Frontline Island Nations

Asia-Pacific, Climate Change Finance, Climate Change Justice, Conferences, COP29, Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Environment, Featured, Headlines, Human Rights, Humanitarian Emergencies, PACIFIC COMMUNITY, Pacific Community Climate Wire,...

Vanuatu RSE workers celebrate first-ever Bislama Language Week

For the first time, Vanuatu Bislama Language Week is being officially celebrated in New Zealand and for Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers toiling in the orchards of Pukekohe, they are feeling a sense of pride. The week marks a historic addition to the...

With Lazarus, Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichirō Watanabe Is Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Much has been said and written about Lazarus, the latest sci-fi action anime from Shinichirō Watanabe, in the weeks following its premiere back in April. The most common reactions to the series have been comparisons between it and Watanabe’s...

What binds nations together at the Island Games?

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland ShareSave Orkney is hosting the 2025 Island Games It's not obvious why islanders feel the urge to compete with each other. But they do. The 20th Island Games being held in Orkney brings people...

From Afghanistan to Malaysia, these are the 61 countries that still criminalize homosexuality

61 countries still criminalize homosexuality in some form Street life, Kabul, Afghanistan kursat-bayhan/Shutterstock There are nearly twice as many countries that criminalize homosexuality than countries that have marriage equality. Today, over...

Global Plastic Profiles 2025: Article 7 aims to tackle releases and leakages, but remains bracketed in key sections

Article 7 attempts to set the foundation for action against one of the most visible and pervasive dimensions of plastic pollution. While the text includes measures to prevent and reduce emissions and leakages such as from microplastics, fishing...

The constructs of a population policy

Some weeks back I wrote that New Zealand needs a population policy. However, I purposely did not say what that policy should be. Instead, I focused on identifying the unplanned population bulges we are currently creating, focusing particularly on...

The World Court Adds New Muscle to the Climate Fight

Today’s non-stop news cycle makes it all too easy to lose sight of truly significant events, and last week’s climate ruling by the World Court is a striking example. “Landmark” and “historic” were two of the adjectives employed by the many news...

Minister: Tools to keep track of undocumented workers

THE GOVERNMENT is pushing to introduce the Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) in a move to deal with undocumented immigrants. In Parliament last week, Immigration Minister Viliame Naupoto said the ministry would...

Top 10 Countries Offering Automatic Birthright Citizenship

Birthright citizenship, or jus soli (right of the soil), grants automatic citizenship to children born within a country’s borders, regardless of their parents’ nationality. While the United States’ policy faces legal challenges in 2025 due to a...

From Sticking Out Tongues to Sniffing Cheeks, Here’s How People Around the World Say Hello

If you’ve ever tried to say hello to a guide in Thailand or mingle at a bar in France, you may have realized that a firm handshake is not always the go-to greeting. Especially when you don’t speak the language, saying hello properly is crucial to...

List of Visa-Free Countries for U.S. Passport Holders

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A formidable nation, the United States currently ranks eighth in the list of the world’s most powerful passports. According to the Henley Passport Index, Americans can enjoy visa-free travel to 186 countries by 2024. The latest...

World Court’s ruling opens the door wider for climate justice

In a unanimous decision, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from climate change could amount to...

Pacific Islands Security In the Era of US-China Competition

Alex Wu Alex Vu is a Spring 2025 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. Alex is currently a junior at the University of South Florida, studying Econometrics & Political Science. Andrew Taylor Awa Nanami Nishimoto is a Spring...

Climate Reparations are Necessary but Not Sufficient: World Needs Less Growth & More Justice

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Energy, Environment, Featured, Global, Headlines, Natural Resources, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, TerraViva United Nations Opinion Cyclone Pam (2015) flooding in Vanatu, Port Vila...