Pacific Islands Forum chair and secretary general meet UN secretary-general; Pacific Islands Forum chair pushes US and World Bank for Pacific Resilience Facility funding; Trump signs 'deeply dangerous' order to fast-track deep sea mining; ADB: Slower economic growth for Pacific amid tourism challenges, global uncertainties
Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security
China and Oil Shocks Push Climate Down Pacific Islands’ Agenda
(Financial Post/Bloomberg)
China warns Pacific Islands diplomat not to sour ties over Taiwan
(PACNEWS/AFP)
Forum Strategic Plan sets six priorities to drive 2050 Blue Pacific Vision
(PACNEWS)
Pacific unity tested in Fiji as Forum ministers fail to agree on China missile test response
(PMN)
Solomon Islands PM urges ‘no more secrecy’ over treaties with other countries
(RNZ)
Papua New Guinea seeks dialogue over new hefty US visa bond
(RNZ)
Australian Foreign Minister Wong tables Ocean of Peace Alliance, Fiji Vuvale Union in Parliament (
PINA
)
Chinese research vessels spark alarm in Palau after repeated incursions
(ABC News Australia)
Pacific Foreign Ministers back regional security plan as threats grow more complex
(PACNEWS)
Palau, Marshall Islands join global call for 24-hour notice for missile tests
(Pacific Island Times)
Feds seek to beef up screening process for CNMI-bound Chinese travelers
(Pacific Island Times)
Fiji: Port security faces inside threat
(Fiji Sun)
Two-way battle: No clear majority as Cook Islands prepares to head to the polls
(RNZ/Cook Islands News)
Why the Trump v. Barbara ruling matters to FSM and the Pacific families
(Pacific Island Times)
Pacific reaffirms regional ownership amid rising geopolitical competition
(Islands Business)
American Samoa: Presidential Executive Order escalates attacks on Birthright Citizenship in U.S. Territories
(Samoa News)
People-Centered Development
Kiwi ICE detainee Everlee Wihongi on ‘dehumanising conditions’ in custody (
Te Ao News
)
Inside a GOARN deployment: what outbreak experts learned from supporting Pacific dengue preparedness
(WHO)
Behind the betel nut smile: the quiet epidemic of oral cancer in Papua New Guinea
(The Conversation)
Epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific as of 04 August 2026
(ReliefWeb/Map)
Cervical cancer preventable, yet a leading cause of death among Vanuatu women
(Daily Post)
Vanuatu: Over 38,000 Children at Risk of Measles, MOH Plans Mass Campaign (
VBTC
)
UOG opens nursing hub to prepare Guam’s next generation of nurses
(Pacific Island Times)
Guardians of Knowledge: How Pacific Researchers at USP are Preserving Indigenous Wisdom for Future Generations
(Islands Business)
MSG reaffirms commitment to Indigenous rights across Melanesia
(PACNEWS)
Fiji: Up to 5000 students drop out – Nabobo-Baba
(Fiji Times)
Kiribati turns to climate-resilient food systems as imports, obesity and child malnutrition rise
(Islands Business)
Northern Marianas’ Carol Lee wins her first WTA title
(RNZ)
Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment
Pacific islands alarmed by Trump-backed push for deep-sea mining
(PACNEWS/AFP)
Pacific: Community organizations urge U.S. Supreme Court to not let Air Force sidestep environmental review and public participation
(Samoa News)
El Niño puts water and food supplies in the Pacific under pressure
(PMN)
CNMI: Environmental advocates welcome Navy’s decision to reduce its footprint and limit training on Tinian
(Pacific Island Times)
Pacific faces “fight for our lives” from triple planetary crisis: SPREP DG
(PACNEWS)
Solomon Islands: Court Awards $62 Million Over Logging Damage
(Solomon Star)
Climate change forces family to leave behind ‘beautiful’ life in Tuvalu
(ABC News Australia)
UOG study finds evidence that rising sea levels may be increasing salt in Guam’s groundwater
(Pacific Island Times)
Palau: PICRC Publishes New Climate-Smart Framework to Strengthen Coral Reef Restoration in the face of Climate Change
(Island Times)
Palau’s reef revival follows rat eradication and seabird bounce back
(Oceanographic)
A Viral Hawaiian Monk Seal Changes The Conversation On Molokaʻi
(Civil Beat)
French Polynesia: Towards legal personhood for whales? (
Tahiti Infos
)
Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity
All Pacific Islands Forum Members now linked to global undersea cable network
(PACNEWS)
Remote Tokelauan atoll becomes temporary global comms hub
(RNZ)
Niue solar project cuts diesel use, saves millions in fuel costs
(Islands Business)
Massive taro tower showcases Vanuatu’s agricultural prowess
(Pacific Beat/Audio)
French Polynesia: The Tech & Bio trade fair focuses on agri-food processing to enhance local products
(TNTV News)
Hawaiʻi: Interisland test flights take off for all-electric aircraft (
HPR
)
CNMI: Marianas visitor arrivals plunge 81% in June after Typhoon Sinlaku
(Public Radio Guam)
In Wallis and Futuna, “the 2030 ambition is to have as many tourists as inhabitants”
(les Nouvelles Caledoniennes/Interview)
Cash remains king for majority of Fijians
(The Fiji Times)
American Samoa: Support for moratorium on “special provision”
(Talanei)
Fiji’s $100m oil hit
(The Fiji Times)
Hawaii facing ‘sluggish’ job growth through 2034
(Hawaii Tribune-Herald/Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
**Disclaimer: **
The PIR seeks to include news coverage from news outlets across the Pacific, representing a diversity of coverage in the region. Please note that the inclusion of article links does not represent PIR or PIDP endorsement of the information presented in the articles.
The Pacific Islands Report (PIR) is a project of the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Center and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies (CPIS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
This non-exhaustive news roundup, featuring open-access information, is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.
Subscribe* to get our news roundups delivered to your email inbox and explore our archives at pireport.org.*
**We value your feedback.
