Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Holiday hotspots report cases of organ destroying virus sparking global outbreak fears in China
The Scottish Sun
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August 8, 2025
SOME favourite holiday destinations for Brits are now hotspots for a crippling mosquito-borne virus, new figures reveal. Chikungunya, which is rarely deadly but capable of wreaking havoc on organs and causing agonising, months-long pain and...
Is it safe to travel to Japan and California? Travel advice after tsunami warnings
The Times
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Residents of the US, Japan and Pacific island nations have been warned about a potential tsunami prompted by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake near the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky —one of the most powerful ever recorded. Nearly two million...
Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific approach diverges
The Interpreter
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August 8, 2025
The non-alignment style of diplomacy adopted by the Pacific Islands has proven to be a pragmatic approach to securing their interests. Dealing with all partners – be it China or the United States – has delivered tangible benefits. However, the...
India, Fiji Discuss Bilateral Ties And Ways To Strengthen Cooperation
MENAFN
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July 30, 2025
(MENAFN- IANS) Suva, July 30 (IANS) India and Fiji held the 6th Foreign Office Consultations in Suva on Tuesday and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health, education, capacity building, trade, investment, agriculture,...
The first country forced to move its entire nation as sea takes over (literally)
Euro Weekly News
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July 29, 2025
Funafuti (Tuvalu’s capital) International Airport. Credit: Creative Commons That’s something no one imagined a few decades ago: a postcard-perfect island nation is now ground zero for climate change. Located in the South Pacific, this country of...
80 Years After the Bomb, How Much Longer Will Our Luck Last?
The Diplomat
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August 5, 2025
Eighty years ago this week, when U.S. President Harry Truman announced the first use of an atomic bomb, he called it “the greatest achievement of organized science in history.” Truman warned that more powerful bombs were in development and that...
Pacific project enhances early warning systems for island resilience
World Meteorological Organization
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July 24, 2025
Launched in January 2021, the project supported 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in enhancing their multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) by addressing gaps in institutional governance, technical capacity, risk information...
The art and precision of tuna tagging in the Pacific
Pacific Community (SPC)
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By Jeff Muir, the Pacific Community's (SPC) scientist on board the tuna tagging boat, a tuna tagger on his 10th SPC tagging cruise. His aim on this cruise is to catch a bigger bigeye than he did on the previous voyage in 2023. With over 500,000...
Micronesia leaders renew call an urgent call for 'fast-acting cuts in short-lived super pollutants'
The Pacific Island Times
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July 26, 2025
Micronesian leaders, back row, joined with youth representatives from the Micronesia subregion to discuss youth concerns and issues as part of the bigger Forum agenda. Photo courtesy of the Marshall Islands President's Office. Majuro — Leaders...
China reports 10,000 cases of chikungunya virus
Daily Mail
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August 6, 2025
Experts have warned that some holiday destinations popular with Britons are hotspots for a virus that can cause pain that lasts for months. The chikungunya virus, which although rarely deadly, can severely damage organs and lead to chronic...
FLNKS to debate decolonisation deal
Islands Business
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August 5, 2025
DURING August 1945, in the last days of World War II, US bombers flew from the Micronesian island of Tinian to drop atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now, on the 80th anniversary of the bombings, the United States is again readying Tinian...
US begins talks with Cook Islands on seabed mining, gears up to compete with China
The Pacific Island Times
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August 6, 2025
The U.S. has begun discussions with the Cook Islands on the exploration of seabed minerals within its waters, in a bid to catch up with China, which has previously clinched a similar deal with the island nation. “Together, we commit to advancing...
Organ-destroying virus that has sparked global pandemic fears is rife in holiday hotspots, warn experts
Daily Mail
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August 6, 2025
Experts have warned that some holiday destinations popular with Britons are hotspots for a virus that can cause pain that lasts for months. The chikungunya virus, which although rarely deadly, can severely damage organs and lead to chronic...
Look around the idyllic tropical island with incredible white beaches & dolphins – but only 6,000 people visit it a year
The Scottish Sun
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August 4, 2025
WHEN we think of white sandy beaches and crystal-clear water, images of the Maldives or the Caribbean often spring to mind. As idyllic as those holiday hotspots are, they are often packed with tourists, and finding undiscovered gems can be tough....
Tonga's Disaster Office staff gain first aid skills to strengthen disaster response
Pacific Community (SPC)
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In response to Tonga's vulnerability to natural hazards such as cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunamis, the National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) has implemented a Senior First Aid Training programme aimed at improving emergency...
The unavoidable sovereign wealth funds
Next is Africa
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A growing number of African states, well beyond the restricted circle of black gold exporters, are creating these investment structures. Efficiently managed, these public savings vehicles are helping to diversify the economy and encourage...
World-class health services for Nauru
Islands Business
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July 23, 2025
A state-of-the-art funded hospital in Kiribati will provide better, safer facilities – especially for women and infants. Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the new Betio Hospital will deliver improved health facilities and services for...
New Zealand’s concerns about China’s Pacific motivations grow
Diplomatic Courier
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nder the Radar is a weekly special series bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world, one region at a time. This week in SE Asia and Oceania, New Zealand suspends funding to the Cook Islands after its agreement with...
As the Pacific grapples with dengue fever, here's what you need to know
ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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August 4, 2025
Each morning in Samoa, fumigation teams gear up to spray schools and buildings, battling tirelessly against a dengue outbreak. Since the outbreak was declared on April 17, Samoa's Ministry of Health says more than 5,600 clinically diagnosed cases...
128 times with only a small bag
The Fiji Times
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August 4, 2025
On a humble folding bicycle and with a weathered heart, 46-year-old Dr Raj Phanden pedals into his 128th country — Fiji — carrying nothing but a small bag, a will of steel, and a story that has touched people across continents. Better known...