The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has received the Margarita Lizárraga Medal from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), recognising the collective leadership of Pacific Island countries in responsible fisheries management. FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu presented the medal to FFA Director-General Noan Davi...

Here’s a PNG-focused news rewrite, leading with Santos’ increased stake and the implications for Papua LNG. Santos to lift Papua LNG stake to 21% as ExxonMobil takes operatorship PORT MORESBY, Sept. 7, 2026 — Santos Ltd. will increase its participating interest in the Papua LNG project to 21% after agreeing to acquire an additional 3.3% stake from T...

Fiji and China deepen agricultural cooperation through technical partnership SUVA, Fiji — Fiji and China are strengthening their longstanding agricultural partnership through expanded cooperation in research, technology, training, food security and climate-smart agriculture. The partnership was highlighted at the Fiji-China Agricultural Cooperation ...

Santos is proud to recognise a historic milestone at the Kumul Marine Terminal (KMT), with the appointment of Jackson Jim as Team Leader, working back-to-back with Willie Mapal. This marks the first time the facility has been led entirely by Papua New Guinean nationals. The achievement represents a significant moment in the history of one of Papua New ...

Solomon Islands and Serbia are seeking to translate growing bilateral ties into practical development outcomes, with potential cooperation identified in renewable energy, education, digitalisation, sports, tourism and community development. The areas of cooperation were discussed by Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination Peter Keni...

A New Zealand-funded grant has helped the Vilu War Museum in West Guadalcanal improve visitor interpretation, with 30 new signs providing historical context for the World War II relics preserved at the site. The Vilu War Museum, which holds one of the Solomon Islands’ most significant collections of large World War II relics, has completed the producti...

Fiji has taken another step toward overhauling its competition and consumer protection framework, with nationwide consultations completed on legislation that would replace the country’s 2010 competition law and establish a modern framework for regulating market conduct and protecting consumers. Fiji’s Ministry of Commerce and Business Development (MCBD...

Leaders of the four countries of the Realm of New Zealand have held their inaugural meeting in Auckland, strengthening cooperation on shared economic, security and regional priorities while reaffirming each partner’s distinct constitutional arrangements. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown joined New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Niue Pr...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has concluded the country's participation in the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, with major commitments for the upgrade of Penrhyn's port and new investment in ocean conservation. The Cook Islands secured significant support for two key national priorities during the week-long regional ...

The Tina River Hydropower Development Project has formalised a customary reconciliation process with the Roha and Gaegae tribes through a Chupu Ceremony at the Powerhouse site, alongside the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The ceremony, held on July 28 in Central Guadalcanal, brought together representatives of the Roha and Gaegae tribes, Hab...

A landowning cooperative in Tailevu is turning customary land into commercial opportunities through agriculture, forestry and private-sector partnerships, with the Fiji Government backing the initiative as a model for rural enterprise. Twenty-two members of the Mataqali Solevu Cooperative in Naivuruvuru Village, Verata, Tailevu, are developing a five-y...

The Solomon Islands government has ordered the immediate cessation of import operations at sufferance wharves that do not comply with international maritime security requirements, citing risks to national revenue and border security. Minister of Finance and Treasury Rexon Ramofafia directed the immediate closure of all sufferance wharves without accred...

Vanuatu’s tourism sector recorded strong growth in the first half of 2026, with international visitor arrivals increasing by about 30 per cent year-on-year and generating an estimated USD 87.8 million in economic contribution, according to a new visitor survey. The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in partnership with the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO...

New high-grade gold results from Lion One Metals’ Tuvatu project in Fiji have highlighted geological similarities with Papua New Guinea’s Porgera mine, as the Canadian company continues underground drilling at one of Fiji’s emerging gold operations. Lion One reported an intercept of 4.2 metres grading 715.15 grams per tonne gold, including 0.45 metres ...

The Asian Development Bank has approved a new rapid-response financing project for Vanuatu, giving the Pacific island nation faster access to funds following disasters and other major emergencies. The Vanuatu Rapid Response Contingent Project is the first project approved under ADB’s Rapid Resource Reprogramming and Deployment Option (3RDO), a region-w...

Fiji has marked a milestone for the regional wellness and tourism industry by hosting the CIDESCO World Congress for the first time in the South Pacific. The 2026 CIDESCO World Congress was officially opened in Nadi by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka, bringing together beauty, spa and wellness profession...

Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have reaffirmed their commitment to deeper economic cooperation, with business groups from both countries describing the inaugural PNG–Solomon Islands Investment Conference as the starting point for a more structured commercial partnership. The Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Business Council (PNGSIBC) and Solomon ...

The Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology have signed a cooperation agreement for the second phase of a mini solar power project aimed at expanding access to clean and reliable energy in the country. Chinese Ambassador Cai Weiming and Minister for Environment Ghemu signed...

Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways is strengthening its capacity to develop, assess and coordinate agricultural investment proposals through a four-day training program on economic and financial analysis under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Hand-in-Hand Initiative. The training, which opened at the JICA Training Room at the Kor...

Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands are seeking to deepen economic cooperation, increase cross-border investment and develop stronger business-to-business partnerships as the two Melanesian neighbours work to translate longstanding political ties into economic gains. PNG Prime Minister James Marape made the call during the inaugural Papua New Guinea-S...

New high-grade drilling results from Lion One Metals’ Tuvatu gold mine in Fiji have highlighted geological similarities with Papua New Guinea’s Porgera mine, including mineralization associated with quartz, roscoelite and visible gold. Lion One reported an intersection of 4.2 meters grading 715.15 grams per tonne of gold from underground drilling at Tu...

 For more than two decades, CE Group has delivered complex electrical and engineering projects across Australia and the Pacific, building a reputation for providing practical, end-to-end engineering solutions in some of the region's most challenging operating environments. From major mining operations and hospitals to water infrastructure and renewable en...

A decade-long partnership between the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND) and Motibhai Group of Companies is helping rural Fijian producers turn locally made products into commercially viable businesses, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica said. Speaking at the partnership’s 10th anniversary celebration in Wal...

Fiji Development Bank staff are taking part in an international peer-to-peer learning exchange in Thailand aimed at strengthening approaches to agricultural, rural and climate finance. The exchange, running from Aug. 17 to 21, brings FDB staff together with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) in Thailand. The programme is faci...