As Papua New Guinea marks 50 years of independence, Zenex Drilling is celebrating the national milestone with a step that blends technical innovation with local ambition: the arrival of the LRS275 Duo Sonic Drill Rig from Dutch manufacturer Eijkelkamp. For Zenex, this is more than a fleet upgrade — it’s a statement about where PNG’s homegrown drilling cap...

The East Micronesia Cable has reached its final Pacific destination with a successful landing in Kosrae, bringing the region one step closer to faster and more reliable internet connectivity. The milestone was marked by a ceremony on Kosrae’s shores as the cable lay ship Normand Clipper floated the undersea cable to land, guided by the ceremonial buoy....

Provincial fisheries officers from across Solomon Islands gathered in Honiara, not only to sharpen their inspection skills but also to reaffirm their role as protectors of the sea and the communities who depend on it. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), with support from the Pacific Community (SPC) and New Zealand Ministry for Primar...

Fiji is looking to Singapore for inspiration as it pushes ahead with reforms to modernise its courts and justice system. Acting Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga began the post-WIPO leg of his Singapore programme on 28 August with a series of high-level meetings at the Ministry of Law, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Supre...

The Solomon Islands recorded 13,994 visitor arrivals in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 21 percent increase compared with the previous quarter, according to official figures released on 29 August. Compared with the same quarter last year, arrivals grew 11.8 percent. Returning residents comprised the largest share of entries at 51.8 percent, while...

The Pacific Infrastructure Conference 2025 concluded in Brisbane after three days of high-level discussions, presentations and networking, drawing 652 delegates, 80 speakers and more than 40 exhibitors from 20 countries. Hosted from 18 to 20 August, the conference brought together political and business representatives from all 16 Pacific Island countr...

Fiji’s Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau has unveiled his country’s ambitious infrastructure pipeline at the 2025 Pacific Infrastructure Conference, telling partners that long-term resilience and sustainability are central to the government’s agenda. The three-day conference, organised in Brisbane by th...

Tuvalu is turning its attention to regional cooperation and homegrown solutions as global climate talks continue to stall, with Prime Minister Feleti Teo saying his country can no longer afford to wait while the seas keep rising. Ahead of next month’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Honiara, Teo said Tuvalu would prioritise climate change, se...

Prime Minister Mark Brown met with Chinese Ambassador Dr Xiaolong Wang on the margins of the Cook Islands’ 60th anniversary of self-governance, underscoring the strength of the two countries’ nearly three-decade partnership. During the meeting, Ambassador Wang presented a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping, recognising the signific...

Prime Minister Mark Brown hosted a State Dinner to celebrate the Cook Islands’ 60th anniversary of self-governance, welcoming national dignitaries, Pacific leaders, and international partners to an evening of reflection and celebration. The dinner, held in Rarotonga following the official Constitution Day ceremony, brought together leaders from the Pa ...

The Pacific’s rich cultures, traditions, and natural beauty have long shaped authentic visitor experiences that reflect the spirit of Pasifika. Building on this, Samoa and Fiji have launched a Peer-to-Peer Exchange on Community Tourism, coordinated by the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)—a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at strengthening community-l...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in partnership with Trove Tourism Development Advisors, has rolled out a landmark digital upgrade for five of its member National Tourism Organisations (NTOs): Timor-Leste, Tonga, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Funded by the New Zealand Government...

The Pacific island nation of Palau is fast emerging as a sought-after destination for Indian tourists, buoyed by the country’s recent move to grant visa-free entry to Indian passport holders. New booking data from digital travel platform Agoda shows that Palau recorded a 49% year-on-year (YoY) increase in accommodation searches between July and December 2...

Bluemont has become the sole distributor of Elemental Water Makers’ solar-powered desalination systems across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, expanding access to sustainable freshwater solutions in some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Elemental Water Makers, a Netherlands-based company, designs systems that convert seaw...

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) foreign ministers have reaffirmed that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the security, livelihoods and wellbeing of Pacific peoples, throwing their full support behind Australia’s bid to host the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) as a “Pacific COP” in 2026. In a statement, ministers recalled the Bo...

Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock took part in a Disability Inclusive Development Dialogue on Friday, 15 August 2025, aimed at strengthening disability mainstreaming within the agriculture sector. The dialogue formed part of a wider initiative with government ministries that began in August 2024. The session with MAL marked the fi...

A joint team comprising the National Safeguards Consultant at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, the Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC-KEI-TEDI) of the Land Maritime Connectivity Project, representatives from the Asian Development Bank, and contractor China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation conducted a site visit to the Kirakira W...

The Ninth Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers (PWWM) Meeting concluded on 26 August in Honiara, with ministers from 14 Pacific Island countries and territories committing to urgent action to strengthen water and sanitation across the region. The forum, held from 25–26 August, brought together ministers and senior representatives from American Samoa,...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Sun Pacific Energy Ltd (SPEL) have signed a US$2.8 million (approximately AU$4.3 million) loan to expand renewable energy generation in Samoa. The financing will upgrade and expand SPEL’s Upolu Solar Farm—Samoa’s first independent power producer (IPP)—by installing high-efficiency solar panels. The expansion is expe...

The Cook Islands government is considering extending its deep sea mining exploration licences as the nation approaches the end of its five-year exploration phase. The Cook Islands is three-and-a-half years into the programme, which allows companies to gather data to assess the viability of extracting seabed minerals. Mining, referred to as “harvesting”...

For more than a century, the Steamships Group of businesses has underpinned Papua New Guinea’s maritime and logistics sector. Today, its Logistics Division is the country’s most complete logistics services provider – spanning sea, land, and portside solutions – geared to support the oil, gas, and resources sectors. Nick Fisher, CEO of Steamships Logist...

Timber producers in Solomon Islands are stepping up their push for international certification, aiming to unlock high-value markets while safeguarding jobs and incomes for thousands of rural households. At the Solomon Islands Sawn Timber Knowledge Forum held in Honiara on 13 August, industry leaders, partners and government representatives celebrated p...

Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia is helping some of the region’s most remote nations carve a stronger presence in the Australian travel market through the 2025 Treasures of the South Pacific (ToSP) Roadshow. The two-week tour, which started in Brisbane on 18 August and ends in Newcastle on 3 September, will also stop in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydn...

The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Pacific Tourism Research Institute (PTRI), marking a milestone in regional collaboration. The institute will serve as a hub for knowledge generation, capacity building and innovation, aimed at ensuring t...