Pacific Beat

Pacific leaders have used their platform at COP31 to send a unified message, industrialised nations must cut emissions, and take climate funding for the most vulnerable seriously.

A young iTaukei woman travelled from one of Fiji's most remote islands to be at COP31 to directly tell world leaders the difficulties they face from climate change.

Pacific climate activists at COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Türkiye say concessions of a 1.5 degree Celsius "overshoot" are not acceptable.

As COP31 gets underway, the Pacific are hoping the region's interests will be front and centre when the hard talking begins.

Incumbent New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's National Party has the most seats in parliament at the moment but New Zealand's national elections could take weeks to call. 

The upcoming New Zealand election results will have implications across the Pacific region with military spending and visa-free entry for Pacific Islanders up for debate.

A 1990s French hit song sampled a lullaby from Solomon Islands' Baegu district in Northeast Malaita that has been misattributed for decades, and the community has yet to see any royalties.

US midterms in Guam have seen Republican Tony Ada elected governor, ending eight years of Democratic leadership. 

Five survivors have been rescued after three months adrift in the open Pacific, a journey that claimed the lives of four others.

AI bluebottle maritime drones are set to be deployed in Fiji to help stop drug smuggling, but experts warn cartels will evolve quickly to meet that challenge.

Local whale watching operators in Tonga are concerned the government is handing out too many licenses while foreign operators flout the rules, putting the whales and their breeding grounds at risk.

Timor-Leste has vowed to press ahead with its controversial 'Greater Sunrise' gas project after Woodside Energy sold its 33 per cent stake, leaving the project without an operator.

Twelve people are dead after an armed robbery ended in a vehicle rollover and a gunfight with authorities.

An earthquake off Northern Vanuatu has been followed by a series of strong aftershocks throughout the weekend.

Vanuatu's government has described the actions of the so-called "second republic movement" as illegal, warning that participants could be charged with sedition.

The PNG Chiefs now have an identity of their own with the unveiling of the club's inaugural logo and jersey ahead of its debut NRL season in 2028. The Chiefs' colours and logo are out there, and replica shirts are set to go on sale to fans in PNG, but they won't be in the shops in Australia or New Zealand, as the trademark dispute with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise rumbles on. 

Papua New Guinean university students will be able to apply to join the Australian Defence Force from next month.

Reactions are mixed over the death of the South Pacific's most infamous conman Noah Musingku.

Guam breathed a sigh of relief over the weekend when Super Typhoon Champi narrowly missed a direct hit on the island.

Fijian conjoined twins have just undergone a 12-hour separation surgery in Saudi Arabia successfully.

Chief Scientist Chris Brandolino at Earth Sciences New Zealand is warning the first cyclone of the season could develop in a matter of days.

Fiji's Justice Minister and Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga, has resigned from his ministerial portfolio after an explicit video was shared on his Facebook page. 

Before their rescue, passengers on board the stranded ferry Awka in Solomon Islands were starting to fear the worst, but Starlink kept them connected to the outside world.

Questions have been raised over the use of public funds by Solomon Islands senior officials to seek medical treatment overseas.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may have left Fiji but discussions at the Pre-COP31 meeting continued well into last night. As expected, climate finance dominated the talks.