By Sanjeshni Kumar SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS)—A landmark treaty to protect biodiversity on the high seas has entered into force, but scientists warn that much of the deep-sea life it seeks to conserve remains unknown. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which entered into force earlier this year after being ratified by more […]
Category: In Focus
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Palau’s Renewable Energy
KOROR, 10 AUGUST 2026 (THE BORGEN PROJECT) —Palau has set ambitious renewable energy goals, aiming for 100 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2050. The nation has already established multiple solar farms and is exploring wind and other modalities. Reducing Dependence on Imported Fuel Palau is a small island chain of 340 […]
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World-view ‘gulf’ leaves closer China ties out of reach
CANBERRA, 10 AUGUST 2026 (AAP) — Australia is unlikely ever to have a true partnership with China due to a mismatch of world views, rendering it pointless to pursue that goal, the nation’s former top diplomat to Beijing says. But in an analysis for the Lowy Institute, Australia’s former ambassador to China Graham Fletcher noted […]
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Contested and Congested: Pacific Regional Architecture getting complex, security expert says
WELLINGTON, 30 JULY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) —A Pacific geopolitical expert there is a risk that Pacific Islands’ priorities and security concerns are being sidelined by increased geopolitical competition and tensions in the region. This comes amid a growing number of security alliances being formed between Australia and Pacific countries, as well as new regional security […]
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China as a future hegemon? Easier said than done
By Graham Fletcher SYDNEY, 16 JULY 2026 (LOWY INSTITUTE) —Donald Trump’s communication style might not lend itself to the use of terms like “hegemony” to describe the strong political and military foothold the United States maintains in the Western Pacific. Yet for all the unpredictability that characterises Washington these days, it is difficult to imagine […]
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Southwest Pacific’s last tropical glacier could vanish within months
GENEVA, 08 JULY 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — The Southwest Pacific is facing mounting climate risks as its vast ocean expanse becomes hotter, more acidic and more dangerous for coastal communities, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in a report published on Tuesday. The latest State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific report found that 2025 […]