PACIFIC FREEDOM FORUM World Press Freedom Day 2026 Statement May 4, 2026- On World Press Freedom Day 2026, the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) joins journalists, editors and media advocates across the world in observing UNESCO’s theme, “Shaping a Future of Peace.” UNESCO has framed this year’s observance as a critical moment to reaffirm freedom of […]
Category: In Focus
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AI in advertising risks fueling misinformation crisis, UN warns
NEW YORK, 30 APRIL 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —With spending on advertising topping $1 trillion a year worldwide, the United Nations on Wednesday highlighted the untapped power of major brands to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence, warning that a failure to act could deepen a global information integrity crisis. In a new brief titled […]
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Why lower fertility does not have to mean economic decline
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 20 APRIL 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —Globally, most people say they want two or more children, but many are having only one, or none at all. According to a senior UN economist, fears of a demographic timebomb are unwarranted. There’s no getting away from the fact that in many countries around the world, […]
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Deep-sea wildernesses are more important than the promise of seafloor mining
Analysis by Andrew D. Thaler SUVA, 15 APRIL 2026 (MONGABAY)—When I set sail on the MV NorSky in the summer of 2008 to probe the depths of Manus Basin off the coast of Papua New Guinea, I believed in the promise of deep-sea mining. As an early-career deep-sea ecologist, I was swayed by arguments in […]
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From misdiagnosis to medical bias: Why women are living longer but not better
NEWW YORK, 08 APRIL 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —For 25 years, the world has made significant progress in advancing women’s right to health, particularly in sexual and reproductive care. Women are living longer than ever before – but they are not living better. Across the world, UN data shows, women are still less likely to […]
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Starlink’s entry into the Pacific: the Samoan case
By Amanda H Watson, Ioana Chan Mow, Aleksandar Deejay, Fiafaitupe Tuiloma-Lafaele APIA, 13 APRIL 2026 (DEVPOLICY.ORG) — This article draws on peer-reviewed research informed by analysis of Samoan media coverage. It reflects on Starlink’s entry into Samoa and what it reveals about public communication, policy and regulation during the entry of new technologies. Internet access […]