WASHINGTON/SAIPAN, 18 MAY 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES)—-Washington’s defence spending in the Northern Mariana Islands may temporarily boost economic activity, but it undermines long-term self-sufficiency and fails to sustain local wealth, according to a think tank’s report. The report says the billions of dollars allotted for military projects on Tinian, Rota and Saipan may appear to […]
Category: Pacific News
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AFP sounds alarm over Pacific drug trade after 17 tonnes seized in 2026
SYDNEY/SUVA, 18 MAY 2026 (PACNEWS/AFP) —The Australian Federal Police (AFP) says the Pacific is facing an escalating national security threat from transnational drug trafficking after 17 tonnes of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, were seized across the region in just the first months of 2026. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the scale of trafficking through the […]
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PRETMM6 Call to Action Sets Stage for Pacific Islands Forum in Palau
By: Ngeldei Tulop As Pacific leaders prepare to gather in Palau for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum, one message from the Sixth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers Meeting (PRETMM6) in Port Moresby continues to resonate across the region: the Pacific can no longer afford to remain reactive in the face of growing economic and […]
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Palau pushes blue economy at Melanesia Ocean Summit
PORT MORESBY, 13 MAY 2026 (POST COURIER) — Palau’s Special Envoy of the President, Steven Victor, told the Melanesia Ocean Summit underway in Port Moresby that Pacific nations must harness ocean resources to drive prosperity, stressing that conservation must go hand‑in‑hand with economic growth. “It is about financing our transition to a sustainable blue economy […]
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Marshall Islands stresses community role in ocean protection
PORT MORESBY, 13 MAY 2026 (POST COURIER) — The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has told the Melanesian Oceans Summit that conservation must be rooted in communities and guided by traditional knowledge. Speaking on behalf of President Dr Hilda Heine, the Special Envoy said lessons from the Micronesian challenge show that protected areas are […]
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Freight forwarder to raise fuel surcharge for Guam, CNMI, FSM
HAGATNA, 13 MAY 206 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — Consumer prices in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are expected to surge amid soaring shipping costs and freight charges due to supply chain disruptions. Triple B Forwarders will raise its fuel-related surcharge for Guam and CNMI customers to 32 percent, effective 07 June. Based on the […]