New Tonga Water lab for on-site water-safety testing

A new water laboratory launched today at Mata-ki-Eua, Tongatapu, will enable the Tonga Water Board (TWB) to provide faster, safer water testing for local communities. The lab was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu....

Pacific entrepreneurs honoured at awards for innovation, resilience

Pacific entrepreneurs were honoured at the 2025 Pacific Business Trust (PBT) Awards during a lavish event in Auckland on Wednesday. Auckland-based TROW Group took out the Frances Hartnell Supreme Award for its sustainable approach to demolition,...

USAID helping Tonga prepare better for disasters

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) continues to expand its efforts to improve climate resilience across the Pacific Islands, with a specific focus on lifting Tonga’s disaster preparedness through advanced early warning systems....

Locals in the NFL: Jordan Love, Packers get best of Rodgers, Steelers in prime time

AROUND THE SHIELD — There was plenty of love between the Green Bay Packers' current starting quarterback and former great Aaron Rodgers, who hosted his old team Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh — from pregame warmups to a postgame...

Pacific Defence Ministers unite on regional security, climate, and maritime threats

Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific have reaffirmed their commitment to regional security, resilience and cooperation at the 10th South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM), held in Chile last week. Ministers and representatives...

Medicines Amendment Bill — Second Reading

Press Release – Hansard Medicines Amendment Bill Second Reading 21 October 2025 Sitting date: 21 October 2025 MEDICINES AMENDMENT BILL Second Reading Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Health): I present a legislative statement on the...

New Bureau of Meteorology radar caused confusion after storms rip through Queensland and Victoria

There are calls for Australia’s national weather service to re-examine key tools used by members of the public, days after a new website launched just shy of an explosive start to storm season. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) launched its new...

From adversity to ancestry: Pacific wayfinding through a neurodiverse lens

Tongan-Pākehā poet, writer, and director, Simone Kaho was stunned to receive the Fulbright New Zealand and Creative New Zealand 2025 Pacific Writer’s Residency. After years of applying for opportunities and managing expectations, the news was both...

WTO Fisheries Agreement: India’s concerns, past opposition, and the road ahead

A significant milestone for multilateralism was reached when the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (FSA) came into effect on September 15, 2025. This was followed by ratifications by Kenya, Vietnam, Brazil, and Tonga,...

Vava’u farmers receive Chinese aid

Vava’u farmers welcomed new agricultural support from China’s Phase VI programme. Last week, the China-Aid Agriculture Technical Assistant Project to Tonga Phase VI and the Vava’u branch of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests (MAFF)...

Letters to the Editor | October 25, 2025

Deputy PMs – RAJEND NAIDU SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA PM assumes role: ‘We can run without one deputy prime minister‘ (FT 24/10). Actually many Fijians believe the Rabuka government still has one extra deputy prime minister unnecessarily burdening the...

Pacific must stand together, says Tuvalu CRGA 55

Tuvalu’s Permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs, Pasuna Tuaga, has called for Pacific nations to stay united and innovative in tackling the region’s challenges as he officially opened the 55th Committee of Representatives of Governments and...

AEW News & Rumor Roundup: Star undergoes ACL and meniscus surgery, Rumor killer on Andrade's potential return to WWE, Cody Rhodes references top name

Welcome, readers, to the latest edition of the AEW News and Rumor Roundup. Today, we will look at the latest developments and stories pertaining to prominent All Elite Wrestling and WWE names like Cody Rhodes, Andrade, and more. A lesser-known...

In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges

Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is dotted with clusters of brown and black rocks, each containing valuable metals. The rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, hold reserves of critical minerals that could be used to power...

WWE officially replaces Andrade with an 8-time champion

Andrade's WWE career came to an end recently as the star controversially left the company a few weeks back. His replacement was revealed on SmackDown last night, where Shinsuke Nakamura joined forces with the Mexican's former tag team partner, Rey...

The MFTs wreak havoc on SmackDown as WWE veteran questions the absence of popular faction (Exclusive)

The MFTs wreaked havoc on the blue brand once again. Former WWE head writer Vince Russo recently reviewed the action on SmackDown and noticed a popular tag team's absence from the proceedings this week. The team in question is The Wyatt Sicks. MFT...

Adam Johnson on Writing a Novel of Ancient Polynesia

Adam Johnson is a rare literary genius. He’s written a Pulitzer Prize winning novel set in a nightmarish Orwellian North Korea (The Orphan Master’s Son), a National Book Award short story collection (Fortune Smiles) that includes one of my...

WWE SmackDown Results: Top champ wiped out; Superstar saved by wife (10/24/2025)

Cody Rhodes ran into Jimmy Uso before WWE SmackDown, and Uso thanked him for standing up for Jacob Fatu last week. Cody asked about Jey, and when Jimmy asked for advice, he said that the Usos should do what is best for each of them. Rhodes made...

Cuban president congratulates the island’s environmentalists

3 Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, celebrated the receipt of the BSAP Reverse the Red 2025 award, granted by the International Union for Conservation of...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – October 17 – 23, 2025

Political Leadership and Regionalism, Peace and Security Outspoken Former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani Passes Away (In-depth Solomons) New Caledonia: FLNKS concerned about the postponement of provincial elections, “satisfied” with the green...