Independent Analysis and Reportage
Asia Pacific Report
By Rashneel Kumar, editor of the Cook Islands News The 2026 general election was a vote for stability, says political analyst William Numanga, as preliminary results placed the governing Cook Islands Party (CIP) on track to secure a fifth consecutive term. The Mark Brown-led CIP has secured 12 seats following the preliminary count, while independent
COMMENTARY: By Brett Wilkins Still drawing international censure for his genocidal call to kill dozens of Gazans daily, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has faced fresh condemnation after visiting the construction site of a gallows where Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis are set to be hanged to death, with select Israelis gathering as spectators.
RNZ Pacific reporters Fiji is now in a generalised HIV epidemic, which means the virus is firmly established and spreading within the general population. The number of people living with HIV in Fiji has risen sharply over the past decade. Fiji’s Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu declared an HIV outbreak in January 2025. READ
Asia Pacific Report Palestinian Christian theologian Reverend Munther Isaac, the director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice, has questioned the Israeli military’s announcement that it will investigate the killing of Hind Rajab and other Palestinians in the Gaza genocide. After two years of denial, Israel has officially admitted firing on the 5-year-old’s car
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister says he expects the issue of West Papua will be discussed at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting in Palau. This comes as the issue of human rights abuses and conflict in Indonesian-ruled Papua region, often known internationally as West Papua, appeared
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Extreme weather patterns continue to hit the Pacific region with some of the highest parts of New Guinea experiencing snow this week. Reports from West Papua say parts of the highlands region have been blanketed by snow and ice in recent days. This includes parts of Lanny Jaya regency
By Tiana Haxton of RNZ Pacific A 26-day deep sea expedition in the Cook Islands by a United States scientific agency has uncovered new information about marine life and seabed minerals within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship Okeanos Explorer returned to Rarotonga this week after carrying
By Brad Reed of Common Dreams US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has drawn an outraged reaction from critics after he unveiled sanctions against Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court. In announcing the sanctions, Rubio described the ICC as “a corrupt and fatally politicised” institution that has allegedly “abused its authority and exceeded
RNZ Pacific The governor of Papua New Guinea’s Western Highlands Province says his province is unprepared to deal with the severe impacts of the El Niño weather event being experienced across the country. During an El Niño event, warmer ocean waters affect rainfall and wind patterns, often bringing drier-than-usual conditions and a higher risk of
RNZ Pacific reporters Access remains the biggest challenge for humanitarian workers in the Pacific Islands region, but humanitarians are not targeted as they are in other parts of the world, according to World Vision. To mark World Humanitarian Day, World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian and development organisation, is highlighting the unprecedented risks faced by
By Rosalia Tui in Suva Fiji’s Ministry of Education is set to introduce a Chinese language pilot programme in 12 schools in the Central Division, as the Pacific country strengthens educational cooperation with China. The programme will involve six primary and six secondary schools and will introduce students to the Chinese language and culture while
COMMENTARY: By Jeremy Rose A few months back, the story of the Victoria University of Wellington economist Dr Eleanor Vance and her 1978 paper “The Market Autocrat: Anticipating the Neoliberal Siege on Welfare States” was shared numerous times on my Facebook feed. Soon after, the heartwarming story of former prime minister Jacinda Ardern donating hundreds