- In preparation for APEC, Papua New Guinea has imported 40 Maseratis and other luxury cars to transport foreign delegates during the forum. PNG government says cars will be on-sold to “private sector”, and not everyone is happy.
- To protest against corruption in PNG, opposition MPs Bryan Kramer, Garry Juffa, Allan Bird and Sir Mekere Morauta have called for a two-day strike, from Thursday 25 October.
- Oscar Temaru, former president of French Polynesia and leader of the pro-independence movement, says a complaint had been lodged in the International Criminal Court against France for alleged crimes against humanity over nuclear tests conducted in the South Pacific.
- After almost a year of providing psychological and psychiatric services to refugees in Nauru, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was forced by Nauru’s government to leave the Island. Here is a rare and forceful statement from MSF detailing the “absolute devastation” Australia’s offshore detention policy has wrought on asylum seekers stuck on Nauru.
- The potentially catastrophic impact of climate change was a recurrent theme of debate in the UN General Assembly. In this piece, the leaders of Fiji and Marshall Islands join in a call for increasing worldwide commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- In a statement to the Special Political and Decolonisation committee, New Zealand commits to invest around NZ$86 million in Tokelau.
- John Garrick explains how China could use its soft power to promote its economic interests in the Pacific.
- In a piece for the Samoa Observer, Alex Rheeney urges caution as the government embraces China’s Belt and Road initiative.
- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited New Zealand this week, a first by a Japanese foreign minister in five years, and raised concerns about the high levels of debt in some Pacific Island nations.
- The Council of Councils featured an article about the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map, explaining how transparency can improve aid effectiveness in the region.
