Oceania

A health alert was issued across Perth after a traveller returned from overseas with measles, with 10 new exposure sites listed across the city’s east and inner suburbs; measles, highly infectious, can develop 7-18 days after exposure to the virus

Vanuatu Police and the Australian Federal Police are investigating an abandoned yacht, believed to have contained two tons of cocaine, that was found drifting at Havannah Harbour in North Efate

A one-off public holiday will be observed today 12 March 2026 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Queen Salote College, a leading all-girls Christian secondary school; date recalls birthday of Queen Sālote Tupou III, on 13 March

The First Lady of FSM, Madam Ancelly Simina, joined women leaders and community members in Chuuk State to commemorate International Women’s Day; This year’s celebration also marked the 16th anniversary of the establishment of the Chuuk Women’s Council

The groundbreaking ceremony for Bavaqole Rural Training Centre marked the importance of the project aimed at strengthening rural education for youth and community development through empowerment, in Bava Island and the whole Western Province

Considering conditions at Baisu Prison " a breach of the Constitution", Judge Graham Ellis ordered the Correctional Services to report within June 2026 the full extent of conditions of the 21 prisons and 7 lock-ups in Papua New Guinea

Fuelled by growing anti-immigration sentiment in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack, the right-wing party One Nation has surged in the polls in recent months, overtaking Liberals to emerge as the nominal opposition to Labor

Employers are urged to show compassion and flexibility as Fiji recovers from bad weather; Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Nemani said some workers may return to work unaffected, others may be dealing with significant losses

Japan Ambassador Hirohisa Soma and International Organization for Migration office head Hilary Vanderwey signed an agreement earlier this week that sets in motion a two-year plan to strengthen Majuro and Wotje local food systems

Samoa’s tourism operators are warning that newly implemented airport charges could discourage visitors and disrupt overseas trade relationships, while the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) says it was not consulted prior to the increases