Oceania

The National University of Samoa has signed an agreement with the Samoa Submarine Cable Company Limited to enhance the NUS digital infrastructure, network capacity, and ICT resilience in its mission to advance excellence, particularly in STEM disciplines

Thousands flocked to Sea World on the Gold Coast last weekend, with "unreal" scenes of massive queues snaking through the theme park; footage shared online showed lines stretching beyond the park’s entrance, parents and kids packed shoulder to shoulder

1.125 new teachers will be hired to join the 13.457 force serving across Fiji and Rotumaas; on World Teacher's Day, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro announced it as part of efforts to strengthen Fiji’s education workforce and support quality learning

Bullying at Dunedin Hospital has been revealed in documents released after staff at Southland Hospital had reportedly been told they couldn’t chat for more than five minutes

The slow recovery of the marine ecosystem around the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano surprised an international team of scientists who have been researching the area to check water column and sea floor reaction after the eruption

President Toroama has been re-elected in the 2025 Bougainville general election; PM Marape said government remained committed to dialogue and the result provides continuity and stability in leadership at a critical time for decision making

Leaders of Kiribati and the Marshall Islands have pressed world leaders to achieve a nuclear-free Pacific in separate remarks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City

250 chainsaws of those acquired with recovery funds were reportedly handed out in front of schools without following the proper government procedures, raising concerns about the possible political misuse of government property

Samoa Immigration upgraded its capacity with the official handover of a newly upgraded Border Management System and advanced equipment from the International Organization for Migration, through the support of the Government of Japan

At the UN General Assembly, PM Teo called for immediate capitalisation of the new Loss and Damage fund, a reserve set up by the UN to help vulnerable countries recover from damage caused by climate events; of $766 million pledged, 2/3 has been contributed

Motions proposed by the Practice Parliament for Women 2025 to the Tonga Legislative Assembly were met with resistance from the House, during its final sitting for the year, which Speaker Lord Fakafanua called "degrading and mocking terms towards women"

$13 million have been pledged to the Marshall Islands by the US Department of State for the reconstruction of the Nitijela parliament building, which was gutted by fire last month