Oceania

The Philippines will send health workers to Chuuk as part of a two-week medical awareness programme to address the high maternal mortality rate

Inefficiency in the use of resources in the health sector has been highlighted in a new World Bank report; the document also shows that spending on primary health care has increased in absolute terms, but decreased as a share of current health expenditure

New law to ban social media for children under 16 passed after days of heated debate; Australia set a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech

The RMI, founder and official convenor of the High Ambition Coalition since Paris 2015 conference, and other 20 countries, called for ‘trillions of dollars’ for climate financing at the Baku COP29

The Acting Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Panapasi Nelesone, welcomed the Australian government's new Guardian-class patrol vessel, HMTSS Te Mataili III, as part of Australia's Pacific Maritime Security Programme

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet must respond to the no-confidence motion by Friday noon, a deadline set by the Speaker of the House

Speaking at COP29, Minister Manemahaga underscored the vulnerability to climate change, saying the impacts are not abstract future threats but real stories of loss, displacement, erosion of culture and heritage

The country is expected to have the highest percentage of children under the age of 14 by 2030 in the Pacific, 37%, closely followed by Papua New Guinea with 36% and Samoa with 35%

An estimated 42.000 people rallied outside the Parliament to protest against a bill that critics say would hurt the rights of Maori people and call for lawmakers to reject the Treaty Principles Bill, introduced earlier this month by ACT New Zealand party

Mind Care Clinic is understaff and under-budgeted, said professional Psychiatric Nurse Norah Titus, needing more resources to ensure all patients are cared for; in the department only four people, with no vehicle, have to care for the entire Vanuatu

A government proposed plan to allow fishing in 50% of Palau waters (now 20%) has heated a debate that is becoming one key issue dividing voters in this year’s general elections, which will take place on 5 November

For a study on the gut health of the population, the Australian government agency responsible for scientific research asked citizens aged 14 and over to collect data on their flatulence via an app called Chart Your Fart