Oceania Palau Fish populations are slowly recovering after decades of overexploitation thanks to the number of conservation measures implemented, including the network of protected areas, state conservation areas and the reef fish export ban
Oceania Kiribati Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth, recognised Pelenise Alofa, who represents the country, as the 195th Commonwealth Points Of Light in honour of her outstanding voluntary service to climate action
Oceania Fiji Secondary school students eligible to receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine have volunteered to get the vaccine in Naviti, Yasawa, where rising cases have forced an inter-island blockade for several weeks
Oceania New Zealand Rawiri Waititi, co-president of the Maori Party, wants New Zealand to be renamed Aotearoa, a move that would help restore the status of the Maori language in the country
Oceania Tuvalu Rainfall at its lowest, with growing concerns of extreme water scarcity for people across the tropical islands, made the Red Cross Red Crescent Early Action Rainfall Watch place the country at 'drought alert' level
Oceania Tonga A special tournament to celebrate 100 years of rugby in the kingdom has been officially launched: it will feature several men's and women's teams and will also aim to bring out local talent
Oceania Papua New Guinea A primary school in the Huon Gulf District has put on a cultural show, after 20 years since the last one was held, aimed at reviving and strengthening the culture of the Busamang community
Oceania Vanuatu Local agricultural scientists have presented the Golden Hybrid Yam, a new super climate-resistant yam that can be harvested year-round dramatically increasing food access; it took more than a decade to develop it
Oceania Micronesia The US is expanding its military presence in the country as part of a strategy for control capacity in the region, confirmed by recent talks between President David Panuelo and the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command
Oceania Kiribati Kiribati President Taneti Maamau said he plans to reopen borders for international travel not before January 2022
Oceania Australia The eastern barred bandicoot population, after 30 years of conservation efforts, has returned to around 1.500 animals; it is the first time the country has changed the status of an animal from 'extinct in the wild' to 'endangered' instead of the other way
Oceania Marshall Islands The SSG Solomon Sam sports court at College of the Marshall Islands is closed until further notice due to severe corrosion of the roof structure; funding for the work is uncertain as the public budget is heavily impacted by the pandemic
Oceania New Zealand Fossilised remains of an unusual long-legged giant penguin found by children on a field trip in 2006 belong to a previously unknown 1,4 mt tall species aged between 27,3 and 34,6 million years, according to a new 3D scanning analysis of the bones