Oceania Palau A new law was enacted to improve support and services for persons with disabilities in Palau, establishing an Office for Persons with Disabilities and requiring the development of a comprehensive national policy
Oceania Marshall Islands Ten of the island's best bands and dancers performed during the Luttok Kobban Alele week celebrations and competed in the three-day Battle of the Bands; Kitwon Jota from Majuro took first place
Oceania Papua New Guinea The state-owned telecommunications company, PNG DataCo, has handed Kumul Consolidated Holdings a dividend equal to 50% of its total net profit for 2023, the third dividend paid by PNG DataCo since its establishment in 2014
Oceania Samoa 76 electric vehicles to be used for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting were presented by the Government of Samoa, in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme
Oceania Australia Surfing Australia has been awarded a $1 million federal grant for the 'New Wave of Female Boardriders' project over three years to make surfing more accessible to women and girls across the country
Oceania Fiji With an ageing population, the number of elderly people is expected to increase from 10% to 15% by 2050; fears of a more frequent poverty among the elderly also also growing
Oceania Vanuatu The five islands of the Torres archipelago are currently facing a severe water shortage after three and a half months of drought that began in June and are asking for help
Oceania Kiribati Parliament is preparing for the presidential elections, when deputies will choose the country's next leader; among the deputies of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu Legislative Assembly is a record number of five women
Oceania Palau The Peace Corps programme will be reinstated in Palau with agreement formalised between Minister Caleb Udui Jr. and US Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn
Oceania Papua New Guinea Port Moresby General Hospital has inaugurated a state-of-the-art catheterisation laboratory, marking a significant step forward in the country's ability to perform invasive cardiac treatments
Oceania Samoa Archbishop Mosese Vitolio Tui, leader of the Catholic Church in Samoa, questioned the moral compass of those who stood by while an innocent student was beaten for no reason, calling for action to put an end to fights
Oceania Solomon Islands Head of delegation to the UN General Assembly reaffirmed the country's support for the implementation of the United Nations Fourth Decade for the Elimination of Colonialism
Oceania Tonga Over 80 youth representatives from various agencies and communities participated in a three-day workshop on youth capacity building in renewable energy and climate finance in Nuku'alofa