Oceania Australia 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
Oceania Marshall Islands 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
Oceania Tuvalu 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
Oceania Tonga 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
Oceania Nauru 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%
Oceania New Zealand 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
Oceania Solomon Islands 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
Oceania Vanuatu 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
Oceania Palau 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
Oceania Nauru The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has spoken to almost all the people currently detained on Nauru and, according to its data, almost a quarter of them suffer from serious mental health conditions and one in ten have suicidal ideation
Oceania Australia 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
Oceania Micronesia Archaeologists have noted the high rate of betel nut chewing among the earliest Micronesian peoples, a pastime that brought people together to initiate social conversations and bond among friends
Oceania Papua New Guinea The new Milne Bay Teachers College, in the Alotau district, will welcome its first group of students in early 2025, after receiving approval for the operating licence