Oceania Tonga A one-off public holiday will be observed today 12 March 2026 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Queen Salote College, a leading all-girls Christian secondary school; date recalls birthday of Queen Sālote Tupou III, on 13 March
Oceania Micronesia The First Lady of FSM, Madam Ancelly Simina, joined women leaders and community members in Chuuk State to commemorate International Women’s Day; This year’s celebration also marked the 16th anniversary of the establishment of the Chuuk Women’s Council
Oceania Tuvalu Recent consultations on the Digital Nation in Funafuti have underlined that the recurrent narrative of a lost battle against climate change and the inevitable sinking of Tuvalu are distract focus from the key point of a possibile different future
Oceania Solomon Islands The groundbreaking ceremony for Bavaqole Rural Training Centre marked the importance of the project aimed at strengthening rural education for youth and community development through empowerment, in Bava Island and the whole Western Province
Oceania Papua New Guinea Considering conditions at Baisu Prison " a breach of the Constitution", Judge Graham Ellis ordered the Correctional Services to report within June 2026 the full extent of conditions of the 21 prisons and 7 lock-ups in Papua New Guinea
Oceania Fiji Employers are urged to show compassion and flexibility as Fiji recovers from bad weather; Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Nemani said some workers may return to work unaffected, others may be dealing with significant losses
Oceania Australia Fuelled by growing anti-immigration sentiment in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack, the right-wing party One Nation has surged in the polls in recent months, overtaking Liberals to emerge as the nominal opposition to Labor
Oceania Marshall Islands Japan Ambassador Hirohisa Soma and International Organization for Migration office head Hilary Vanderwey signed an agreement earlier this week that sets in motion a two-year plan to strengthen Majuro and Wotje local food systems
Oceania Samoa Samoa’s tourism operators are warning that newly implemented airport charges could discourage visitors and disrupt overseas trade relationships, while the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) says it was not consulted prior to the increases
Oceania Palau A swine reproduction training program led by Dr. Kevin Lee of the Taiwan Technical Mission is enhancing pig farmers' breeding skills to increase piglet production and reduce reliance on imports through artificial insemination and farrowing management
Oceania New Zealand KiwiSaver -a voluntary, work-based retirement savings scheme- will see withdrawal rules changed to help farmers, diplomats and soldiers buy their first homes, as Finance Minister observed current rules are unfair to workers in service tenancies
Oceania Nauru Nauru Medical Centre is expanding services, with specialist surgeries now performed on island; Dr Angelique Makutu was appointed director of medical services and upgrades include dental clinics, a 10-bed paediatric unit and improved operating facilities
Oceania Papua New Guinea Protests in Bomana prison resulted in a number of inmates requiring medical attention and two needing first aid care in Port Moresby; the detained were asking better health care services after the death of an inmate allegedly denied medical attention