Another tiny Pacific nation courts China for deep-sea mining riches

Pacific nation Kiribati says it is exploring a deep-sea mining partnership with China, dangling access to a vast patch of Pacific Ocean harbouring coveted metals and minerals. Beijing has been ramping up efforts to court Pacific nations sitting on...

'Defence is interested': Mining company and campaigners clash over deep sea mining's role

Cook Islands nodule field - photo taken within Cook Islands EEZ. Photo: Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority A deep sea mining company leading the charge for the budding future industry is being accused by environmental groups of changing its...

Civilization exchange and mutual learning in maritime training for Pacific island countries

[Photo provided to China Daily] Building on shared maritime cultural roots, and exploring avenues to deepen multifaceted cooperation in the new era, China launched a practical training program for Pacific Island maritime officials. This initiative...

Pacific nation of Kiribati explores deep sea mining deal with China

The company at the vanguard of plans to mine deep sea metals used in electric vehicle batteries has surrendered a third of its Pacific Ocean exploration area after a breakdown in cooperation with the island nation of Kiribati, paving the way for...

Peter Lewis: Asia Business Correspondent on potential US visit for Xi Jingping, positive news for exporters, and Kiribati’s Chinese deep-sea mining deal

Donald Trump is hinting that China’s President Xi Jingping might be visiting the United States soon. This comes as the two nations are deep into a trade war. Asia Business Correspondent Peter Lewis talks to Ryan Bridge about the potential meeting,...

N.C. lawmakers push for changes to Camp Lejeune Justice Act to get help to victims and families more quickly

The drinking water at Camp Lejeune was found to be contaminated by industrial solvents and other chemicals from the 1950s through the 80s, and the CDC found more than a million people may have been exposed. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act opened a...

Greenpeace: The Deep Sea Mining Industry Is Crumbling And Desperate

Monday, 17 March 2025, 11:01 am Press Release: Greenpeace Pacific Leaders Hold Banner outside ISA Conference Centre in Kingston, Jamaica (Photo/Supplied) The 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority, which starts today in Kingston,...

Kiribati launches PACER Plus partnership to boost agricultural exports

Kiribati is set to benefit from technical support and sustainable economic development opportunities arising from participation in the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus). This is after the Government of Kiribati launched...

REnew Pacific grants now available to deliver off-grid renewable energy in Palau’s remote communities

10 March 2025– The Australian Government’s REnew Pacific program has launched its first call for proposals for off-grid renewable energy solutions, offering an exciting opportunity to power remote communities in Palau with clean energy for...

"Just, Inclusive & Equitable Energy Transition" – Are Pacific Island Countries’ Moving Towards 100 PC Renewable Energy?

The harmful effects of fossil fuels on the environment are now well-documented. There is a global push to move to renewable sources of energy and reduce the usage of fossil fuels to reduce the damage caused by harmful emissions that are being...

Australia’s strategy of denial in engaging with its ‘Pacific family’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the 54th Pacific Islands Forum last week. During a short press conference in Honiara, Albanese mentioned our “Pacific family” four times. Despite that warm and fuzzy metaphor, the cold reality is that...

Probationary workers from Navy, defense health and logistics agencies first to be cut amid DOD layoffs

Rear Adm. Michael York, commander, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, tours an Air Beam tent with members of the DLA Expeditionary team during the DLA Distribution Expeditionary Academy held from June 20 to July 3, 2024 in New Cumberland, Pa....

Worries mount for businesses as Bangladesh nears LDC graduation

Bangladesh is poised to graduate from the United Nations’ Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, marking a significant milestone in its development journey. As per media reports, the interim government has also reaffirmed that the country’s...

Countering the People’s Republic of China’s Maritime Insurgency in the South Pacific

By Jason Lancaster Guadalcanal, the Coral Sea, Tarawa, New Guinea, and Iron Bottom Sound highlight the strategic location of the South Pacific during the Second World War. Today, U.S. and allied preeminence in this vital region is under threat....

COVID-19 made deep-sea mining more tempting for some Pacific islands – this could be a problem

by Sue Farran While most Pacific islands have escaped the worst of COVID-19, a cornerstone of their economies, tourism, has taken a big hit. By June 2020, visitor arrivals in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu had completely ceased, as borders were...

Netweaving the Soul of Pasifika Development

Introduction: Reconnecting with Our Pacific Soul Bula vinaka, talofa lava, malo e lelei, halo olgeta – warm Pacific greetings to you all. Esteemed leaders, respected elders, fellow academics, youth representatives, and civil society champions –...

Freight logistics companies consolidate operations

NEPTUNE Pacific Direct Line (NPDL) has announced the consolidation of its Transam and Williams & Gosling’s businesses under the one entity Transam Fiji PTE (formerly known as Williams & Gosling PTE Limited). The two businesses have been rebranded...

Pacific leaders ‘must consider consequences’ of deep sea mining

By Aigagalefili Fepulea’i – Tapua’i Representatives from 18 Pacific countries met in Fiji last week to discuss deep sea mining. The Deep Sea Minerals High-Level Talanoa, hosted by the Pacific Island Forum, could have set the stage for critical...

Pacific civil society groups send clear message to ban deep sea mining – Greenpeace

A broad group of Pacific civil society organisations are calling for an outright ban on deep sea mining. The Pacific Blue Line Collective and partners, representing Pacific civil society organisations, faith-based groups, youth, women’s...

Deep-sea mining

By Shayal Devi SUVA (FIJI TIMES) — For scores of indigenous Pacific communities, the ocean remains a mysterious, vital heartbeat that sustains life on the planet. It’s a relationship that has been forged over centuries of reverence and respect for...