RNZ Pacific

18/06/2026

Pacific Communities in New Zealand's regions are feeling the pinch from cost of living pressures and government cuts to social support services in the past couple of years.

That's the message from people working in the area of social services - who are themselves often Pacific people, feeling their own strains too.

🔗Read Johnny Blades' full story, linked below.

18/06/2026

Samoa's opposition leader Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi claims the government has neglected two Apia men looking at ex*****on in Vietnam for the murder of a Sydney gang boss.

🔗Read Margot Staunton's full story, linked below.

17/06/2026

Exclusive by foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, ABC…

In short:

- New Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has raised the idea of a Pacific-wide security treaty with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

- The ABC has been told Wale has made it clear he believes China should not play a major role in Pacific security, and that there should be a "Pacific-led" security architecture.

Exclusive by foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, ABC

16/06/2026

El Niño has been declared in the Pacific - and a forecaster says there's reason for concern. ⬇

16/06/2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and while there aren't any Pacific Island teams that qualified this year, there are three players of Pacific heritage who'll make their debuts for the New Zealand All Whites.

One is Cook Islander Max Crocombe, and there are two Samoans, Marko Stemanic and Michael Boxall.

🔗Read Penina Momoisea's full story, linked below.

16/06/2026

A New Zealand oncologist and researcher says the country's health system needs to be easily accessible and culturally safe to help narrow inequities in breast cancer care.

Dr Olivia Perelini is leading a study looking at timely detection and treatment and closing the breast cancer gap for Pasifika women in Aotearoa.

She told Pacific Waves many Pacific women are affected by breast cancer, and despite advances being made, the gap is not closing as fast as they would like.

🔗Read the full story, linked below.

15/06/2026

Tūhura Otago Museum says its newly redeveloped Pacific Cultures gallery was redesigned with direct input from Pasifika communities.

'Tāngata Moana: Peoples of the Ocean' gallery reopened after a 16-month transformation.

The gallery's redevelopment comes as museums around the world face growing calls to work more closely with indigenous communities when dealing with their artefacts and histories.

🔗Read Tiana Haxton's full story, linked below.

15/06/2026

An American Samoan congresswoman says protected American Samoan waters should be off limits for fishing, but the rest of the Pacific is fair game.

The United States will open nearly half a million square miles of protected Pacific waters for commercial fishing.

🔗Read Kaya Selby's full story, linked below.

15/06/2026

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has rescued eight people in two missing boats the middle of the Pacific.

It said a P-8A Poseidon spotted a wayward boat on its way to Fiji to refuel.

On discovering the vessel, it said they were in touch with Fiji's Navy which staged the rescue of five people, who the RNZAF said are all homeward bound.

🔗Read the full story, linked below.

15/06/2026

Fiji, Niue and Vanuatu have named their teams for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, which kick off on 23 July.

A number of island nation's have also released some of their team makeups as final preparations for the event heats up.

Fiji has the biggest squad so far out of all the island teams that have confirmed their numbers, with 58 athletes heading to Scotland.

🔗Read Iliesa Tora's full story, linked below.