Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

PNG at 50: Lesson in unity, peace, stewardship
WOMEN micro-entrepreneurs from across Fiji gathered in Suva last week to celebrate SPBD’s (South Pacific Business Development) annual Market Day. More than 50 women showcased their small businesses, including sewing, handicrafts, and food...

Fauono Ken Laban’s Historic Win Ushers In New Zealand’s Potentially Most Diverse Council
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter The long-time broadcaster and community advocate says his victory in Lower Hutt reflects the generations of Pacific migrants who worked hard, served others, and built the foundation for todays...

NZ’s first Pasifika mayor heads Lower Hutt’s most diverse Council
Report from LDR by Mary Afemata Lower Hutt’s new mayor says his election as Aotearoa’s first Pasifika mayor reflects a community built on service and trust, and a council more diverse than any before it. Fauono Ken Laban has made history as New...
Keeping the local in locally-led development
THE notion of “locally led development” should be reserved for leader-led development through local communities, civil society, churches, small businesses and indigenous non-governmental organisations (NGOs); something that pre-exists and endures...

UN warns Fiji to invest more in disaster resilience
The United Nations has urged Fiji to increase investment in disaster prevention, warning that Pacific nations lose billions each year by spending too little on resilience. At an event marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in...

Seizing on disaster
When the Indian Ocean tsunami reached Myanmar’s coast in 2004, the Moken people had already sought safety on higher ground. They had no written records of tsunamis. What guided them were oral histories of an ancient wave -- stories passed through...

New LDS President Will Inherit A Global Faith That’s Far More Diverse
(ANALYSIS) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has spent the past few weeks in a moment of both mourning and transition. On Sept. 28, a shooting and arson at a Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Michigan killed four people and wounded...
Analysis: Te Pāti Māori turmoil exposes a deeper hurt for Māori
Analysis: It is hard to overstate how damaging the past few weeks have been, not just for Te Pāti Māori but for Māori. The movement, supposed to represent a political resistance, has found itself imploding under the weight of internal accusations,...

Sitdown Sunday: What happened when a Pacific island was cut off from the internet
IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair. We’ve hand-picked some of the week’s best reads for you to savour. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A volcanic eruption almost four years ago sundered the...

Court cases will determine Fiji’s legal landscape and moral compass
Venkat Raman Auckland, October 14, 2025 The legal proceedings currently underway against former Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and others mark not only a judicial milestone but also a symbolic...

Position grades from the Patriots’ win over the Saints: Drake Maye aces another test
Coming off an electric primetime victory over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots traveled to New Orleans for a meeting with a one-win Saints team. The focus throughout the week was clear: don’t fall into the trap. The...

Farmgate Backpackers leads with integrity amid industry challenges
At a time when the agriculture and horticulture industries are again experiencing issues in some southern mainland states, a Bundaberg operation is standing up for workers and farmers. ERLE LEVEY goes to Childers to speak with Bill Darby of...
‘He stuck, we up’: Walsh taunts Utoikamanu in brutal grand final take down
Titans make play for Bellamy for 2027 campaign The Gold Coast Titans have launched an audacious bid to try to lure Melbourne Storm grand final coach Craig Bellamy to the club from 2027. This column has been told that the Gold Coast Titans have...

Member of Solo Sikoa's MFT sends a bold message after major changes made to the faction
Solo Sikoa's MFT underwent major changes on last week's episode of WWE SmackDown. Faction member JC Mateo sent a bold message after the group made a statement on the blue brand. Last week's SmackDown saw Shinsuke Nakamura answer Sami Zayn's WWE...
Rugby League Ashes 2025: Squads, fixtures and venues as England and Australia reignite rivalry
Super League Man of Steel Jake Connor has not been named in Shaun Wane's England squad for the upcoming Rugby League Ashes series against Australia. Leeds Rhinos' Connor, who scooped the top individual prize this year, will be absent from the...


WWE SmackDown results, live blog (Oct. 3, 2025): Orton & Rhodes team up
WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Oct. 3, 2025) with a live show emanating from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Crown Jewel premium live event...

Locals in the NFL: Fred Warner's ankle injury leads to rare 49ers layoff
AROUND THE SHIELD — Since the 49ers drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, Fred Warner has been, at times, among the best middle linebackers in the NFL, at other times a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and at all times a league iron...

A Pacific reflection on Women, Peace and Security
This year marks 25 years since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), a global commitment to elevate women’s voices in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and recovery. For the Pacific,...

WWE star Grayson Waller calls for Australian tour after success of Crown Jewel, Smackdown and Raw in Perth
Australian WWE star Grayson Waller hopes the success of this weekend’s tour of Perth, combined with the excitement generated at Elimination Chamber last year, will result in a national tour the next time the wrestlers return to the country....