Gregor Townsend vehemently defends controversial second job with Red Bull

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Global FinTech Resilience: Building Financial Systems For Climate Shocks And Crises

The 21st century is characterized by both rapid technological advancement and a concerning increase in global shocks. Climate disasters are happening more often and with more force, pandemics are still showing how weak systems are, and...

Cycle of violence against kids must change: Judge

DAVID Adeang will serve another term as Nauru’s president after he was elected unopposed early this week. Adeang was re-elected from Ubenide Constituency with parliamentarians Reagan Aliklik, Russ Kun, and Ranin Akua, Once all results were...

Pacific women leaders arrive in Port Moresby for tennis workshop

ELEVEN women from across the Pacific have arrived in Port Moresby for the Pacific Women Leaders in Tennis initiative that is delivered by the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports programme in partnership with Tennis Australia. This is PNG’s...

Eke secures bigger disaster cover, presses World Bank for SIDS aid

Prime Minister Eke urges tailored global support for Tonga’s resilience and development partnerships. At the 2025 World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. this week, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Aisake Valu Eke held talks with World Bank...

Everything you need to know about the 2025 Men’s and Women’s Pacific Championships

There is just a few sleeps until the 2025 Pacific Championships kick off with 12 men’s and women’s teams taking part in a blockbuster edition of the annual tournament. Men’s teams from New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New...

SPC meetings open in Nuku'alofa: "United for a resilient future"

By Katalina Siasau Tonga is hosting the Pacific Community's (SPC) 55th Meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) and the 14 Conference of the Pacific's Community meeting this week, under the theme...

Senate Confirms Aminu Yusuf As NPC Chairman, Clears Two Others As Commissioners

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Dr Aminu Yusuf as the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) alongside two other nominees as Federal Commissioners. Naija News reports that the confirmation followed the presentation and...

Detective honoured with Pacific policing prize

Detective Sergeant Luseane Fatai Likiliki has been awarded the 2025 Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Chair’s Award. The award was conferred during the August PICP Conference held at Waitangi, New Zealand, and accepted on her behalf by Tonga...

Calls for urgent regional unity against organised crime in the Pacific

Organised crime is escalating across the Pacific, with the region increasingly becoming a hub for methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit goods, a new report warns. New Zealand, in particular, is a major destination for these drugs, which is...

Confirmed team lists for Pacific Championships Week 2

The second week of the Pacific Championships will play out in Port Moresby and Brisbane as four nations lock horns. Papua New Guinea had the bye in the opening round of the Pacific Bowl, but will be eager to make a strong impression when they take...

NRL welcomes PNG Chiefs

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo (far right in suit) watching on as PNG Prime Minister James Marape and Queensland Senator Nita Green, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, just before the PM's 13 kick off on Sunday in Port Moresby (NBC News: Jack...

Police training to tackle Pacific transnational crime

Tonga Police has begun a three-day course today to improve national and regional ability to confront transnational organised crime. Opened by Police Commissioner Geoff Turner at Tonga National University’s Faculty of Business and Public...

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,...

Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 14 October

Photo: Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League Facebook League Australia won all four of the Prime Minister's XIII league matches in Port Moresby on Sunday. The Australian men's 13 defeated PNG 28-10, while the Australian women's team put 50 points...

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...

Flags to fly half-mast for LDS Leader

Government has ordered all national flags to be flown at half-mast today, Wednesday 8 October, in honour of the funeral of Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson passed away on 27 September 2025 at...

White Cane Day march to spotlight independence and inclusion

The Tonga National Visual Impairment Association (TNVIA) will lead a public walk today to mark World White Cane Day. The event, titled “Walk with us for World White Cane Day 2025”, runs from 5 pm to 6 pm on the seawall at Hala Vuna. Participants...

PNG host women leaders for pacific women leaders in Tennis workshop

Eleven women from across the Pacific have arrived in Papua New Guinea for the Pacific Women Leaders in Tennis initiative. Delivered by the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports program in partnership with Tennis Australia, the program supports...

Wind advisory remains

A wind advisory remains for Samoa despite Cyclone Ula moving away from the group. This was the latest from the Meteorology Office last night as authorities warned that Cyclone Ula could adversely affect about 5,000 people living in the Eastern...