Guam at the Pacific Islands Forum: ‘Business as Usual’ Despite External Partner Ban 

At this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting, the story that seemed to capture headlines was the decision by this year’s host, Solomon Islands, to disinvite all external partners from attendance. The reporting around this decision...

Expenses-scandal Paris mayor tries to drag down everyone else with her

It’s been a torrid time to be a French politician. If you’re not one in a line of ousted prime ministers or being locked up for criminal conspiracy, you could now even be publicly exposed by your own mayor. In what has been dubbed “the war of the...

French Polynesian politicians' visit to Taiwan irks Beijing envoy

Lixiao Tian, China’s Consul in French Polynesia and French High Commissioner Alexandre Rochatte at a function to celebrate PRC’s anniversary. 20 September 2025 Photo: Haut-Commissariat en Polynésie française China's top diplomat in French...

French Polynesia calls for moratorium on deep sea mining

French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson in Honiara for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting from 8-12 September 2025. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Caleb Fotheringham French Polynesia's president wants Pacific countries to agree to a...

Aranui Cruises will have two ships sailing French Polynesia in 2027

New ship, Aranoa will join Aranui 5 to cruise all-year round in French Polynesia. The company is offering 20 per cent discount for the first two voyages onboard Aranoa. There are early bird deals of between 10 and 15 per cent discount if bookings...

A return trip to French Polynesia became more than just another trip to paradise

Open this photo in gallery:The m/s Paul Gauguin is a 330-passenger cruise ship, named for the French painter who was inspired by the islands.Tim McKenna/Paul Gauguin Always follow the sound of the drums. That might be the best bit of advice for...

Exploring the Tuamotu Atolls in French Polynesia

raphaëllesmn/stock.adobe.com We cleared through the Panama Canal and sailed back into Pacific waters for the first time in a decade—but I looked west from our 50-footer, Atea, with a sense of despondency. All of our sailing friends had worked hard...

Inside Hawaii’s 535th Airlift Squadron: How C-17 Crews Stand Ready for the Pacific

It’s July 30, 2025, and the remote Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia has just been rattled by a massive magnitude 8.8 megathrust earthquake, the strongest quake in the region since 1952 and among the most powerful ever recorded globally. The quake...

Thousands take to the streets against methamphetamines in French Polynesia

Tahitians march against methamphetamins abuse on 7 September 2025. Photo: Supplied / Radio 1 More than 6500 protesters across French Polynesia took to the streets over the weekend to oppose the growing influence of methamphetamines, which is...

'Heartbreaking' ending for Aussie star's podium hopes

A costly mishap in the final sector of the men's kayak final left all on the banks in disbelief as Australia's Lucien Delfour narrowly missed a spot on the podium. The 36-year-old entered the final at the world canoe slalom championships on Friday...

All-business class flights – why is it so hard for airlines to make them work?

Over the years, many airlines have attempted (and failed) to make the all-business-class model work. Although the concept gained momentum in the early 2000s, with several such carriers coming and going in just a handful of years, the model has...

OHCRA World Championships Celebrate Legacy of Hawaiian Canoe Racing

Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 By News Release OHCRA News Release The Oahu Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA) announces a record-breaking year for the Nā Wāhine O Ke Kai and Molokai Hoe World Championship canoe races, presented by the Hawai’i Tourism...

EU unveils plans to double financial support for Greenland

Houses in Nuuk, Greenland, June 22, 2025. /VCG Houses in Nuuk, Greenland, June 22, 2025. /VCG The EU funds allocated for Greenland, the Arctic island at the center of geopolitical tensions with the United States, and other overseas territories are...

Nuclear Testing Threats are Returning & Saber Rattling is Getting Louder, warns UN Chief

Armed Conflicts, Editors' Choice, Featured, Global, Headlines, IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse, Nuclear Disarmament, Nuclear Energy - Nuclear Weapons, TerraViva United Nations A nuclear test is carried out on an island in French Polynesia in 1971....

Our pick of the world’s best cruise lines to suit every style of traveller

Choosing a cruise can be complicated. There are countless lines and ships to choose from and each has its own appeal and target audience. Some go all-out to entertain families, with kids’ clubs, extravagant theatre shows, water slides and...

Seasteading is making a comeback — but these utopian paradises on the high seas have a history of failure

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...

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban relationship timeline as couple divorce after 20 years

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...

Pacific urged to strengthen unity in safeguarding the ocean

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU Director General of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP), Noan Pakop, has called on Pacific nations for collective action to protect the region’s ocean, describing it as both “our identity and our...

Beyond Fiji: Cruise ships branch out to new Pacific destinations

Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share One of the world’s most beautiful...

Inside the country so beautiful you have to sign a pledge to protect it before entering

Tucked in the Western Pacific lays a country made up of more than 300 islands with pristine turquoise waters and dense jungle. Located north of Indonesia and west of the Philippines, the Republic of Palau has been at the forefront of eco-tourism...