‘Deplorable’ Nauru visa deal to face court challenge

A proliferation of security deals in the Pacific may be harming rather than helping the region and increasing the risk of conflict, observers have warned. Geopolitical tensions were among the most hotly debated topics at the recent Pacific Islands...

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | October 20 to October 26, 2025

Every Monday, we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation. Report (FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and...

Baron Waqa’s tenure as Nauru’s president has been called a ‘very dark chapter’

There are already calls to reconsider former Nauru president Baron Waqa’s appointment as Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general. Waqa — who has a controversial record on human rights and press freedom — has been selected to lead the Pacific...

Regional research agenda series: Meet our peer reviewers, Mr Raomae, Mr Limen and Mr Lata

Introduction This month, we are pleased to introduce more exceptional peer reviewers from our team. Mr Richardson Raomae Mr Richardson Raomae is currently serving as the Deputy Commissioner in the Forest Development and Reforestation Division of...

‘I felt less human, not human at all’: Australia faces moral crossroads over Nauru

Aarash lost his youth to offshore processing. Sixteen when he was sent to Nauru, he says he cannot remember a single birthday in more than a decade. “When I see younger ones that age, having fun, playing, going to school, it reminds me of...

Australia asked to pay compensation for violating rights of asylum seekers in Nauru camps

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...

Clean on Wheels: Nauru launches its first electric bus

YAREN (UNDP)—Nauru has taken transformative steps towards sustainable energy with the launch of its first electric bus (e-bus) in Yaren District, marking a significant commitment by the government to reducing emissions and advancing sustainable...

VPN in UAE: 6 million downloads in half a year; Dh2 million fine for misuse

The UAE has recorded the highest adoption of virtual private network (VPN) applications globally over the past five and a half years. According to Cybernews, the VPN adoption rate in UAE was 65.78 per cent during 2020 to first half of 2025,...

UAE tops the world with over 6 million VPN downloads: But is it legal?

In the first half of 2025, UAE residents downloaded over 6.1 million VPN apps, maintaining the highest global adoption rate/ Image: TechRadar How the UAE became the world’s top adopter of VPN technology The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the...

India offers $500,000 in relief to quake-hit Vanuatu. China sends supplies, engineering team

New Delhi: India Thursday offered $500,000 (Rs 4.3 crore) in rehabilitation assistance to Vanuatu, following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of its capital city Port Vila on 17 December. “As a close friend and partner under...

Deals establish Australian neo-colonial control over Nauru, PNG security policy

In two pacts struck this week, the Australian Labor government has sought to establish control over the security and foreign policy decision making of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The deals underscore the role of Australian imperialism, as a...

The most-read pieces on Mining Technology in 2024

Industry * Academia & Education Aerospace, Defense & Security Agriculture Asset Management Automotive Banking & Payments Chemicals Construction Consumer Foodservice Government, trade bodies and NGOs Health & Fitness Hospitals & Healthcare HR,...

UC Davis-discovered enzyme inhibitor targets obesity, research finds

Consuming too much added sugar can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and some cancers, according to scientific research. Now newly...

Albanese wants to “China-proof” the Pacific, but Nauru is driving a hard bargain

An ABC investigation has linked the Australian businessmen behind Papua New Guinea’s largest agroforestry project to key figures in a massive Indigenous land grab scandal in the country’s Western Province more than a decade ago. Papua New Guinea’s...

In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges

Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is dotted with clusters of brown and black rocks, each containing valuable metals. The rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, hold reserves of critical minerals that could be used to power...

Urgent Need For Investment In Programmes Against Violent Discipline: Nauru’s First-Ever Nationwide MICS

Sunday, 24 November 2024, 1:52 pm Press Release: UNICEF Nauru, 13 November 2024 – The Nauru Bureau of Statistics officially launched Nauru’s first ever Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2023 results today to support the Government in...

Papua New Guinea approves contentious defence treaty with Australia: PM

Papua New Guinea approves contentious defence treaty with Australia: PM by AFP Staff Writers Sydney (AFP) Oct 2, 2025 Papua New Guinea's cabinet has approved a contentious mutual defence treaty with Australia, the Pacific country's prime minister...

Challenging Future For Children In 2050 Transformed By Extreme Climate Crises, Population Shifts, And Tech Disparities

Saturday, 30 November 2024, 11:07 pm Press Release: UNICEF NEW YORK/SUVA, 20 November 2024 – The future of childhood hangs in the balance if urgent action is not taken to safeguard children’s rights in a changing world, UNICEF warned in its...

New Monash University climate partnership to empower Nauru

A new project by the PACT (Pacific Action for Climate Transitions) centre, a Monash Business School and Fiji National University collaboration, is set to help Nauru, the world’s smallest island nation, in its fight against climate change. Limited...

Regional Research Agenda researchers convene to investigate findings

Photo credit: ACIAR The Regional Research Agenda Framework (RRA) identifies common forestry and agriculture development challenges in the Pacific region, establishes research partnerships and defines research strategies to overcome these...