Can a giant seawall save Indonesia's disappearing coast?

The encroaching ocean laps against a road in Karminah's village, threatening her home on Indonesia's Java island, where the government says it has a plan to hold back the tide. It wants to build an $80-billion, 700-kilometre (435-mile) seawall...

World AFP Can a giant seawall save Indonesia's disappearing coast?

The encroaching ocean laps against a road in Karminah's village, threatening her home on Indonesia's Java island, where the government says it has a plan to hold back the tide. It wants to build an $80-billion, 700-kilometre (435-mile) seawall...

Ninth Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Meeting concludes

The Ninth Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers (PWWM) Meeting concluded on Tuesday in Honiara, with Ministers from 14 Pacific Island countries and territories committing to urgent action to strengthen water and sanitation across the region. The...

Pacific Water Ministers Meeting Concludes with Strong Regional Commitments

Wednesday 27 August 2025, Honiara – The Ninth Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers (PWWM) Meeting concluded yesterday in Honiara, with ministers from 14 Pacific Island countries and territories committing to urgent action to strengthen water and...

Biosecurity lends a hand to ensure largest military op in Australia ever gets uninterrupted green light

Dept of Agriculture Australia has just concluded its largest-ever defence exercise – Talisman Sabre 2025 – and the department played a critical role in ensuring this complex multinational operation was underpinned by strong biosecurity measures...

Did childcare fuel language? A new book makes the case

Beekman suggests the complexity of childcare drove language’s spread Shutterstock/Artem Varnitsin The Origin of Language Madeleine Beekman (Simon & Schuster) Language is one of the few faculties that still seems to be uniquely human. Other...

‘Psspsspss:’ American sailors enlisted a cat aboad a battleship during World War II

Get We Are The Mighty’s Weekly Newsletter Military culture and entertainment direct to your inbox with zero chance of a ‘Reply All’ incident Sailors in World War II, like most sailors across time, enjoyed having a few pets hidden between the...

Guitar-shaped ray species, discovered for the first time, lives in the deep ocean

A massive exploration of ocean life has revealed 866 new species that most people never knew existed. This achievement ranks among the largest efforts ever to document organisms dwelling in some of the most secluded underwater zones. Many...

These are all the countries currently on the Foreign Office ‘do not travel’ list

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...

Ocean mining ban is not necessarily a good thing

It has been relatively easy to ban deep-sea mining because major miners have never shown much enthusiasm for deploying an untested technology in such remote and challenging spots Amid all the setbacks these days for environmental protection, the...

Has Instagram fame cursed these endangered geckos?

New Caledonia's giant geckos are the latest sensation in the global pet trade. But conservationists warn their social media-fuelled popularity is putting the endangered species at risk. Blue River Park in New Caledonia, a habitat for giant...

Can we undo extinction? A growing effort to restore lost sharks

ReShark is the world’s first shark rewilding program, aiming to restore Indo-Pacific leopard sharks to reefs where they’ve disappeared, starting in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The initiative repurposes surplus eggs from aquariums, transporting them...

Sharks didn’t rebound—so Mark Erdmann is putting them back

For over 30 years, Mark Erdmann has combined scientific discovery with grassroots conservation in Indonesia, helping communities protect their reefs from destructive practices and documenting more than 220 new species. As a leader behind Raja...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – August 15 – August 21, 2025 

Editor’s Note: We are undergoing a web host migration process and may need to make necessary modifications to our format and frequency over the next several weeks. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Political Leadership and Regionalism,...

France updates strategic documents, and its relationship with Australia

France’s latest strategic updates make one thing clear: Paris has turned a page on AUKUS and moved on. In July, it released new versions of its national security strategy (NSR) and Indo-Pacific Strategy, the latter published seven years after...

Officials ban controversial deep-sea activity in protected waters: 'A strong signal of commitment to future generations'

New Caledonia is home to one of the largest barrier reefs on Earth. by Matthew SwigonskiMay 13, 2025 The waters surrounding a small South Pacific nation have been ruled to be off-limits from deep-sea mining for at least the next 50 years. As RFI...

Crusader of the Month: Staff Sgt. Ian Stembridge

Tech. Sgt. Savannah L. Waters The 42d Air Base Wing’s Crusader of the Month award highlights outstanding members who contribute significant effort toward Team Maxwell’s mission, vision and priorities. For the month of May, U.S. Air Force Staff...

CNC celebrates success at convocation

Graduates walked the CN Centre stage in front of cheering family, friends and supporters The College of New Caledonia (CNC) celebrated its graduating class on Thursday, June 5 with a crowd of several hundred supporters at the CN Centre. The total...

Pacific Islands focus: community-driven solutions, climate in the courts and celebrating independence

Introduction by Croakey: Local solutions to public health issues are showcased in this month’s edition of the Pacific Islands focus column. Isabelle Zhu-Maguire, PhD candidate at the Coral Bell School of Asia and Pacific Affairs, Department of...

Speaker Bios

Elizabeth Benedict ELIZABETH BENEDICT is the author of eight books and hundreds of articles and essays, as well as the editor of three anthologies. Her five novels, including “Almost” and “Slow Dancing,” a National Book Award finalist, Notable NY...