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UAE joins Pacific Islands Forum as Strategic Partner

Koror, Palau: The United Arab Emirates has joined the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as a Strategic Partner, marking a new chapter in the UAE’s longstanding relationship with Pacific Island nations and building on years of close cooperation. The decision was confirmed at the PIF Leaders’ Retreat, held as part of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Koror, Palau. The UAE joins 12 other Strategic Partners of the Forum: China, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and the European Union. The announcement follows the participation of Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, Minister of State, on behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, held from 30 August to 4 September 2026 in Koror. The UAE’s recognition as a Strategic Partner reflects its longstanding ties across the Pacific, including cooperation with Small Island Developing States in renewable energy, climate resilience, education, and sustainable development. Strategic Partner status will provide a platform for closer engagement with PIF member states, opening new opportunities for trade, investment, and business partnerships, while expanding knowledge exchange in areas such as the energy transition, digital transformation, connectivity, and climate resilience. Reflecting on this milestone, Al Kaabi said: "This recognition builds on years of close cooperation with the nations of the Pacific, grounded in mutual respect and a shared commitment to sustainable development. This new chapter in our partnership holds particular significance for the UAE and reflects the strength of the relationships we have developed across the region. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum and its members in the years ahead, advancing our shared priorities for sustainable development and prosperity across the Pacific.” Omar Shehadeh, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Caribbean and Pacific States, added: "Our engagement with the Pacific has always been guided by the vision and directives of our wise leadership. Strategic Partner status creates new avenues for collaboration with Pacific nations, strengthening connectivity and working towards our shared goals for a more resilient and prosperous future.”

MBMobile Business•WAM18 Sept

Canada’s BetterHalf Films Joins Indonesia’s Studio Amarana on Animated Film ‘Galeo of the Seawalkers’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Gursimran Datla’s Canadian-U.K. production company BetterHalf Films has boarded Andara Fembriarto’s Indonesian animated film “Galeo of the Seawalkers” (“Galeo Anak Segara”). The title is among the selected projects at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival’s newly launched Business Hub Co-Production Forum. BetterHalf Films, which operates offices in Toronto and London, joins Indonesia’s Studio Amarana as […]

VarietyVariety•Emeza80518 Sept

Indonesia begins operation to right capsized ship in Java Sea as 129 remain missing

BANJARMASIN: Indonesia has begun an operation to right a ship that capsized and sank in the Java Sea last weekend, officials said ‌on Friday, as authorities continued air and surface searches for the 129 people still missing. The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people on a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather early on Sunday. Rescuers had not been able ⁠to find more survivors or bodies until the fifth day of the search due to strong currents and large waves, so authorities decided to right the ship to make rescue operations easier. The ship remained partially afloat ‌for days but has now completely sunk to the seabed, authorities said late on Thursday. Six people were confirmed dead and 108 survived the incident. The tallies have ‌not changed since Sunday. "The salvage operation is already underway. ‌An observation was conducted yesterday, and today the team will likely move toward ‌the location (of the ship)," said ‌Banjarmasin Navy Commander Galih Nurna Putra. The plan is to pull the ship onto a shallower seabed and then right it, Galih ‌said. The operation will be led by the ship's owner, ⁠as mandated by Indonesian law, and backed by the rescue agency, the navy, and maritime police, said I Putu Sudayana, the head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency. Once the ship ⁠is turned upright, ⁠rescue and evacuation operations will begin, Putu added. "As long as the ship is still at the seabed, the dive team dared only to remain outside the ⁠ship," he said. Indonesian authorities also deployed eight ships and two helicopters on Friday to conduct the air and sea surface searches, Putu said, adding that operations were still hampered by strong winds, currents and waves. Rescuers also allowed two representatives from the families of victims to join the ‌search on Friday so they could understand the unfavourable weather conditions at the location and the technicalities of the search, he said. On Thursday, the Navy diving team were able to approach the ship, take footage and find evidence such as wallets, ID cards, and hundreds of water-damaged parcels and plastic-wrapped packages, Galih said.

MBMobile Business•Reuters18 Sept

Indonesia gets its first aircraft carrier amid debate over cost and military ambitions

The gift from Italy has sparked fierce debate among defence analysts and opposition politicians who question its true cost and purpose Indonesia has received its first aircraft carrier, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelagic nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities. The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, arrived Friday morning at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port, where it was welcomed with a military ceremony. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Associated Press18 Sept
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Major disasters disrupted education for at least 13 million children in six countries in three months as Venezuela reopens schools

Countries: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Philippines Source: Save the Children CARACAS, Venezuela, 17 September 2026 – Education was disrupted for about 13 million children over the past three months as Nepal, Japan, Colombia, Venezuela, Indonesia, and the Philippines were all hit by major natural or climate disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or wildfires , said Save the Children. In many countries where the disasters stuck, classes were in session at the time such as in Nepal where children were forced to flee flash flooding. In others, schools were approaching the end of year holidays such as in Venezuela where pupils return to class this week and learning disruptions are only now being felt. Analysing various data sources, Save the Children looked at the impact of these disasters over the past three months and estimated that about 13 million children saw their learning suspended, transferred online, reduced or disrupted in other ways, with some continuing to see their education impacted.[1] In Venezuela, students and teachers said that they were feeling anxious as they returned to school for the new academic year following the twin earthquakes that hit the country on 24 June, killing more than 6,500 people. The earthquakes, the most powerful in a century, halted education for more than 21,000 students [2] and disrupted learning for one million**,** or about one in every eight school-aged child, Save the Children said. Teachers from La Guaira, a coastal region badly hit in northern Venezuela, said it was important to continue efforts to ensure that schools can provide supportive environments for children returning after the earthquakes although some schools have suffered structural damage and cannot reopen. Alondra*, 37, a teacher in Venezuela and mother to nine-year-old Emma*, is worried that the disruption will force students into overcrowded schools, affecting both learning quality and recreational opportunities. “My daughter's education is paramount, of course, and I'm not going to take her out of school, especially not because of this [earthquake],” she said. Alondra has been taking Emma to a Save the Children safe space in the months since the earthquake so she can continue learning and playing with other children her own age. Save the Children in Venezuela and its national partners have helped over 93,970 people** since the earthquakes including through psychosocial support, health support, and community engagement activities. The child rights organisation will also start rehabilitating learning spaces and schools and training teachers to support children affected by the earthquakes. Four other powerful earthquakes in Colombia, the Philippines, Indonesia and in Japan disrupted education for about 4 million children out of the 13 million children. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on 8 June, the first day back to school after the country’s summer break, disrupting education. Since then, Save the Children has reached more than 8,800 people, including 3,900 children, providing support including household items, hygiene kits and temporary learning spaces. Floods brought about by this season's monsoon in the Philippines also affected nearly 7 million students who saw classes suspended including in the capital Manila and several provinces, on and off, for almost two weeks, while almost 900 schools sustained damaged.[3] Tatiana Betancourt, an education officer at Save the Children Colombia, said: “Families temporarily settled in spaces that do not have adequate security and protection conditions affecting educational institutions, limiting children's and adolescents' access to safe learning spaces. Emotional effects on children, caregivers and families include fear, stress and uncertainty generated by the emergency.” In Colombia, the earthquake’s damage to education infrastructure disrupted access to education for over 1 million children and compounded pre-existing poverty. While about 80% of children have returned to learning through partial, hybrid, or alternating attendance, more than 300,000 children are estimated to be facing heightened protection risks, including recruitment by armed groups. [4] Save the Children in Colombia is focusing on supporting the safe return to schools wherever feasible and is supporting temporary learning arrangements through local education partners including temporary learning tents in affected areas such as Chocó. Flash floods in Nepal in August which hit as children were either on their way to school or starting their lessons, killed at least 1,350 people with about 4,800 still missing.[5] While some schools closed by the floods in Nepal have begun to reopen, many displaced children are not currently able to attend classes as they are not registered for schools in areas they moved to. Save the Children has supported more than 6,000 people across Nuwakot, Dhading and Rasuwa districts with essential items and has set up two temporary learning spaces to help children learn. In Japan, Save the Children set up child friendly spaces to provide children with a safe environment to play and recover following the 28 July earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, southern Japan, among other support. When disasters or climate emergencies disrupt children’s education, as they have for children in Nepal, Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere this summer, children must be able to continue their education through crisis. Governments also need stronger, more inclusive, and resilient education systems that can last. Save the Children is calling on world leaders gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly this month to pledge at least US $5 billion to the Global Partnership for Education to help reach about 750 million children across 96 countries by 2030 by strengthening education systems. The child rights organisation is also calling on leaders to pledge US$600 million this November for Education Cannot Wait, so children in crisis can continue learning. *Names changed for anonymity References: **As of 11 September 2026. Methodology: Over 13 million figure is based on looking at major or high-profile disasters between 1 June and early September where there was a publicly reported impact on education. Disasters included earthquakes in Venezuela (1 million children’s education impacted) ; Colombia ( 1 million ) Indonesia ( over 116,000 ), Japan (about 200,000) and the Philippines ( 3 million ), wildfires in Indonesia ( 1.4 million ), monsoon flooding in the Philippines ( 6.8 million ) and flash floods in Nepal ( 19,000 ). For Japan, the number of children with disrupted education is estimated based on data from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on 650 affected schools, using the average number of students per school in Japan. [1, 5] NEPAL: https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/nepal/nepal-rasuwa-flood-situation-report-no-7-8-september-2026 [2] Save the Children Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) August 2026 + UNICEF assessment indicates that more than 432 schools suffered physical damage to their infrastructure. In the state of La Guaira, out of the 290 public and independent schools surveyed in the coastal area, 62 sustained structural damage or suffered total physical collapse. [3] EDCOM 2 - The Second Congressional Commission on Education: https://www.facebook.com/edcom2ph/posts/pfbid0xPVJkvHr9HAYRbofaMZcX3kDNtVcqeiHiq3yCtUSd2pSiYpwMCBMcxMoGrq1GH5fl [4] IRC, 14 Aug 2026: https://www.rescue.org/press-release/irc-launches-health-child-protection-response-colombia-earthquake-death-toll-rises

ReliefWebReliefWeb•Save the Children18 Sept