Latest news in Kiribati? September 11th, 2026
11-09-2026
- WWII Ordnance Disposal Operation in Betio: In September 2026, the Kiribati Police Service and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) completed a major joint explosive ordnance disposal operation on the islet of Betio. Around 300 pieces of unexploded World War II munitions were removed from Bonnyman’s Bunker and relocated to an uninhabited sandbar for disposal, with heavily degraded items controlled-detonated on site following the precautionary evacuation of roughly 7,000 residents.
- Pacific Islands Forum Representation: At the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit in early September, Kiribati was represented by senior diplomatic officials rather than its head of government, as regional talks focused heavily on regional security pacts, deep-sea mineral exploration frameworks, and maritime infrastructure.
- Climate Finance and Adaptation Initiatives: Kiribati continues rolling out implementation frameworks alongside the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to accelerate access to multilateral climate resilience mechanisms, targeting coastal defense construction and freshwater security amid rising sea levels and erosion across low-lying atolls.