US claims of Cuba’s ‘unique threat’ jar with reality
| | HAVANA, Cuba, 21 July 2026 (Guardian) - The US government’s latest allegations that Cuba is behind “many of the most significant upheavals in recent American political history” and that its leaders pose “a unique threat to American homeland security” have come as startling revelations to those living under the six-month-long US oil blockade in Havana, where desperate people search through piles of uncollected rubbish for food, or else swelter at home in 24-hour-plus blackouts. |
The Pacific pays the price of the US-Iran war
| | SUVA, Fiji, 21 July 2026 (PINA) - The war between the United States and Iran, which began on 28 February and continues with no end in sight, has inflicted disproportionate economic and strategic consequences on the small island nations of the Pacific. Although geographically distant from the conflict, these states have been among the hardest hit due to their structural economic vulnerabilities. |
Wallis and Futuna strengthens capacity to understand marine litter
| | MATA UTU, Wallis and Futuna, 21 July 2026 (SPREP) - Marine litter knows no borders. Every year, ocean currents transport thousands of tonnes of waste across the Pacific, sometimes over thousands of kilometres, before it washes ashore on the coastlines of the Blue Pacific islands. The communities living in Wallis and Futuna are amongst the worst impacted. Wallis and Futuna is comprised of three main islands, Wallis, Futuna and Alofi, and a number of tiny islets. |
Sri Lankan national parks are a concern amidst encroachment
| | COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 21 July 2026 (Mongabay) - Around 14% of Sri Lanka’s total land area is dedicated to wildlife protected areas, which includes more than 20 national parks. However, due to natural and anthropogenic factors, protected species such as leopards and elephants living in these protected areas face continuous threats as their habitats continue to shrink. Wildlife authorities say they have worked hard to reduce encroachment of national parks and other protected areas but have had limited success. |
Exploring Germany's East Frisian islands
| | LONDON, UK, 21 July 2026 (Guardian) - Norderney is one of the seven inhabited islands that make up the East Frisian islands (Ostfriesische Inseln) in Germany. The others are Borkum, Juist, Baltrum, Langeoog, Spiekeroog and Wangerooge. Stretching more than 50 miles from west to east, they are a popular holiday destination, known for their unique coastal landscapes and diverse wildlife, from grey seals and migrating birds to the creatures found in the mud. |
U.S. Virgin Islands housing authority accused of corruption
| | SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, 20 July 2026 (PBS) - The U.S. government announced Monday it suspended funding for the U.S. Virgin Islands' housing authority after an investigation found widespread corruption, as residents still struggle to recover from two major hurricanes that hit nearly a decade ago. U.S. Housing Secretary Scott Turner said that nine years after the U.S. territory received $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding, it has spent only $570,000, less than a third of the funds. |
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CBD |
 | | COP16 21 Oct-1 Nov, 2024, Cali, Colombia |
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UNFCCC |
| | COP29 11-22 November, 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan |
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ISLAND DYNAMICS |
| | DARKNESS II conference, 20-23 January 2025, Nuuk, Greenland |
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JICAS |
| | Islands And Island Studies conference 3-7 June, 2025, Jersey, Channel Islands |
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UNITED NATIONS |
| | UN Ocean Conference 9-13 June, 2025, Nice, France |
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UPEI |
| | 3rd international conference on SIS and SNIJs 16-20 June, 2025, Charlottetown, PEI |
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ARCTIC COUNCIL |
| | UArctic Congress 26-29 May 2026, Torshavn, Faroe Islands |
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SICRI |
| | Island Studies International Conference 25-28 June, 2026, Tacloban City, Leyte Islands, Philippines |
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ISISA |
| | 20th Islands of the World Conference 7-11 July 2026, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea |
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SPREP |
| | 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, 7–11 September 2026, Noumea, New Caledonia |
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ANATOMY OF ISLANDS |
| | 14th Anatomy of Islands symposium 15-17 Oct, 2026, Jelsa, Hvar Island, Croatia |
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SOCIETY OF ISLAND BIOLOGY |
| | 5th Island Biology conference 2-6 November, 2026, Atami City, Japan |
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IWRA |
| | 2nd Islands Water Congress 9-11 Dec, 2026, Montego Bay, Jamaica |
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