PINA

By Dr Transform Aqorau For decades, the Pacific Islands region has been heavily reliant on donor funding to support development, governance, and capacity-building initiatives. While donor support has played a role in strengthening institutions, it has also created a dependency cycle where many regional organisations struggle to be financially independent and responsive to the real needs of Pacific communities. As someone...

Ministers from 40 countries met on Wednesday at the first major climate forum of 2025 to discuss progress in renewable energy generation and the rising toll of inaction over rising temperatures. 2025 marks a milestone: the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the deadline for countries to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), designed to keep the global...

The United States will fortify the Indo-Pacific with the “most lethal fighting force in the world,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, outlining the Trump administration’s defence policy for the region. “No one should question the resolve of the United States of America to defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” Hegseth said Tuesday in Hawaii during the first leg...

Micronesian President Wesley Simina has expressed confidence in Japan’s treatment of radioactive water being dumped from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean. “The visit to Fukushima underscores the FSM’s deep trust in the government of Japan,” Simina said after touring the power plant during his visit to Japan this month. Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company has been...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Nauruan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea, who came to China for the opening ceremony of the Nauru Embassy in China. Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nauru, both...

In a clear warning to his fellow Pacific Finance Ministers, Tongan Prime Minister and Forum Chair Dr ʻAisake Eke highlighted on Wednesday the rising global uncertainty, fuelled in part by shifting U.S policies under the new Trump administration. As the Pacific islands grapple with economic recovery and climate challenges, the Prime Minister stressed that the stakes have never been higher...

Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia will see notable bumps in Australian foreign aid this year, while analysts say there are some indications that Canberra is stepping in to fill a void left by a U.S freeze on foreign aid. Overall, Australia announced AUD$5.1 billion (US$3.2 billion) for foreign aid in the 2025-26 budget released Tuesday, a 2.7 percent...

A prominent philanthropist and senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress in Washington, has shared insights on shifting national security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific during a presentation on Tuesday, at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Glen Fukushima, a former U.S diplomat, highlighted a need for more policymakers from the islands who have knowledge of the political landscape in...

Australia and Tonga have agreed to an AUD$85 million (TOP$125 million/US$53.55 million) budget support programme over the next four years to support a stronger economy and national budget. This is the largest investment in our partnership’s history. It builds on closer ties developed over recent years and is timely after last week’s National Development Summit. It helps answer the call...

The highly anticipated Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is set to mark the beginning of a new era at the impressive new Kai Tak Stadium from 28-30 March. The fifth round of HSBC SVNS will see the world’s top 12 men’s and women’s teams battling it out in front of an expected record crowd of more than 120,000 fans, as they...