PINA

Papua New Guinea Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has ruled that Parliament’s decision to disallow a second motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister was unconstitutional. The ruling, delivered by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Salika, cantered on a motion filed by deputy Opposition Leader and Chuave MP, James Nomane. The court declared: *The Private Business Committee’s decision...

Compensation for households and businesses with proven damages due to the power outages is one of the issues now open under the Samoa State of Emergency declared Mondayu for 30 days. Tax and import duties will also be lifted for generators and other electricity-related equipment, including renewable energy systems procured by EPC, households, businesses and organisations for electricity generation. Prime Minister...

The Embassy of Nauru in the People's Republic of China was officially inaugurated in Beijing on Monday, marking a significant milestone in the development of bilateral relations. Nauru's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Nauru resumed its diplomatic ties with China on the basis of the...

By Wesley Morgan Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election. Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United...

The Fijian Drua side will be out for redemption this weekend when they face the mighty Crusaders at the HFC Bank Stadium. After going down 52-15 to the Western Force two weeks ago, captain Tevita Ikanivere says the boys have spent a lot of time reviewing themselves, and are ready to go out there and prove their worth once again. He...

The New Zealand Government has decided against cutting its current foreign aid to Kiribati, following a review sparked by a diplomatic stoush between Foreign Minister Winston Peters and the island nation’s president. However, the review’s exact findings and ramifications for future development programmes – as well as its initial terms of reference – remain a secret as discussions continue between...

The Pentagon plans to invest US$2 billion in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to build more projects that would enable U.S forces to operate in the Pacific island nation, the Department of Defence said. The U.S and the FSM have reached a mutual understanding to proceed with the construction of previously authoriSed U.S-funded infrastructure projects in Yap. “These projects will...

Climate-vulnerable island states say they are being trapped “between a rock and a hard place” by the European Union – led by the Netherlands and Denmark – after the bloc engaged in discussions on a proposal to clean up the global shipping industry that islands regard as ineffective and unjust. On the sidelines of Singapore Maritime Week last Wednesday, representatives...

The Australian opposition leader has confirmed he will ditch Labor's plan to co-host a global United Nations climate change meeting with the Pacific if he wins the election, labelling the idea “madness”. Peter Dutton has also claimed that Australian taxpayers would have to pay “tens of billions” to host the event, a figure vastly higher than experts say it would...

Pacific nations, including Fiji, must ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement(BBNJ). This will increase international cooperation to protect oceans beyond national control. Senior Advisor at the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), Peni Suveinakama, said it’s vital for reversing ocean damage. He said the BBNJ agreement includes provisions for inclusive ocean management, such as traditional knowledge and indigenous participation. “The BBNJ...