PINA

The country’s internal security is further at risk with foreign syndicates operating illegal activities in the country and controlling institutions like immigrations and customs, Papua New Guinea Opposition spokesman and Member for Finschhafen, Rainbo Paita said. He said while we are talking about the issues of fuel, the disparities of funding to the MPs, the high debt to GDP ratio...

Nauru President David Adeang says he hopes Chinese investment “transforms” the tiny island nation after switching recognition from Taiwan. There is growing influence from Beijing in the Pacific region, and notably Nauru, which under Adeang’s leadership abandoned support for Taiwan in January to formally recognise China. Adeang on Thursday confirmed that move was to try to attract Chinese investment. “It has much...

If the pen is mightier than the sword, then an army of journalists has assembled in Fiji’s capital to discuss the state and future of the industry in the region. The Pacific Media Conference is organised and hosted by the University of the South Pacific, in collaboration with the Pacific Islands News Association(PINA) and Asia Pacific Media Network, with more...

Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Timothy Masiu Thursday expressed strong support for Fiji’s recent media law reforms. Addressing 2024 Pacific Media Conference in Suva, Masiu stressed the critical importance of media freedom and the need for the region to chart its own path in media development. “We support and are happy with this Government of Fiji for...

As society navigates rapid advances in artificial intelligence and geopolitical upheavals, the media sector grapples with financial ravages from digital disruption and the enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been highlighted by USP Journalism Associate Professor Shailendra Singh during the 2024 Pacific Media Conference in Suva. Singh said the smallness and isolation of the region offer no protection from...

When residents of Guam celebrate Independence Day at one of the island’s two major U.S military bases on Thursday, the festivities will be tinged with irony. The small U.S territory is one of 17 remaining colonies around the globe. While Guamanians have American citizenship, they cannot elect the U.S president and have only a single, non-voting representative in the U.S...

Allegations of possible payments to help secure votes. Claims of abuse of agency funds by top diplomats. A possible job offer to entice a candidate to withdraw from a race. These are not the shenanigans of a corrupt election in an unstable country. Rather, they are efforts in the seemingly genteel parlors of a United Nations-affiliated agency, meant to sway...

With reporting by Lice Movono/Suva, Fiji, and Leslie Dickstein/New York  Whenever the growing pile of plastic waste in front of her door takes up too much space, Asinate Lewabeka has a simple solution. She sets it on fire. She prefers to do so at dawn when the air is still so that the smoke rises in a black column....

Team Fiji swimmers, David Young and Anahira McCutcheon are among the athletes who have confirmed their spots to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France this month. Team Fiji Chef de Mission, Sale Sorovaki confirmed that Young and McCutcheon will be the only athletes competing in swimming for Fiji. This was after-Young and McCutcheon achieved the highest World Aquatics...

New Zealand and Nauru are deepening their relationship, including on economic resilience and education, deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Nauru have a warm, long-standing relationship, and we are strengthening our engagement through enhanced political, security, and development cooperation,” Peters said. “The good functioning of Nauru’s education system is vital to the country’s future, so we are pleased...