PINA

Japan began releasing a second batch of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant on Thursday, the plant's operator said, as tensions with neighbouring countries over the move continue to fester. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) started the process at around 10:20 a.m. “We would like to continue approaching this with the utmost caution,” Kenichi Takahara, a...

Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna says the signing of the Samoa Agreement – the successor to the Cotonou Agreement next month will be a historic occasion for the Pacific sub-region. Puna made the remarks at the Pacific ACP Trade Ministers Meeting at the Forum Secretariat in Suva. “The Pacific ACP Ministers and high-level representatives from the 27 EU member states will...

Australia will rejoin the world’s major global climate finance fund, reversing a Morrison government decision to withdraw from the United Nations initiative. The Abbott and Turnbull governments provided $200 million (US$126 million) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) between 2015 and 2018 before then-prime minister Scott Morrison announced he would no longer “tip money into that big climate fund”. The Morrison...

A drought has been declared for Tongatapu and ‘Eua, with alerts for Niuafo’ou and Niuatoputapu, and warnings for Ha’apai and Vava’u this month by Tonga Meteorology. A rain deficit is forecast for the coming months within this El Nino period. In the last three months, the rainfall in Tongatapu was below the the average rainfall within three months. Tonga Met reported drier...

A new synthesis report designed to help governments reach a decision on the global stocktake at COP28 has been published by UN Climate Change. The report reflects the views of governments and their perspectives on the main elements that could constitute such a decision. The global stocktake is part of the Paris Agreement and a key means to assess the world’s...

The Pacific Islands Forum secretary general says time will tell if the U.S will follow through with its latest Pacific funding pledge. Henry Puna has arrived back in Fiji after the second U.S-Pacific summit in Washington where he met President Joe Biden, which he described as a “childhood dream come true” US$200 million of new aid was promised this year. But Australia's...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s absence from the Second Pacific Islands Forum-U. S Summit will not in any way affect Solomon Islands ability to receive assistance from the United States. Sogavare’s decision not to attend the Summit and sent his Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele had caused a stir in the region. “We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons...

The implementation plan for the 2050 strategy is being finalised and will be endorsed by Forum leaders during their convening in the Cook Islands next month. Pacific Islands Forum Director of Governance and Engagement, Sione Tekiteki said the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will have a detailed agenda, and the leaders will consider several issues and recommend the best...

Australia is looking to wrap up negotiations with Papua New Guinea over a new defence security pact with Defence Minister Richard Marles set to host counterpart Win Bakri Daki. The delayed defence pact was initially slated to be signed by the middle of the year before a separate agreement between the U.S and PNG sparked internal divisions in the Pacific...

Prominent Papua New Guinea lawyer, Paul Paraka has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was eventually sentenced Thursday by the National Court following a protracted court battle that had lasted for almost a decade. He was found to have misappropriated K162 million (US$44 million) belonging to the people of Papua New Guinea. Paul Paraka, 54 of Western Highlands province, an...