PINA

By Richard Naidu The annual meeting of Trade Ministers from the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji has agreed on the need to develop a regional strategy on labour mobility in the Pacific, citing the welfare of workers from Pacific Island countries as a key area of focus. Addressing journalists at the end of the two-day meeting at the Forum Secretariat...

Vanuatu's prime minister Sato Kilman has been voted out through a motion-of-no-confidence in the country's parliament Friday in Port Vila. The motion was carried by a show of hands, with 27 votes, in the absence of the government bench which had vacated the floor in protest ahead of the motion being moved. Charlot Salwai was then nominated as the sole candidate...

Refugees exiled to Papua New Guinea a decade ago will be sent back to Australia if the Australian government fails to continue funding PNG’s humanitarian programme, Port Moresby’s most senior migration official has warned. PNG’s chief migration officer, Stanis Hulahau, said the refugees had been abandoned by Australia and the PNG businesses that had been housing and caring for the...

The Fiji government has stressed the need to thoroughly assess the fairness and effectiveness of the PACER Plus agreement before joining it. Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica emphasised this point following a meeting of Pacific Trade Ministers in Suva last week. Responding to a query from FBC News regarding measures to ensure Fiji’s satisfaction and the protection of Pacific Island nations from...

Environment Ministers and senior officials from the Asia and the Pacific region pledged concerted action to tackle the crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution at the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, with the aims of restoring planetary balance and protecting people. Representatives from 30 Member States in the Asia-Pacific region convened in-person and...

With the Pacific nation focused on the growing climate threat, the summit’s success will be measured by how much financing it unlocks By: Oren Gruenbaum Samoa’s national rugby team, ranking an impressive 11th in the world, are ambassadors for the Pacific nation in more ways than one. Their exploits on the pitch have embellished the country’s reputation as fearsome competitors,...

The fixtures for the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2023 have been confirmed with host nation France playing reigning and three-time champions South Africa and the world's number-one-ranked side Ireland taking on three-time champions New Zealand at Stade de France in Saint-Denis. At Stade de Marseille, Pool C winners Wales will play Argentina after Los Pumas' crucial victory against Japan...

Fiji secured a quarter-final against England in Marseille in a week's time but the glory in a mesmerising match at Stadium de Toulouse went to Portugal as they won their first ever Rugby World Cup game, defeating Fiji 24-23. Australia's future in the competition rested with Os Lobos denying the Flying Fijians a point from this final Pool C match,...

Solomone Kata scored two tries as Tonga gave retiring coach Toutai Kefu a winning send-off with a seven-try 45-24 victory over Romania as the two canon-fodder teams of the Group of Death served up a cracker after suffering a month of beatings. Tonga had too much power and speed as Afusipa Taumoepeau, George Moala, Sione Vailanu, Pita Ahki and Kyren...

Cook Islands are set to play in the inaugural IRL World Series in 2025 to determine the final men's berths in the 2026 World Cup to be played in the Southern Hemisphere. After revamping the World Cup structure to 10-teams, and eight each for the women's and wheelchair tournaments, the IRL announced the establishment of a World Series and further...