PINA

An El Niño has been officially declared for Tonga this week, by the Tonga Meteorology Department, meaning that the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean is now warmer than usual, expecting warmer temperatures, less rainfall, and more cyclones. Tonga is forecast to experience warmer temperatures, less rainfall, and more cyclones in the next six months, from October 2023 to May 2024,...

Forum Deputy Secretary General, Esala Nayasi says the Pacific region should discourage any subsidies that support fishing of stocks that they have declared overfished, in line with the Forum strong and effective fisheries management system. Nayasi made the remarks in Suva while opening the Pacific workshop on World Trade Organisation (WTO) Fisheries subsidies. “Subsidies to the fishing sector has contributed to...

Solomon Islands has joined the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) days after its leader snubbed an invitation to meet U.S President Joe Biden at a Pacific summit. Solomon Islands joins the bank alongside the Central American nation of El Salvador, which deepened its relationship with Beijing a few years after switching ties from Taipei. Tanzania, another key Beijing ally and...

By Joseph Morokana  A Council of Elders (COE) representative in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) is calling on relevant authorities to set up commission of inquiry to investigate cases of alleged human rights violations committed by the Papua New Guinea Armed Forces during the Bougainville conflict. Bougainville’s Paramount Chief, Joe Pais said a lot of human rights violations occurred between...

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has adopted a fresh approach in addressing the longstanding West Papuan issue, as confirmed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare upon his return from the UNGA in New York last week. During his arrival Wednesday, he provided clarification to the local media regarding the omission of the West Papuan issue from his discussions at the UN...

By Dr Transform Aqorau In the vast expanse of the Pacific, spanning from the equator's warmth to the temperate zones, the Pacific Islands have always been diverse yet interconnected by the boundless ocean. These waters, teeming with life and culture, have brought together nations through various agreements, including the PACER Plus, the Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement, and the MSG...

Long term care for older people in Tonga remains under-developed – with estimates putting life expectancy to increase to above 70.2 years for men and 76.2 years for women in the next two decades. Five years ago, Tongans over the age of 60 made up 5.9 percent (6,136) of the total population of 104,000, and this is expected to reach...

A recent report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) revealed that social protection in the Pacific needs to be more disability inclusive. The ADB estimates that more than 1.5 million people live with some form of disability in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) – and half of that number are older than 60 years. Released in December last year,...

U.S president Joe Biden’s latest bid to woo Pacific nations has been broadly welcomed by the region’s leaders and analysts, while some called for more to be done to support their economies and sought “results on the ground” over pledges. Biden hosted a group of Pacific leaders at a summit in Washington this week, after a similar meeting a year...

The prime minister of Solomon Islands has criticised Washington, saying the U.S must respect Pacific leaders, after Joe Biden pledged US$200m for the region in an effort widely seen as a push against China’s growing presence. Biden hosted a group of Pacific leaders at a summit in Washington this week, after a similar meeting a year earlier. The Solomon Islands prime...