PINA

New preliminary research findings highlight persistent and alarming rate of ongoing sea turtle harvesting, which directly contradicts the well-defined regulations prohibiting this practice. A troubling trend that warrants immediate attention. The findings identified major harvesting hotspots in the provinces of Lomaiviti, Macuata, Kadavu, and Bua. The turtle, also known as vonu or ika bula, holds significance within Fiji's customary rituals...

Tonga head coach Toutai Kefu has named his match-day 23 to face Ireland at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Saturday, with captain Ben Tameifuna forming part of a heavyweight front row. Kefu has included four former All Blacks in Tonga’s starting XV: full-back Salesi (Charles) Piutau, centre Malakai Fekitoa, scrum-half Augustine Pulu and number eight Vaea Fifita. Fekitoa is...

Christian Leali'ifano, who scored the most points for the Wallabies at the 2019 World Cup, will start as Samoa's five-eighth in their opening Rugby World Cup clash with Chile in Bordeaux. The 35-year-old, who survived cancer to return to playing elite rugby, transferred his allegiance this year to Samoa from Australia after 26 Tests. He took advantage of a relaxation in...

Tuvalu has made a bold proposition, asserting that it will continue to exist as a country, even if the island disappears due to rising sea levels. This month, it enshrined a new definition of statehood in its constitution. The definition states the State of Tuvalu shall remain in perpetuity, notwithstanding the impacts of climate change or anything else that results in...

Inclusive talks in Paris between France and New Caledonia's politicians have yielded outcomes, including a French-submitted document on its future. The talks, held last week, aimed at resuming all-round dialogue over a possible future status for New Caledonia. Since the end of 2021 and a series of three referendums on New Caledonia's independence, talks had stalled. Paris has tried but failed to...

Australians are being kept in the dark by the federal government about the dire national security consequences of climate change, including the possibility of climate-induced political upheavals in the Asia-Pacific, a group of leading defence figures has warned. Former Defence Force chief Chris Barrie and other former senior personnel will urge the government to release a declassified version of a...

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be established by the Fiji Government to facilitate open and free engagement in truth telling and confront fears in view of conflicting statements and utterances regarding motives behind the political upheavals so that closure and healing for Fiji is achieved and permanently put to rest this unfortunate and turbulent chapter of our independent...

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is in Fiji to attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting Friday. “This is my fourth visit to Fiji as Foreign Minister, which demonstrates the importance the Australian Government places on our deep and enduring relationship with Fiji, underpinned by our Vuvale Partnership. “In Suva, I will meet Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign...

New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has released his message to Papua New Guinea stating that the country is living on borrowed money. “But as we look back and see where we are today, I let you be the judge. “My short message on this occasion comes to provoke your intelligence about the state of our beloved country as we approach...

On 18 - 19 September, former Fijian Ambassador to the UN and Carnegie nonresident senior fellow Satyendra Prasad will joining the Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue in New York. Dr Satyendra Prasad is a nonresident senior fellow in the South Asia and Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Programmes at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. What is the most pressing issue for small island...