PINA

By Peter FitzSimons Simon Raiwalui is a Fijian raised in Australia, who played in the Australian Schoolboys team in the early 1990s with the likes of Ben Tune and Joe Roff. He took over as coach of Fiji in February this year. Last Saturday his team beat England at Twickenham for the greatest victory in Fijian rugby history. I spoke to...

On the rocky foreshore of Popua, in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa, a group of girls and boys are tossing around a rugby ball. Siua, 13, and 11-year-olds Lesieli and Sisi play catch and run across sharp stones as their families fish on the reef,searching for dinner. It used to be a pretty beach before it was destroyed by a powerful tsunami...

The United Nations on Tuesday called for more global action to end nuclear testing, warning against the danger of “collective suicide”. In his message marking the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for key countries to ratify the international treaty that bans experiments for both peaceful and military purposes. “This year, we face an alarming rise in global...

In spite of again being denied full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has welcomed the call from the MSG Leaders’ Summit in Port Vila last week for Indonesia to allow the long-awaited visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to West Papua. “I hope that the MSG chair will...

Between 1957 and 1958, Fijian soldiers were deployed from the then-British colony of Fiji to Kiritimati (Christmas Islands), now part of the Republic of Kiribati, during the series of British nuclear tests, Operation Grapple. Christmas Island was chosen as a testing site for British nuclear weapons during the Cold War due to its remote location and relative isolation, which was...

Amid Pacific Island countries dealing with the impacts of nuclear testing and Japan's wastewater discharge, leaders came together to commemorate the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, voicing their ongoing concerns and renewing their commitment to international peace. Speaking on behalf of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) Government and its people at the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva on Tuesday,...

By Rowena Acraman The injustice and displacement experienced by island nations, such as the Marshall Islands, due to their involvement in nuclear testing during the 1950s continues to impact future generations, highlighting a distressing and recurring issue. The University of the South Pacific student (USP), Christy Kabua from the Marshall Islands, expressed her concerns for the future of her children during...

As the world commemorate ‘International Day Against Nuclear Tests’ sadly, nations continue to cling to their nuclear arsenals, perpetuating a dangerous status quo, says Forum Secretary General Henry Puna. “So as we strive towards accelerating global peace and security, we must continue to support the Marshall Islands’ calls for nuclear justice, and we must continue to uphold our Nuclear Free...

The United States has signed a new agreement with Palau, which gives American ships the authorisation to unilaterally enforce maritime regulations in the tiny Pacific island nation's exclusive economic zone, the U.S Coast Guard said Tuesday. The agreement comes as both the U.S. and China are seeking to expand their influence in the Pacific, and follows pleas from Palau's president...

Climate -vulnerable countries plan to set up national funds to help them tackle losses and damage caused by extreme weather and rising seas, which will collect money from different sources including wealthy governments, business, insurance and aid. The finance facilities will work with communities to prepare them to deal with worsening climate change impacts, said Ritu Bharadwaj, climate researcher at...