PINA

Papua New Guinea’s leadership is promising “cascading” benefits from growing military and security cooperation with the United States following the first visit by a sitting U.S defense secretary, while downplaying any risk to the country’s close economic ties to China. Prime Minister James Marape Thursday praised the PNG-U.S Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in May, agreeing with assessments by senior U.S...

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has shut the door on joining the AUKUS alliance, a military pact that's basing nuclear submarines in Australia. Mahuta has been hosting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who called into the Beehive ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup U.S-Netherlands game at Wellington Stadium. Parliament's brand new pou carvings were on display as...

The total number of court cases focused on climate action has more than doubled since 2017 and is growing worldwide, according to a new report published on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The trend indicates that climate litigation is becoming an integral part of the international push for greater climate action and justice. The Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023...

As crucial talks on the future of deep-sea mining enter their final days in Jamaica, the focus has moved away from what rules should look like to whether the extraction of valuable metals on the ocean floor should even take place – at least in the near future. For the first time in its history, member states of the International...

As crunch talks about the future of deep-sea mining enter the final stretch, governments have not yet been able to agree on the agenda for the meeting at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica. The stalemate is dragging on as attempts to formally discuss a precautionary suspension of mining activities have been thwarted by nations in favour of...

The French President has told Vanuatu leaders he will provide financial assistance to the country and look into the dispute over two small islands between Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Emmanuel Macron has left for Papua New Guinea after his visit to Port Vila. More than 4000 people welcomed him on Thursday evening to the 7th Melanesian Arts Festival in the capital. Vanuatu...

By Rep Ed Case (D-Hawaii) Successive administrations and congresses over two decades have moved to direct our foreign policy focus to the broad Indo-Pacific, from the U.S West Coast to the East Coast of Africa, Arctic to Antarctic. The increasing clarity and pace of the People’s Republic of China’s intentions, capabilities and actions throughout the region have sharpened our efforts. But our...

As wildfires raged across Southern Europe and North Africa, top UN climate scientists said on Thursday that it was “virtually certain” that July 2023 will be the warmest on record. Echoing that warning in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that “short of a mini-Ice Age” in coming days, July 2023 would likely “shatter records across the board”. “Climate change...

U.S Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Papua New Guinea leaders on Thursday to discuss developing the Pacific Island nation's military strength and deepening security ties, as the United States competes with China for influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Austin is the first U.S defence secretary to visit the nation of 10 million people that was fiercely fought over during...

Fiji's Attorney General Siromi Turaga has emphasised the critical necessity of a united and multidisciplinary approach to combat corruption. During the two-day Pacific Anti-Corruption Regional Conference, government officials, experts, and stakeholders from across the Pacific region have gathered to address one of the most pervasive and destructive challenges of our time – corruption. Turaga reiterated the responsibility lies collectively with all...