PINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged economic and technical aid with “no political preconditions” for Solomon Islands – Beijing’s first close security partner in the strategically important South Pacific. Meeting Solomons’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing on Monday, Xi said: “Although our friendship arrived belatedly, it is leading the way in relations between China and the Pacific Islands.” “China supports...

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing. Xi said as China and Pacific island countries are all developing countries, they should strengthen mutual help and assistance under the framework of South-South cooperation. He pointed out that China fully respects the sovereignty and independence of Pacific island countries, and upholds...

Controversial proposals to allow deep-sea mining will be centre-stage at global talks in Jamaica from Monday. It comes after a two-year ban on the practice expired when countries failed to reach agreement on new rules. Scientists fear a possible "goldrush" for precious metals beneath the oceans could have devastating consequences for marine life. But supporters argue that these minerals are needed if...

Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high in May, June, and July – and the warming El Niño weather pattern is only just getting started – experts at the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Monday. Alarm bells have been rung at the UN agency in particular because of an “unprecedented peak” in sea surface temperatures in the...

Sea-level rise represents one of the most compelling consequences of climate change, as well as one of the most critical issues for Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Government representatives, members of civil society, researchers and climate change practitioners have gathered in Fiji for a regional workshop on “Adapting Coastal Cities and Territories to Sea Level Rise in the Pacific”. Held...

Eighty Solomon Islands athletes selected to undertake intensive training in China departed the country last week. The athletes will spend 90 days intensive training in China to prepare them physically and mentally to compete in the 2023 Pacific Games on their return. The 80 athletes are our representatives in Seven of the Twenty-Four sports at the upcoming Pacific Games. Farewelling the...

Tonga's national rugby team, ‘Ikale Tahi, is training hard ahead of its match against Australia A on home soil on Friday, 14 July, at Teufaiva Stadium. The strong team of rugby players who arrived last week, held an open training session on Friday, 7 July, and in support of Child Cancer, delighted young fans when they met them and signed...

Nauru is a small Pacific island 4,000km (2,485 miles) off the coast of Australia. It is so small, it has no capital city and just one road. But its roughly 12,000 inhabitants are at the heart of a conflict over mining the world’s sea beds for precious minerals. The clash pits differing views about how to tackle climate change. Nauru’s government...

North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. “The just international community must not sit and watch the evil, anti-humanitarian and belligerent action by the corrupt force that is trying to disrupt humanity’s home of the blue planet – and must unite to thoroughly stop...

Nauru wants permission to mine the ocean floor for critical minerals used to make batteries for the global transition to net zero, saying it would give the tiny Pacific nation the chance of economic survival with the end of offshore processing. Potato-sized nodules laden with some metals, including cobalt, manganese and nickel, required to make the batteries needed for electric...