PINA

By Kimberley Bernard  At the bottom of the globe sit the island nations of Australia and the 15 Pacific Island countries – internationally recognised and globally loved for their relaxed way of life, connection to crystal clear waters, and abundant marine life. The waters of the South Pacific hold the stories of tens of thousands of years of history and cultural...

New Flying Fijians coach Mick Byrne has announced his 33-member squad for the upcoming June/July Test. Byrne, who recently took the helm as the national coach, expresses his enthusiasm about the selected team, despite the difficult process of narrowing down the initial list of 55 players to the final 33. He said they’ve got a good mix of players from the...

Fijian Drua coach Mick Byrne says a strong foundation has been laid for the future of the franchise, and he takes pride in reflecting on how far both he and the team have come. He said that while it’s going to be a busy period for him after the Super Rugby season, his energy and undivided attention is currently being...

The Micronesia Islands Forum (MIF) 2024 concluded Tuesday with leaders committing to unity to navigate the complex issues facing the region. Following two days of presentations on issues ranging from workforce development and transportation to energy, education, healthcare, digitisation, and cybersecurity, leaders agreed on the next order of business—establishing a secretary general. “Each of us leaders have recognised the need to...

The U.S government has agreed to allow U.S territories to join the Pacific Islands Forum(PIF) as non-voting associate members, modifying an old policy that previously barred their participation in international organisations in “any capacity.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week wrote to Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios informing them that the U.S government has...

Palau Vice President Uduch Sengebau Senior called for an “enhanced organisational structure” and the inclusion of the American Pacific island territories in the larger Pacific Islands Forum. “What becomes clear is that the Micronesian Islands Forum(MIF) is rapidly emerging as a critical organisation for moving forward Micronesian issues both regionally and internationally,” Senior said in her closing remarks at the...

Following bilateral talks in Suva, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, have made a number of announcements aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two countries. Along with discussing a range of issues including defence and regional security, trade, and people-to-people links, Luxon has committed New Zealand to funding a number of initiatives as part of New...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has held talks with Nauru President David Adeang during a visit by the Pacific leader to Canberra. During a meeting at Parliament House on Wednesday, Albanese said Australia remained committed to being Nauru's development and security partner of choice. The two leaders also discussed Australia making further commitment on climate change, connectivity and co-operation through sport...

Papua New Guinea Speaker of Parliament, Job Pomat has made a ruling to disqualify the Private Business Committee (PBC) decision on the Motion of the Notice of the Vote of No Confidence and put it on the notice paper. Pomat has also said that he would go to court today to find out if the decision he made is correct. He...

Fossil-fuel companies are the “godfathers of climate chaos” and should be banned in every country from advertising akin to restrictions on big tobacco, the secretary general of the United Nations has said while delivering dire new scientific warnings of global heating. In a major speech in New York on Wednesday, António Guterres called on news and tech media to stop...