PINA

Great news coming from Oceania, where two prominent Olympic lifters were elected to the presidency of their respective National Olympic Committees: in Cook Islands, Luisa Peters is the new NOC leader, while in Samoa Jerry Wallwork will be at the helm of the country’s Olympic body. Luisa Peters is a member of the IWF Athletes Commission and is also sitting...

French Polynesia’s president has issued a stark warning over the risks of deep-sea mining, saying it will be allowed in his territory “over my dead body” as he argues the potential for environmental damage outweighs any benefits. Moetai Brotherson’s comments to the Guardian come as countries in the Pacific and elsewhere grapple with whether to extract minerals from the sea...

Pacific Island representatives are meeting in Palau this week to coordinate their approach ahead of the first United Nations Preparatory Meeting on the Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, set for April in New York. Palau’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment Steven Victor urged Pacific nations to stand together and ensure their priorities are reflected...

Pope Francis has passed a decree clearing the way for Papua New Guinea to get its first saint. The late Peter To Rot from East New Britain is to be canonised, making him the first Melanesian saint. The announcement comes four months after Pope Francis visited PNG and held a service in the rural town of Vanimo. Peter To Rot was executed...

France's Minister for Overseas Territories, Manuel Valls, is on a four-day New Caledonia to support efforts to shape the archipelago’s future, as fresh negotiations aim to bridge political divides and foster stability. Valls took a significant step towards shaping the Pacific territory’s institutional future when he presented a draft agreement to both pro-independence and loyalist political delegations on Sunday. His visit...

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister has not committed to backing Bougainville's independence — saying it could set a "dangerous precedent in a nation of so much diversity" and that a proper process must be followed. It comes six months after former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae was sent in to try and resolve a stalemate between the leaders of...

Papua New Guinea Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has ruled that Parliament’s decision to disallow a second motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister was unconstitutional. The ruling, delivered by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Salika, cantered on a motion filed by deputy Opposition Leader and Chuave MP, James Nomane. The court declared: *The Private Business Committee’s decision...

Compensation for households and businesses with proven damages due to the power outages is one of the issues now open under the Samoa State of Emergency declared Mondayu for 30 days. Tax and import duties will also be lifted for generators and other electricity-related equipment, including renewable energy systems procured by EPC, households, businesses and organisations for electricity generation. Prime Minister...

The Embassy of Nauru in the People's Republic of China was officially inaugurated in Beijing on Monday, marking a significant milestone in the development of bilateral relations. Nauru's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Nauru resumed its diplomatic ties with China on the basis of the...

By Wesley Morgan Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election. Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United...