PINA

When activists, policymakers and representatives from across the globe gather next week in New York to participate in climate week, one pressing issue on the agenda that is less frequently discussed and known will be the environmental impact of seabed mining. As countries look for ways to lower emissions, critical minerals are playing a key role in that transition. Critical...

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” McClay said. Australia and New Zealand have strong trade and investment links with...

Seven Pacific Island nations - Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Tuvalu were among the 14 countries that voted against a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories without delay. The resolution, passed with 124 votes in favour, follows a July ruling by the...

New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Peters said. “The Israel-Palestine conflict has gone on for far too long and the suffering...

Niue is taking the lead to build a community of practice for National Designated Authorities (NDAs) from Pacific countries to share, learn from each other and build confidence to strengthen engagement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and accredited entities for climate action. Representatives from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands,...

Migrant women escaping exploitative work conditions are delivering babies prematurely then being slugged with hefty medical bills, while male counterparts are sleeping in tents in parks in regional New South Wales(NSW) in Australia. A landmark report from independent NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner James Cockayne found there are an estimated 16,400 people trapped in modern slavery in NSW. The commissioner called for an...

Pacific policing and Australia’s bid to host a major climate conference are top of mind as senior Australian ministers undertake a charm offensive in the region. Defence Minister Richard Marles is travelling to Vanuatu while Pacific Minister Pat Conroy is heading to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Marles will meet Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, his deputy Matai Seremaiah...

South Pacific nations are backing the Papua New Guinea NRL bid as they eye their own aspirations to compete in elite sporting competitions in multiple codes. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday the Australian Government and ARL Commission were at the pointy end of securing a $600 million(US$405 million) funding deal for PNG to enter the competition, likely in...

Papua New Guinea is set to make history by entering the NRL competition in a $600 million (US$405 million) expansion coup for rugby league. This masthead can reveal the federal government has reached an in-principle agreement with the ARL Commission as prime minister Anthony Albanese backs a 10-year funding plan for PNG to become the NRL’s 19th team. As first revealed...

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has raised concerns about persistent maladministration within the Fiji Rugby Union following recent tensions involving former Flying Fijians captain Waisea Nayacalevu and the union. Rabuka says that when issues of mismanagement at last year’s World Cup first came to his attention, he recognized ongoing administrative problems within the FRU. Waisea Nayacalevu had made claims about corruption...