PINA

Tonga will select a new Prime Minister on Christmas eve, 24 December following the resignation of Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, which was accepted by King Tupou VI Monday. During Monday's Parliament session, the King’s Private Secretary, Sione Fifita, announced the acceptance of Sovaleni's resignation. Speaker Lord Fakafanua then set a 14-day window for members of Parliament to nominate candidates for the top...

Vanuatu has reaffirmed its global leadership in climate action as the first country to launch a technical assistance programme under the Santiago Network for Loss & Damage. This historical achievement was announced by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), according to a statement from the Department of Climate...

The collapse of France's government has thrown New Caledonia into fresh uncertainty as it tries to recover from its worst civil unrest in decades. Hopes for a quick injection of financial support for rebuilding efforts are in limbo while leaders in New Caledonia wait for a successor to prime minister Michel Barnier. Barnier’s government lost a motion of no confidence in...

Law and order across the Pacific will be bolstered as Australia launches a state-of-the-art training and education facility. The new Australian Federal Police-led centre in Brisbane will be opened on Tuesday by Pacific leaders and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus. The centre will train new police and act as a coordination hub when Pacific nations require additional policing support in times of...

By Somit Dasgupta Whether the ICJ is able to provide some succour to the small island States or not remains to be seen. Its verdict won’t be binding, and, hence, immediate relief is unlikely After the battle at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the International Court of Justice...

Papua New Guinea's prime minister has confirmed he expects his nation's entry to the NRL to get the green light on Thursday, as officials prepare to turn a pipeline dream into a bona fide rugby league club. Speaking at an economic conference in Sydney, PNG leader James Marape launched his latest sponsorship pitch ahead of a crucial week for the...

Australia will get an effective veto right over Nauru entering a security agreement with another country under a pact that will prop up the Pacific nation's budget. The two countries will have to mutually agree to any engagement in Nauru's security, banking and telecommunications sectors and consult on outside engagement in other critical infrastructure. While it is yet to be seen...

In a dramatic political turn, Tonga’s Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has announced his resignation. The Prime Minister read out his resignation while the discussions surrounding his vote of no confidence were taking place in parliament. The Prime Minister was visibly emotional and repeatedly attempted to compose himself. Using figurative expressions in Tongans he surprised the House by asking the Speaker to...

By Adam Wolfenden Fiji's consideration of joining the regional free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus, raises critical questions about what it realistically expects to get out of it compared to what it will cost. Fiji previously has looked at the offer and decided against it, so what has changed? The previous Fijian government was at the table when PACER-Plus was negotiated...

By Lopeti Senituli The second Vote of No Confidence (VONC) in Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni and his Cabinet was tabled when Parliament reconvened on 25 November 2024. The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, instructed the parliamentary committee responsible for such matters to scrutinise it to see if it complied with parliamentary rules and whether it needed additional information before it be...