PINA

Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa, Thursday emphasised the vital role aviation plays in the region’s future, calling it not just a mode of transport, but a lifeline for island economies. Speaking to aviation ministers from across the Pacific, Waqa highlighted importance of connectivity in a region facing unprecedented geostrategic competition and the growing threat of climate change. “You meet at...

Australian deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles met with Minister for Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat in Cairns Thursday to mark the return of Vanuatu’s Guardian-class Patrol Boat, RVS Takuare. RVS Takuare has been undergoing repairs to the hull and an internal fit-out after the vessel suffered catastrophic damage during Cyclone Kevin in 2023. This marks an important milestone...

Growing up in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, Oemwa Johnson heard her grandfather’s stories about nuclear explosions he witnessed in the 1950s. The blasts gave off ferocious heat and blinding light. He told her people were not consulted or given protective gear against bombs detonated by the U.S and UK at Kiritimati Island, now part of Kiribati, decades ago. People in...

Kirsty Coventry hopes her election as the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee - beating six male candidates including Britain's Lord Coe - sends a “"powerful signal”. The 41-year-old former swimmer, who won two Olympic gold medals, secured a majority of 49 of the 97 available votes in the first round of Thursday's election, while World...

Op-Ed by Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau, President of Palau The ocean is in our blood. Nearly 99 percent of my country's territory is made up of its vast waters. From the rich tuna fisheries that sustain our economies to the coral reefs that shield our coastlines, the ocean defines our identity. Yet the threats it faces, including illegal fishing,...

The Vanuatu Government, through the Citizenship Commission, has suspended all new applications under the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP) until further notice. This has been confirmed by the newly appointed Chairman of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission (VCC), Charles Maniel. CIIP is a Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programme that requires foreign investors to make a significant contribution to the local economy through approved capital...

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has commended the Marshall Islands for signing the Treaty of Rarotonga and reaffirms its nuclear-free intentions ahead of the leaders’ summit in September. Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa, who attended the Republic of the Marshall Islands Nuclear Remembrance Day, says witnessing their signing to the Treaty of Rarotonga was “a plus”. The Treaty of Rarotonga signed nearly...

This week, Tuvalu has officially received three 3D Atoll Models for Funafuti, Nanumea, and Nanumaga. The models were handed over to Prime Minister of Tuvalu Feleti Teo, by Dr Stuart Minchin, Director-General of the Pacific Community (SPC). These models represent decades of dedicated scientific and technological collaboration between SPC and the Government of Tuvalu. Dr Minchin emphasised that while the Pacific...

The effects of human-driven climate change surged to alarming levels in 2024, with some consequences likely to be irreversible for centuries - if not millennia – according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The latest State of the Global Climate report confirms 2024 as the hottest year since records began 175 years ago, with a global...

U.S Congresswoman Amata Radewagen, who represents American Samoa, has urged the Trump administration to reopen most of an enormous marine protected area in the Central Pacific Ocean to industrial fishing while also recommending the reopening of other Pacific MPAs. In a 23 January letter to President Donald Trump, Radewagen called for his administration to open the vast majority of the...