PINA

New Zealand will return to the World Cup for the first time in 16 years after overcoming early nerves to beat New Caledonia 3-0 and book a place in Canada-Mexico-USA. The Kiwis were made to work in their Oceania playoff, held goalless in the first half and losing captain Chris Wood to a hip injury early in the second. New Caledonia...

Papua New Guinea's national cabinet is facing a fierce backlash after resolving to expedite what has been called a “grand shopping list” of projects, including the development of a space agency. Seventy projects are outlined in a confidential cabinet decision that has been seen and verified by the ABC. The list includes acquiring a luxury island in partnership with a Congolese...

Pacific leaders have made it clear that people from non-governmental organisations will not be part of every meeting. Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa clarified this after questions were raised about not allowing Civil Society Organisations in a talanoa regarding the deep-sea minerals which only involved leaders. Waqa stressed that while they value the contributions of CSOs, some matters are best discussed...

Donald Trump's 90 day pause on all USAID funding threw the sector into chaos. As the administration assesses which programme are considered suitable use of funds, it's clear one area doesn't fit that brief: climate change. It's also the biggest issue in the Pacific. On the 20th of January, the news came. The world's biggest aid donor was pausing ALL funding...

The Australian federal election looms as a pivotal opportunity for advocates seeking to mobilise voters on climate change action. Joseph Sikulu, Pacific director for 350.org, views it as a chance to push Australia on its ambition as a “big brother nation” to the climate-vulnerable Pacific region. But there are fresh challenges facing the Pacific Climate Warriors, as they are also known,...

Vanuatu Prime Minister has instructed the Citizenship Commission to identify where funds generated under the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP) are held or have been invested. The Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programme allows foreign investors to gain Vanuatu citizenship by making a significant investment in the local economy, through approved capital investment projects. According to the Citizenship Commission, the CIIP programmes have attracted...

Academics, students and regional leaders mark Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus. “My Fish is Your Fish” serves as a powerful reminder of the shared responsibility we all carry to protect our environment and our people, especially in the Pacific region, where the consequences of nuclear testing are still deeply felt. This was the...

The Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signaled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum. PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the UN-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement...

By Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Environment, Republic of Vanuatu Vanuatu stands with the 6PAC+ alliance at the IMO that includes the Pacific, the Caribbean, Africa, and many SIDS and LDCs. We stand with those who refuse to let another decade slip by while emissions rise, while climate disasters intensify, while polluters walk away without consequence. The time...

By Edward Carver Fisheries observers hold a job little known by the general public but essential to the health of the oceans: monitoring the work on industrial fishing vessels. The sector has its share of illegal fishing and even other illicit activity, so the job comes with risks. A new documentary shows just how dangerous it is. Fatal Watch, co-directed by...