PINA

By Nic Maclellan Months after his defeat in July’s National Assembly elections, French President Emmanuel Macron has finally appointed a new prime minister and government. Meanwhile, New Caledonia’s crisis has continued—with regional implications for Australia and Pacific neighbours. On 05 September, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as French prime minister, calling on him to form “a unifying government to...

Senior, former and current players of the Flying Fijians have raised questions about the whereabouts of the €600k (FJD$1.78 million) from the Rugby World Cup. This amount was allocated by World Rugby to teams that qualified for the quarterfinals of last year’s Rugby World Cup in France. During a Zoom call with FBC Sports, the players were asked if they had...

Oceania Rugby is thrilled to announce the launch of the first-ever Match Official High Performance Camp in Nadi, Fiji, marking a significant milestone for World Rugby. This exciting event gathers match officials from across the Oceania region to enhance their skills, share knowledge, and elevate officiating standards in rugby. This program is being supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs...

Tonga’s Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, made a resounding call for urgent and transformative climate action during the Summit of the Future at the United Nations. Speaking on behalf of the 18 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum, Sovaleni highlighted the existential threat posed by climate change to the Pacific region and...

Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, delivered a strong plea at the Summit of the Future, calling for urgent global action to tackle the existential threats faced by small island developing states (SIDS). Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Mata’afa highlighted the stark reality of climate change, debt, and economic instability as key challenges that...

In a world grappling with climate change, financial instability and social inequities, Tuvalu stands at the frontline of these pressing challenges. At the Summit of the Future, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo delivered a passionate plea, emphasising the existential threat climate change poses to his small Pacific atoll nation. “For Tuvalu, climate change-induced sea level rise is the greatest and most...

The President of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere has urged world leaders to urgently reshape international cooperation amidst a series of escalating global crises. In his address at the Summit of the Future, President Katonivere highlighted the multiple challenges facing the world today, including conflicts, climate change, stalled development, and failing ecosystems, with the most vulnerable populations suffering the consequences. “The world...

As the Pacific Resilience Meeting: Managing Climate and Disaster Risk for a Resilient Pacific unfolds, leaders and stakeholders from across the region have gathered to tackle the urgent challenges posed by climate change, a daily reality for Pacific Island nations. Pacific Islands Forum Acting Secretary General, Esala Nayasi emphasised the urgency of the situation, recalling last month’s Leaders’ annual meeting...

Papua New Guinea's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko, has laid down a bold challenge to global leaders in a powerful address ‘We do not need rhetorical statements and unmet pledges’ at the High-Level Meeting on the Summit of the Future in New York. “The lackluster progress for the Sustainable Development Goals, at just seventeen percent, seen globally, including in...

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says his next trip to the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) is when the Pacific Islands Forum adopts his ‘Ocean for Peace’ policy that was proposed at the 53rd Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Tonga last month. Speaking at the ‘Launch of Fiji’s Foreign Policy White Paper’ Rabuka said in his address to the UNGA Meeting...