PINA

China is expanding security partnerships with island states across the Pacific, according to American lawmakers and officials wary of the communist regime moving to curtail U.S influence in a critical region. “Through foreign assistance, elite capture, and robust public messaging campaigns, the PRC has moved aggressively to assert itself in the Pacific Islands,” Assistant Secretary Daniel Kritenbrink, the lead State...

The UN Secretary-General on Thursday called for “putting people first” by ending the stigma and discrimination around those who use drugs and the expansion of prevention and treatment programmes. In his message to the opening of the 67th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Secretary-General António Guterres said the proliferation of powerful street drugs and pharmaceutical misuse needs to...

Pacific police are stepping up the fight against organised crime groups attempting to launder illicit cash and facilitating other economic crime throughout the region, thanks to specialised training delivered by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The course, which commenced in February, was attended by 24 police officers from Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The initiative...

Kiribati's Minister for Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs, Martin Moretti, has declared the island nation’s dedication to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. At the 68th Session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW68), he welcomed the session's focus on addressing poverty and strengthening institutions with a gender perspective. “Kiribati acknowledges that gender equality and...

America’s military leaders in the Pacific are asking Congress for a surge in funding to keep their edge against China. The request comes in the form of an annual review Indo-Pacific Command sends lawmakers, listing what it thinks is necessary to stay the region’s top military power. Defence News obtained an unclassified copy of this year’s report, which requests around US$26.5...

By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist The existential threat posed by climate change remains the biggest concern for the new Tuvalu administration. The government is also about to launch a drive to better inform the people about the contents of a treaty with Australia and its leader is firm that the country is not getting into bed with Beijing. These are...

Samoa reaffirms its commitment to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and eliminating barriers, says Samoa Minister for Women Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo. In her country statement, at the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York she said this include ending violence against women and girls...

Papua New Guinea has become the 178th State to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. “A ban on nuclear testing is one of the most useful tools to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons," Izumi Nakamitsu, UN undersecretary general and high representative for Disarmament Affairs, said following Papua New Guinea's ratification of the treaty Wednesday. According to the CTBT Organisation...

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr briefed Palau’s leadership this week on the successful passage of the Compact Review Agreement through the United States Congress. This development marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two nations and represents a notable achievement for his administration. “Two things, the Compact Agreement funding was double that of the first offer and it passed...

Fiji's Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will be ineligible to contest any General Election until 2032. He was found guilty Thursday of one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice. According to the 2013 Fijian Constitution, individuals are barred from contesting an election if they have been convicted of any offense in the eight years prior to being nominated,...