PINA

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has outlined her government's ambition to “avert war and maintain peace” in the Indo-Pacific region Wong addressed the National Press Club in Canberra, saying Australia wants to ensure there is a "strategic equilibrium" in Asia where “no country dominates, and no country is dominated.” Wong said Monday that Australia did not want competition between the...

Climate change and warming ocean waters are causing tuna fisheries to migrate to international waters, away from a country’s jurisdiction, thereby putting the food and economic security of many Pacific Island countries and territories at risk. Now a Pacific Community (SPC) led regional initiative will help ensure that these countries are equipped to cope with climate change-induced tuna migration. “All the...

The importance of integrating traditional knowledge into climate science and services was highlighted during a briefing with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard’s Department’s Climate Division. It was through traditional knowledge that indigenous Pacific peoples were able to monitor weather patterns, particularly before the introduction of technology. It was how they were and continue to be resilient in the face of...

Fijian Drua Head Coach Mick Byrne has included 2020 Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Kalione Nasoko in his matchday 23 for the Super Rugby Pacific match against the Chiefs. It has been a long-awaited appearance on the matchday squad for Nasoko following a series of injuries through the Drua’s inaugural season last year. He is a potential debut this weekend, providing...

The Fijian Drua will don a special jersey to mark Culture Round of the 2023 Shop and Save Super Rugby Pacific season when they take on the Blues in Lautoka next week. Created by renowned local artist Anare Somumu, the jersey incorporates a series of specially designed Fijian masi motifs. Head of Athletic Performance and Drua cultural leader, Nacanieli Cawanibuka detailed...

“Climate change is our gravest concern and we continue to observe on an annual basis how this affects our region,” says Forum Deputy Secretary General Dr Filimon Manoni. Addressing the Forum Officials Subcommittee on Regional Security Tuesday, Dr Manoni said we now live in a highly complex world where layers of uncertainty are stacking up and interacting to unsettle our...

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to Samoa today, for bilateral meetings in Apia with the Government of Samoa. Mahuta will be joined in Samoa by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, James Cleverly “Aotearoa New Zealand is a committed partner to Samoa, and I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister...

Fiji deputy Prime Minister and Minister for External Trade, Manoa Kamikamica says the relocation of Fijian villages and settlement is not something the Government wants to do but is the last resort in response to the most extreme impacts of climate change. Speaking at the official launch of Fiji’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Planned Relocation in Suva, Kamikamica said...

In a major crackdown on distribution of methamphetamine in Papua New Guinea, six police officers from National Capital District (NCD) and Central are now facing court over their alleged involvement in the distribution, trafficking and consumption of meth. From the six officers, four have been granted court bail while the other two are remanded in Bomana prison. All six were charged...

Fiji was facing a debt issue before the COVID-19 pandemic and three tropical cyclones hit the country and made things worse, says the World Bank. “For a country as exposed to external shocks as Fiji, the pre-COVID debt level was already considered on the high side,” the World Bank said in its Fiji Public Expenditure review released Tuesday. The World Bank...