PINA

A mass casualty event is feared in Port Vila, after a major earthquake struck Vanuatu's capital, destroying buildings. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck just off the coast of Vanuatu's major island of Efate on Tuesday afternoon. Locals reported on social media feeling violent shaking for around 30 seconds. Posts to social media, which AAP is yet to verify, show seriously damaged buildings,...

Interim President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Benny Wenda has condemned the mass displacement of West Papuans as Indonesian military operations intensify across the region, calling it evidence of President Prabowo Subianto’s violent agenda. “Thousands of my people are being forced to flee their homes this Christmas,” Wenda said, citing military incursions in Yahukimo, Maybrat, and...

Victoria Police and the Australian Workers Union (AWU) are urging Pacific Islander seasonal workers to take care while driving, as new figures reveal PALM workers are six times more likely to die on Australia's roads. The AWU has also reiterated calls on workers and employers to ensure PALM workers are well-versed with driving rules. Figures obtained by the ABC reveal at...

Countries including the US successfully resisted Africa’s push for a legally binding drought protocol at the “land COP” in Riyadh Governments have failed to agree on a global mechanism for tackling drought at a United Nations conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, despite warnings from scientists of an environmental crisis unfolding beneath our feet. Talks at the COP16 conference of...

A new report says small island developing states (SIDS) are particularly susceptible to the health consequences of climate change. The report, for the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, lists almost all Pacific island countries and territories as SIDS. “Climate change is already deeply affecting the health of people living in SIDS,” the report said. “Data from the past 70 years...

Fiji's deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka remains optimistic that the recent suspected alcohol poisoning incident at the Warwick Fiji Resort will not have a negative impact on Fiji’s tourism industry. Gavoka reassures travelers that Fiji continues to be a safe and welcoming destination for visitors, emphasising that the investigation into the incident is ongoing and authorities are...

By Marjorie Cohn The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has just completed hearings on the climate crisis in a case that could have critical consequences for the survival of future generations. From 02-13 December, more than 100 states and organisations argued before the ICJ in landmark litigation that began five years ago when Pacific Islander law students initiated a grassroots...

The U.S is advancing the fortification of its territory closest to China with the arrival of the first Marines from Okinawa and its first interceptor missile test in Guam last week. About 100 Marines from Japan landed on Saturday, the vanguard of about 5,000 due to be relocated to Guam under a security treaty with the U.S. The U.S successfully downed...

Solomon Islands MP for Central Honiara, Gordon Darcy Lilo, Monday withdrawn his Motion of No Confidence against Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, citing insufficient support from fellow Parliamentarians. Lilo acknowledged his inability to secure the numbers needed to challenge the Prime Minister’s leadership during a parliamentary session. “I don’t have the number. The number has retracted. But the number out there are...

Samoa called for “immediate cessation of wrongdoing” when it appeared before the International Court of Justice hearing last week highlighting growing global consensus on climate accountability. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the World Court is the only international court adjudicating general disputes between nations and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. Located in the Hague, Netherlands the historic...