PINA

The Biden administration said Friday that the U.S will open an Embassy in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu in its latest move to blunt China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific. The new embassy in Port Vila will be the fifth diplomatic mission that the U.S has either opened or announced that it will build in the region over...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has met the United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in a whistle-stop visit to Washington, DC. The Prime Minister has been photographed with Sherman on her Twitter account, and a statement from her office issued says the two “discussed deepening the bilateral relationship between the...

As meetings to oversee deep-sea mining on the high seas draw to a close, it remains unclear whether regulators will allow it to commence in the near future. At the 07-31 March meetings in Kingston, Jamaica, of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the UN-associated body responsible for regulating deep-sea mining in international waters, delegates were divided on this key issue....

The Marshall Islands is making use of a “maritime domain awareness platform” developed by a New Zealand company to identify suspected illegal fishing activity in the western Pacific. Information gleaned by Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority fisheries surveillance officers led to Thailand banning a tuna carrier vessel from unloading its US$7 million cargo last month based on concern for alleged...

In the wake of last month’s Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji, Professor Steven Ratuva looks at the historical, political and ideological challenges that are undermining and tainting the mana of the Pacific. By Steven Ratuva The free-flowing New Zealand pinot noir, the multicoloured Fijian bula shirts, the radiant Pacific smiles, the “family” photo sessions, the brotherly and sisterly bear hugs,...

It was a day to remember for the Fijian Drua and the Fijiana Drua franchises as registered wins in front of home fans for the very first time in Suva Saturday. And they did not only host but both teams managed good wins against the Melbourne Rebels teams. The Fijiana Drua set the pace with a convincing 39-12 win over the...

Transgender or athletes with "Differences of Sexual Development" (DSD) will be allowed to compete at the Pacific Games or Mini Games if the relevant international federation allows them to, the head of the Pacific Games Council says. On 24 March, World Athletics announced new regulations that would completely bar transgender male-to-female athletes from participating in its competitions. The governing body also...

Leroy Carter beat the dead-ball line and two defenders in a high-speed chase as New Zealand raced to a big early lead in the first half before Fiji hit back from 90 metres out. Cody Vai had opened the scoring with just 30 seconds on the clock as the All Blacks Sevens opened with a statement of intent, with co-captain...

One of the world’s most important courts will advise states on their responsibilities for curbing global emissions and the legal consequences of inaction, following unprecedented consensus on the subject at the UN. At a General Assembly meeting in New York Wednesday, governments approved a resolution recognising the huge challenge of climate change and calling on the International Court of Justice...

The carbon credit industry has successfully fought off a push by some of the most climate vulnerable nations to place a mandatory levy on carbon offsets to fund climate change adaptation measures. The Alliance of Small Island developing States (AOSIS) wanted new guidelines on carbon credits to recommend that a mandatory five percent levy on carbon credit revenues. The money...