PINA

Coup leader George Speight and former Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Unit soldier Shane Stevens were granted presidential pardons and released from Fiji's correctional facility today. The decision, made by the Mercy Commission on 18 September 2024, comes 24 years after Speight led the 2000 coup that shook the nation. Stevens, who was involved in the deadly mutiny at Queen Elizabeth Barracks...

Countries must use a once-in-a-generation UN summit to address current and emerging global challenges and reform outdated international institutions, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in New York. Guterres was speaking as negotiations for the Summit of the Future, which opens at UN Headquarters on Sunday, enter the final stretch. “I have one overriding message today: an appeal to Member States...

When activists, policymakers and representatives from across the globe gather next week in New York to participate in climate week, one pressing issue on the agenda that is less frequently discussed and known will be the environmental impact of seabed mining. As countries look for ways to lower emissions, critical minerals are playing a key role in that transition. Critical...

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” McClay said. Australia and New Zealand have strong trade and investment links with...

Seven Pacific Island nations - Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Tuvalu were among the 14 countries that voted against a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories without delay. The resolution, passed with 124 votes in favour, follows a July ruling by the...

New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Peters said. “The Israel-Palestine conflict has gone on for far too long and the suffering...

Niue is taking the lead to build a community of practice for National Designated Authorities (NDAs) from Pacific countries to share, learn from each other and build confidence to strengthen engagement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and accredited entities for climate action. Representatives from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands,...

Migrant women escaping exploitative work conditions are delivering babies prematurely then being slugged with hefty medical bills, while male counterparts are sleeping in tents in parks in regional New South Wales(NSW) in Australia. A landmark report from independent NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner James Cockayne found there are an estimated 16,400 people trapped in modern slavery in NSW. The commissioner called for an...

Pacific policing and Australia’s bid to host a major climate conference are top of mind as senior Australian ministers undertake a charm offensive in the region. Defence Minister Richard Marles is travelling to Vanuatu while Pacific Minister Pat Conroy is heading to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Marles will meet Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, his deputy Matai Seremaiah...

South Pacific nations are backing the Papua New Guinea NRL bid as they eye their own aspirations to compete in elite sporting competitions in multiple codes. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday the Australian Government and ARL Commission were at the pointy end of securing a $600 million(US$405 million) funding deal for PNG to enter the competition, likely in...