PINA

The head of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant says details of the damage inside its reactors are only beginning to be known 12 years after it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, making it difficult to foresee when or how its decommissioning will be completed. The most pressing immediate task is to safely start releasing large amounts of...

By Richard Herr Contrary to some media reports, Fijian opposition leader Frank Bainimarama’s three-year suspension from parliament was not for an act of sedition. Rather, he was excluded from service to the parliament for something more prosaic—using unparliamentary language. Given accusations that what Bainimarama said amounted to treason or sedition, both of which are crimes in Fiji, it might be...

The world’s best men’s and women’s rugby sevens players will return to action in Vancouver this weekend with a three-day event from 03-05 March as the race for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series glory and the all-important Olympic qualification heats up. The 28 captains who will do battle for the highly coveted HSBC Canada Sevens crowns gathered on Wednesday on...

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) President Lambert Maltock and the FIFA President Gianni Infantino met in Paris this week for top level discussions on the future of football in Oceania. The meeting was also attended by OFC General Secretary Franck Castillo. The various high-level discussions included an update on the proposed OFC Professional League which will support OFC’s long-term goal of...

China has launched a centre for disaster risk reduction cooperation with Pacific Island countries. The southern Chinese city of Jiangmen will serve as a home base for exchanges. Officials hope the initiative will help shore up defence against climate change. Chinese Government Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries, Qian Bo, diplomats from the region and other senior officials attended the launch...

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged countries Wednesday to agree a “robust and ambitious” treaty to protect the high seas, as time starts to run out for negotiators. After 15 years of formal and informal talks, delegates have been meeting in New York since February 20 to discuss a text that aims to protect nearly half the planet. It is the...

The Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF) leaders announced plans to push ahead with the hiring of a professional Secretary-General for its secretariat office. The leaders made this announcement in its communique at the recently concluded meeting held from 15 -17 February in Pohnpei. Three presidents and six governors of island states and territories — Palau, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern...

Parts of Vanuatu are due to be battered by a new tropical cyclone named Kevin. The storm originated south of Solomon Islands on Wednesday and is expected to move south-east bringing gale force winds to Vanuatu tonight and later to New Caledonia. It comes as Vanuatu's capital Port Vila and northern islands survey the damage from Tropical Cyclone Judy, which is...

Tonga's Prime Minister acknowledged the strong commitment of Tonga's development partners and donors and said financial assistance is still needed to ensure a prosperous Tonga, on opening the Development Partners Forum 2023 this week. Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni in his opening address, said Tonga still needed increased access to financial assistance, to restructure and reduce debt burdens and scale up development...

The release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant has dominated recent discussions between representatives of Pacific island nations and Japan, with the government in Tokyo offering reassurances that the water will be treated to remove almost all harmful nuclides before it is pumped into the Pacific. The issue was top of the agenda when a high-level delegation...