PINA

One of the last of Papua New Guinea's founding fathers and one of the country's longest serving politicians, Sir Julius Chan, has died. Sir Julius passed away at his home in Huris, New Ireland province, where he has served as governor since 2007. In recent years, the 85-year-old has been commonly referred to as "one of the last founding fathers", after...

Against all odds one woman has secured a seat in Vanuatu's 52-member parliament. Marie Louis Paulette Milne, one of only seven women among 216 election candidates, secured 1227 votes to pip her closest rival Tony George Yasyas Ailir (who polled 1197 votes) for the final seat in the Port Vila Constituency. Marie Louis a former Deputy Mayor of Port Vila resigned...

New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister regrets the publicity surrounding his cancelled diplomatic meeting in Kiribati but insists they made strong efforts to ensure it took place. Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters’ visit to Kiribati early last week was cancelled due to the unavailability of the island nation’s President and Foreign Minister, Taneti Maamau. Peters...

Tonga's Prime Minister, Dr 'Aisake Eke, has announced a new Cabinet which includes four unelected representatives. According to the constitution, the Prime Minister can nominate no more than four unelected members to the Cabinet. Eleven ministers were selected, and they have officially commenced their duties, taking over from the caretaker cabinet that remained in place after Eke was elected by a...

The head of the United Nations has expressed concern about President Donald Trump’s decision to pause foreign assistance from the United States as his administration promotes its “America First” agenda. During a news conference on Monday, a spokesman for Antonio Guterres said the UN secretary-general had noted the policy change “with concern”. “He calls for additional exemptions to be considered to...

Leaders of five major political parties in Vanuatu — the Leaders Party, Graon mo Jastis Party (GJP), Vanua’aku Party (VP), Iauko Group, and the Reunification Movement for Change (RMC) have come together to sign an agreement to form the next government, according to Yumi Toktok Stret News. The signing ceremony in the capital, Port Vila, marks a significant step in...

The recent suspension of United States foreign aid is set to affect several key development programmes in the Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific region. On 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting U.S foreign development assistance for 90 days, in order to review the efficiency and alignment of aid programmes with U.S foreign policy. The...

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand's aid for Kiribati is being reviewed after its President and Foreign Minister cancelled a meeting with him. Terms of Reference for the review are still being finalised, and it remains unclear whether or not funding will be cut or projects already under way would be affected, with Peters' office saying...

Solomon Islands is preparing to host the Honiara Summit 2025, an international gathering focused on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.4: Conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. With the theme “Iumi tugeda delivering on SDG 14.4: Achieving Sustainable Fisheries” the Honiara Summit will bring together Pacific leaders, global experts and representatives from 24 –...

The cabinet has officially given the green light to the PNG media policy, which will soon be presented to Parliament for formal enactment. Minister for Information and Communication Technology Timothy Masiu, believes this policy will address the ongoing concerns about sensationalism, ethical standards, and the portrayal of violence in the media. In an interview with NBC News in Port Moresby,...