PINA

Japan’s “transparency” over its plan to release treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean this year has helped ease the region’s concerns over the discharge, the Pacific Islands Forum says. Tokyo intends to release more than 1 million tonnes of water from the crippled Fukushima plant this year. The Pacific’s latest response follows the leaders’ retreat in Fiji last week which...

Governments agreed on a way forward to update disease outbreak regulations ahead of meetings to draft new global guidelines for tackling pandemics, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Saturday. The two processes are complementary, guided by the imperative of making the world safer from communicable diseases and ensuring equitable responses to public health threats, said Ashley Bloomfield, former Director-General...

By Sarah Stubbings, ANZ Regional Executive, Pacific ANZ has been in the Pacific for more than 142 years. The region is an important part of ANZ’s international network and the bank plays a key role helping to position the Pacific region for future growth. Since starting my role as Regional Executive for the Pacific in August last year, I have been...

Three former Flying Fijians players will assist new Head Coach Simon Raiwalui for the Rugby World Cup in France this year. Raiwalui announced his assistant coaches in a press conference at Rugby House Monday. The Flying Fijians coach has roped in Seremaia Bai, former national prop Graham Dewes, and Senirusi Seruvakula as assistant coaches. Also included is Fijian Drua assistant coach Brad...

By Pita Ligaiula Former military spokesman retired Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini will be Fiji's next Permanent Representative to the United Nations (PRUN) in New York. He will replace Ambassador Satyendra Prasad who was appointed to the position in 2018. PACNEWS has been told by senior foreign ministry official that Tarakinikini has accepted the offer by Prime Minister and foreign Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to...

The Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat was held in Nadi, Fiji, on 24 February 2023, and was attended by Heads of State, Government, and Territories from the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu...

By Pita Ligaiula in Denarau Nadi Fiji's Prime Minister and outgoing Pacific Islands Forum Chair Sitiveni Rabuka says the Pacific solidarity has been restored after Kiribati President Taneti Maamau Friday signed the Suva Agreement. Rabuka said it has been an honour for him, personally, to have hosted his fellow Pacific Leaders in Nadi this week. “It was an opportunity to connect and...

By Pita Ligaiula in Denarau, Nadi A special meeting of leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum got off to a good start with the host country Fiji making a traditional presentation that sought to make amends of its past transgressions that had threatened the unity of the regional bloc. The ceremony of matanigasau involves the presentation of tabua, the whales...

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau says they are overjoyed to be back in the Pacific Island Forum. Speaking after his bilateral meeting in Nadi, in the margins of the Leaders Special retreat, Maamau said as Pacific Islanders they are stronger together as a family if they are united. Maamau said we also share many common resources that are part of the blue...

Pacific island leaders arrived in Fiji on Thursday for a two-day meeting to formalise the return of Kiribati to the 18-member regional bloc, amid tensions between China and the United States in the strategically located region. The meeting will also discuss Japan's plan to release treated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, which some Pacific islands...