PINA

The experiences and challenges facing Pacific journalists attempting to uphold freedom of expression and information across the region, will be captured for the first time in an inaugural survey of Pacific media freedoms, For us By us. About us. Launched today by the regional media freedoms watchdog, Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), the survey asks journalists in 14 Pacific countries excluding...

The South West Pacific Heads of Maritime Forces (SWPHMF) met Wednesday in an exclusive meeting in Nuku’alofa, held at the Leadership Centre, Masefield Naval Base. “This meeting is a chance for the heads of maritime forces to share knowledge, skills, and action plans to ensure the safety of the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific,” said Commander of Tonga...

Australia urged China to avoid “coercion” in the Pacific Islands and to be “more transparent in the aid” it provides on Wednesday, acknowledging a "state of permanent contest" between Beijing and the West. Australia's Pacific minister Pat Conroy said new economic opportunities for Pacific Island nations should not be “accompanied by coercion and interference”. “We want to see a region where...

Tonga has the backing of Pacific economic ministers to host the regional community resilience financing facility. The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) was endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders to make it easier for Pacific Island nations to access climate financing for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and early disaster response projects. “The Pacific Resilience Facility is our own,” PIF secretary...

Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has rejected claims that there is a foreign affairs ministerial portfolio standoff which poses a threat to the upcoming Pacific leaders meeting. Tonga is hosting Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Summit at the end of this month. Earlier this year, Tonga's King Tupou VI disapproved of the government's appointment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a...

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the constitution is a respected document meant to bring the Fijian people together. This comes as momentum builds within Parliament to try and amend the current constitution. The Prime Minister said there needs to be a shift of these discussions only confined to political settings. Rabuka said the importance of public engagement in any deliberations concerning...

Competing at the Olympics is a milestone, but finishing in the top five is the icing on the cake. Papua New Guinea lifter and three-time Olympian, Morea Baru, expressed this sentiment after his impressive performance at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Baru finished fifth in the Men's 61kg Weightlifting event at South Paris Arena 6, ahead of competitors from Georgia and...

The Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) faces significant financial challenges that threaten its operations, said Secretary-General Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti at the 117th Session of the OACPS Council of Ministers last month. “Our temporary headquarters prevents us from holding in-person sessions, and our dire financial situation doesn't allow us to hire conference facilities,” Chikoti said. Chikoti emphasised three...

COVID-19 infections are surging worldwide - including at the Olympics - and are unlikely to decline anytime soon, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Tuesday. The UN health agency is also concerned that more severe variants of the coronavirus may soon be on the horizon. “COVID-19 is still very much with us,” and circulating in all countries, Dr Maria Van...

The EU Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, has reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to the region during this week's Pacific ACP (PACP) official meeting. She emphasised the Samoa Agreement’s Pacific Protocol, detailing the institutional framework being established to enhance cooperation. “We are working on setting up a Pacific-EU Council of Ministers and a Joint Committee. Once we finalise the details,...