PINA

The European Union (EU) has given a further 18 months’ extension to allow time for the Vanuatu Government to complete reforming its Citizenship Programme. This follows a letter from Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau seeking a six months’ extension. The 18 months’ extension will end on the 3rd of August 2024. The EU Council made this decision on the 1st of December...

-The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is calling on all countries to play their part to prevent a “catastrophic” war in the Indo-Pacific region. Amid increasing tensions between the U.S and China, Wong warned in London on Tuesday that the region was becoming “more dangerous and volatile”. She also welcomed the UK’s increased involvement in the Indo-Pacific despite the ongoing...

The influential negotiating bloc of small island developing States will now be headed by a Pacific country, commemorated during the official handover from the outgoing Chair, Antigua and Barbuda. At a special Plenary meeting on Monday 30th January 2023 featuring the official handover ceremony, the reigns of leadership of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) were handed over by...

The 17 members of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC), its President Dr Robin Mitchell, Vice President Baklai Temengil-Chilton, Secretary-General Ricardo Blas and the ONOC Executive Board support the statement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Solidarity with Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and the status of athletes from these countries. ONOC supports the three parts of the...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor The Government of Kiribati will re-join the Pacific Islands Forum this year, following what it calls ‘fruitful and positive’ discussion with Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka in Tarawa a week ago, last Friday. A government statement issued by the Office of the President confirmed that the Pacific nation has formally endorsed to return to the Suva-based...

By Samantha Magick, Islands Business Forum Chair, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says his office has now received a letter confirming this intention from Kiribati President, Taneti Maamau. Rabuka visited Kiribati just over a week ago, as his first official overseas visit since taking office. At that time, he said bringing Kiribati back to the Forum was the visit’s overall...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor President of the Pacific Islands News Association, Kora Nou today warmly welcomed the new Fijian Government’s immediate push to revisit and review the current media laws in Fiji. “This is a highly commendable undertaking by the new coalition Government of Fiji. “As the premier umbrella media organisation in the region, we warmly welcome this undertaking by the...

Chris Hipkins was sworn in Wednesday as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister, following the unexpected resignation last week of Jacinda Ardern. Hipkins, 44, has promised a back-to-basics approach focusing on the economy and what he described as the “pandemic of inflation.” He will have less than nine months before contesting a tough general election, with opinion polls indicating his Labour Party...

Vanimo-Green River MP Belden Namah has condemned the manner in which West Papua Governor Lucas Enembe was arrested and detainted by the Indonesian government. Namah, whose electorate borders the West Papua province of Indonesia, raised concerns at what he described as an ‘apparent inhumane treatment of Governor Enembe’. He said the manner of Gov Enembe’s arrest and detention is reprehensible, inhumane...

The Vanuatu Chief Justice has confirmed that court records were lost in the ransomware attack on government agency computer systems late last year. Vincent Lunabek said the courts were able to save some offline data concerning the registration and completion of cases as of the end of October 2022. Justice Lunabek said during November and December, when the government network had...