PINA

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the prime minister and his Solomon Islands counterpart will discuss important regional issues amid concerns about Honiara relationship with Beijing. Such concerns include threats to ban foreign journalists critical of the Chinese government. Dr Chalmers told reporters before the meeting that the face-to-face was "an important opportunity ... talk about all of the issues we confront". “You...

Fiji's ruling party,FijiFirst has introduced its first batch of 20 proposed candidates for the 2022 General Election. The lineup includes former Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Viliame Naupoto, former Land Transport Authority CEO Naisa Tuinaceva, former journalist Aliki Bia and former Police Chief and High Commissioner Iowane Naivalarua. The other proposed candidates are lawyer Ratu Josefa Niudamu, Sugar Cane Growers...

Papua New Guinea Justice Minister and Attorney General Pila Niningi, has announced that Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, has stepped down from official duties for an indefinite period, as of Wednesday 05 October 2022. Minister Niningi says that this was done to protect the integrity of the office of the Chief Justice, following the arrest of his daughter, and a...

The first physical meeting of the Pacific Island Regional Climate Centre (RCC) was commissioned in Apia with a call on delegates to work together in the Pacific Way to find solutions to help the region overcome the “climate emergency.” The call came from the Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Sefanaia Nawadra, during the...

-Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says respect for their sovereignty was likely among the reasons why Pacific leaders accepted an offer of partnership from the U.S, after earlier shelving China's. “For many Pacific countries emerging from COVID, fighting climate change and with increased debt, we would be looking for support from all corners,” Brown told the ABC's Pacific Beat...

Nuclear powers have criticized an effort led by the Marshall Islands at the United Nations to seek help on dealing with the consequences of nuclear testing, sources following the talks involving countries including the United States, Britain, Russia, India and China told Reuters. Pacific islanders, who are particularly threatened by rising sea levels from climate change, are becoming more vocal...

Kiribati will put another three New Zealand judges before a tribunal for misconduct, as Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta warns of “constitutional issues” in the Pacific nation. The Kiribati government has been waging a campaign against the country’s judiciary after attempting to prevent High Court judge David Lambourne – the husband of the country’s opposition leader – from entering the country,...

The re-establishment of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regional mission for the Pacific in Suva Fiji, will expand the presence and support of USAID in Fiji and Pacific. It is a landmark achievement in the U.S and Fiji’s commitment to build a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security and social inclusion and prosperity. This was articulated at...

The Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley says he has to live under the ambiguous provisions of the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA) 2010 “from Monday to Sunday”. He said this while speaking at the sixth Pacific Media Summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands last week. Wesley pointed out provisions in the law that said no media organisation in Fiji could publish materials...

By Anthony Bergin and Neil Baird Marine safety and sea transport are major concerns for the Pacific islands region. The island states have a high level of dependence on inter-island transport for the movement of both goods and people. All Pacific peoples benefit from their access to affordable, safe and reliable sea transport. As Sam Bateman argued many years ago,...