PINA

New Zealand Navy chief David Proctor warned an Anzac service in Hawaii of an “increasingly coercive state” challenging freedom and prosperity in the Pacific. Rear Admiral Proctor said: “When you look at what China is doing and their hugely significant additional spend on their military capability, particularly maritime capability, we in New Zealand can’t stand aside and say ‘nothing to...

Tonga’s human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth time on Monday, 01 May 2023. Tonga is one of 14 States to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming 43rd session from 01 to 12 May 2023. Tonga’s first, second and third UPR reviews...

By Subaskar Sitsabeshan, Outreach and Project Development Manager, Commonwealth Blue Charter Last month, the champion countries of the Commonwealth Blue Charter gathered in Ottawa, Canada to reflect on joint progress to date in advancing ocean sustainability, and to chart a course for the next phase of the Blue Charter. As Outreach and Project Development Manager for this flagship initiative, I...

The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) Annual General Meeting scheduled for Saturday in Lautoka is expected to be cancelled. FBC Sports has been reliably informed the AGM will not be held this week. According to sources, the FRU Board members have agreed to resign. New trustees are also expected to be announced next week. The present FRU Trustees include Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Alipate...

Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) President, Dr Robin Mitchell, opened the Melanesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum by encouraging athlete representatives to work for the best interests of the athletes they represent. “In terms of today's meeting, I just really want to wish you all the best,” he added. “COVID has affected the work of the athletes for the past two and a...

U.S senator for Lousiana John Kennedy has introduced the U.S and Pacific Islands Forum Partnership Act to promote diplomacy and combat Communist China’s increased aggression in the Pacific. The proposed legislation would solidify the establishment of a special envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). “Communist China aims to broaden its sphere of influence across southeast Asia, and America’s diplomacy in...

Australian Prime Minister says he will host the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney on 24 May. It will be the first time Australia has hosted the Quad Leaders’ Summit, and follows the Prime Minister’s attendance at the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo in May 2022. It will be the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit. The Prime Minister said he looks...

American Samoa has issued a public health emergency after an outbreak of measles has spread across the U.S territory. As of Tuesday, there has been one laboratory-confirmed case among an 8-year-old and 31 suspected and/or probable cases of the highly infectious disease, according to the Department of Health. During a press briefing, Dr Scott Anesi, the department’s lead epidemiologist, the suspected...

More than half the world is being left behind at the midpoint for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told Ambassadors in New York on Tuesday. Launching a special edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress report, he warned that their collective promise made in 2015 of a more green, just and equitable global...

New Ireland Province’s aspiration of attaining autonomy is slowing coming into fruition with the first reading on the proposed amendment to the Constitution on Autonomy which is expected to go through the next session of Papua New Guinea Parliament. Veteran politician and New Ireland Governor, Sir Julius, will present the amendment bill and is hopeful the House will give their...