PINA

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook Papua New Guinea, damaging buildings, triggering landslides and killing at least five people. The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of 61km (38 miles), about 67km (41 miles) from the eastern town of Kainantu, on Sunday morning. Local member of parliament Kessy Sawang said at least two people were killed in...

- The Vanuatu Supreme Court has dismissed the urgent constitutional application of the 27 signatories of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Bob Loughman. Chief Justice Vincent Lanabek said that there were two issues that the Court identified which had to be determined by the court. He said the first issue is that there was a Council of Ministers' (COM) advice...

The leaders of nations and territories across the Pacific will be gathering from 12-14 September for the 12th Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL), titled “Puʻuhonua: The Pacific Way Forward.” Founded in 1980, the summit provides a rare opportunity for island leaders from the North and South Pacific, regardless of political status, to come together as equals to discuss and...

It's with deep sadness, respect, and gratitude that I, the Forum secretariat families and our Pacific nations join the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Across the UK, the Commonwealth and beyond, we honour the legacy of a remarkable monarch, mother, and world leader. Her lifelong commitment to the service of all her peoples across...

Fiji and Australia were crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 winners in the men’s and women’s events respectively as they both defeated reigning champions New Zealand in two exhilarating finals in Cape Town. The Flying Fijians claimed a third RWC Sevens title, their first since 2005, by beating an All Blacks side that won the last two tournaments with a...

The Albanese government has put great effort into repairing relations with Australia’s Pacific neighbours, which might explain its silence over what is happening in Kiribati. However, the Law Council, the Australian Bar Association and the Australian Judicial Officers Association (AJOA) have been making noise about the small island nation now having no judiciary. In May, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau suspended Chief...

Flags are flying at half mast across the Pacific and leaders are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who has died at the age of 96. The Queen visited the Pacific multiple times during her reign, with a visit a few months after her coronation to Fiji and Tonga, in December 1953. With the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch and Australia’s...

Telstra-owned Digicel Pacific is tracking ahead of financial expectations just a few months after the government-assisted takeover, and will tear out its Huawei-built equipment on its mobile infrastructure at its next refresh. Oliver Camplin-Warner, Telstra International chief executive, said the Papau New Guinea-based telco would only remove equipment from Chinese state-owned infrastructure company Huawei, like the then-Turnbull government told local...

Over 40 civil society organisations are today calling for greater transparency and a break from failed trade models as Ministers from 14 countries meet in Los Angeles today to discuss the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The IPEF is a proposed mega-regional trade and economic agreement that is being promoted by the United States. “The lack of transparency in the talks has...

Palau President Surangel Whipps, in Japan for a state visit, on Thursday voiced concern about attempts by Moscow and Beijing to change the international status quo by force, warning that such moves will increase military tensions and destabilise the global order. “Being a small country, and seeing what has happened in Ukraine, we value the rule of law, respecting boundaries,”...