PINA

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has welcomed the inclusion of all Forum members to the inaugural White House meeting with President Biden on 28-29 September 2022. “The current strategic environment has seen growing international interest and partnerships with our Blue Pacific region emerging and it is important we continue to ensure these partnerships are built on genuine engagement...

Pacific atoll nations on Wednesday launched a new global partnership to preserve their sovereignty and heritage as their countries disappear under rising seas triggered by climate change. The Rising Nations Initiative was announced at an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly by Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano and President David Kabua of the Marshall Islands, with countries...

Former Fiji Opposition MP Salote Radrodro has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Suva. Radrodro was charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) with one count of giving false information to a public servant and one count of obtaining a financial advantage. High Court judge Justice Dr Thushara Kumarage found...

By Sanjeshni Kumar Pacific youths have amplified their efforts to save their island homes and are calling on the world’s biggest emitters to commit to meaningful climate actions. This as greenhouse gas emissions increase annually while those responsible for burning most fossil fuels do not experience the most direct consequences of climate change. Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) Campaigner,...

During a private meeting of Heads of State and Government, held on Wednesday at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for more action and leadership to tackle the climate crisis, warning that efforts to keep the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is “on life support”. Speaking to journalists after the meeting,...

It's official. All health restrictions for travelers including mandatory COVID-19 testing have been scrapped, allowing anyone to enter Samoa freely effective today, Thursday 22 September. The announcement was made by Acting Prime Minister, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio following Cabinet deliberation and approval in its weekly meeting. Tuala said Cabinet’s meeting on on Wednesday decided to remove all restrictions and related conditions from...

As geopolitical competition intensifies in the Pacific Islands, Kurt Campbell, the White House Indo-Pacific coordinator and deputy assistant to President Joe Biden, has said the U.S and India are engaging with each other on the issue, and that they look forward to working “more closely” with New Delhi in the region. He added that he was “gratified” by the close...

A military exercise in Fiji involving the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand ends this week as the traditional allies counter China’s growing influence in the region. The 11-day Exercise Cartwheel in Fiji began Sept. 12 and ends Friday, the U.S Embassy in the Fijian capital, Suva, said Wednesday in an email. U.S Navy Commander Victor Lange said the name...

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is taking part in a large-scale military exercise in Fiji, bringing together the same allies which once fought side by side in the Solomon Islands during WWII. NZDF land component commander, Brigadier Hugh McAslan, says Exercise Cartwheel provides a platform for Fijian, Australian, New Zealand, and British forces to work together, building readiness for...

Tongan Prime Minister, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, highlighted Tonga case on Day Two of the "Ocean Nations: An Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue" at the United Nations in New York. Hu'akavameiliku delivered the keynote address at the meeting, hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Speaking on the topic “Priorities, Challenges, and Interests of Tonga within the Pacific...