PINA

China has told the United States to stop engaging in “geopolitical jostling” after Washington announced an enhanced partnership with Pacific island nations. President Joe Biden last week hosted the inaugural U.S-Pacific Island Country Summit “a worsening climate crisis and an increasingly complex geopolitical environment”. Biden also signed the U.S-Pacific Partnership alongside the leaders of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,...

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with the Marshall Islands President David Kabua, the Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo, and Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr, in Washington DC. The Secretary underscored the enduring nature of the relationship between the United States and the three countries, collectively known as the Freely Associated States (FAS), along with the...

Madang Open MP Bryan Kramer has welcomed the decision of the Leadership Tribunal to suspend him from office and vowed to prove his innocence at the tribunal hearing. In a statement, he maintained that the allegations made against him in his Leadership Tribunal are unfounded and baseless. The leadership tribunal is the only place to clear his name, without pre-empting the...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) this week approved $3.8 million to support the restoration, conservation, and management of coral reefs in four countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The project, financed by the Asia-Pacific Climate Finance Fund (ACliFF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will develop climate risk financing and insurance solutions to protect coral reef ecosystems in Fiji,...

By Michael Walsh President Joe Biden has released the United States’ Pacific partnership strategy. Although it bears some resemblance to the Pacific engagement strategy that was drafted by the Asia–Pacific Security Affairs Subcommittee of the Biden Defense Working Group, this strategy is a separate document that arose through a completely independent drafting process. Nevertheless, it fulfills part of the vision...

Captains of all 12 nations competing at Rugby World Cup 2021 gathered at the world-famous Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday as anticipation reaches fever pitch ahead of kick-off on 8 October. Eden Park has twice hosted previous men’s Rugby World Cup finals in 1987 and 2011, and a record-breaking women’s rugby attendance will witness the opening day of action...

Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer has been forced to make a grovelling apology to the Fijian squad after video footage emerged of him mocking them at an awards dinner. Rimmer is caught on camera discussing the upcoming World Cup in England, when he questions if any Fijian player “has been arrested yet?” Rimmer made the inappropriate remarks in front...

The Penrith Panthers have converted three years of dominance into back-to-back premierships with a clinical 28-12 dismantling of Parramatta in Sunday night's NRL Grand Final. With Clive Churchill Medalist Dylan Edwards (281 metres), Brian To'o (299 metres) and Nathan Cleary delivering command performances on the game's biggest stage, the Panthers became the first team since the Roosters in 2018-19 to...

The United States and Pacific leaders have reached a nine-point Declaration on U.S.-Pacific Partnership as Washington hosts its first summit with leaders from Pacific Island nations. Thursday, U.S President Joe Biden announced more than US$810 million in expanded programme to aid the Pacific Islands as the historic summit entered its second day. The U.S has provided upward of US$1.5 billion...

The United States (U.S.) President Joseph Biden has announced U.S recognition of the Cook Islandsas a sovereign state during his Summit with PacificIslands Countries (PIC) Leaders including PrimeMinister Brown. High on the list of commitments announced by the Biden-Harris Administration today to implement the Declaration on U.S,-Pacific Partnerships was “Under the Biden-Harris Administration we will recognize the Cook Islands and...