PINA

Vanuatu’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jotham Napat, said he is considering visiting Suva, Honiara and Port Moresby to personally get a “yes or no” answer on application by the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) before the MSG Summit in Port Vila later this year. The Minister spoke of his...

Fiji's Fisheries and Forestry Minister Kalaveti Vodo Ravu Tuesday opened a two-day workshop on 'Labour Standards on Fishing Vessels' for over 50 representatives from the Pacific. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade-funded programme will be jointly implemented by Forum Fisheries Agency(FFA), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration(IOM) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime...

The capital of the Marshall Islands, Majuro, will host the first in-person annual meeting of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) since 2019 when the powerful fisheries organisation convenes on Monday. To coincide with the gathering, PNA will officially open its four-storey headquarters building in Majuro on 13 February. The PNA controls waters where half of the world's skipjack tuna...

There are hopes an upcoming meeting will throw water on a growing fire surrounding the looming release of radioactive nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. In an exclusive interview, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it wants the world to know that the planned release of more than 1.3million tonnes of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean over around four...

The construction of a United Nations House or permanent office in Fiji will bolster our image as the hub of the South Pacific. Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo made these remarks whilst receiving a delegation led by the UN Resident Coordinator in Fiji Sanaka Samarasinha. During the meeting Samarasinha revealed that the United Nations Pacific operations are keen...

The Albanese government has reauthorised offshore immigration detention on Nauru and sought to overturn a court decision that forced it to release about 100 people from onshore detention despite character concerns. The Nauru authorisation passed parliament on Tuesday with Coalition support despite accusations that Labor had mishandled national security, while the independent senator David Pocock labelled it a massive failure. The...

The Kiribati Government Tuesday signed a US$6.5million deal with AEVEX Aerospace – IKHANA Aircraft Services for the purchase of a Twin Otter (MSN 718). Kiribati Minister for Information, Communication, Transport, and Tourism Development Tekeeua Tarati and Chief Executive Officer of Air Kiribati Tomwa Tehumu were present for the signing. “We're grateful that the Kiribati Government placed their trust in an American...

By Amy Gunia Pacific Island nations have for decades been grappling with the environmental and health consequences of Cold War-era nuclear testing in the region by the likes of the U.S and France. Now, they worry about another kind of nuclear danger from neighbors much closer to home. As concerns over energy security and the desire to transition away from...

The Fijian Drua have terminated the contract of superstar winger Vinaya Habosi, effective immediately. Habosi was the breakout star of Super Rugby Pacific, with the 23-year-old's lighting pace on the wing providing the expansion club with a genuine X-Factor. However, the Drua have announced he has been released from the club after a 'high-level breach' of their code of conduct. “The Fijian...

World Rugby haslaunched its 2023 call for applications to fund research projects with the aim of promoting evidence-based enhancements in player welfare priority areas, including concussion. Research funded by World Rugby has seen the game benefit from a greater breadth of sport specific research into player welfare than any other sport. The international federation is committed to funding rugby specific medical...