PINA

Voters in Kiribati are awaiting the final results of the runoff round of elections on Monday. Twenty-five of the 45 parliamentary seats were confirmed in the first round on Wednesday last week, with those candidates securing more than a 50 percent share of votes. The remaining seats are set to be divvied up among the highest polling candidates in each electorate. A...

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has met with Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China in Beijing Monday. The historic meeting reaffirmed Fiji and China’s longstanding relationship which has been characterised by shared aspirations and common interests, fostering a comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual trust and respect. Upon his arrival at the Great Hall...

The President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda was in Solomon Islands last week to seek support for their application for full membership into the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Wenda met with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to discuss issues related to West Papua’s MSG membership. He told SIBC News that it was a great honor to...

New Caledonia is looking to Australia for aid to help rebuild its capital city after deadly riots. The French territory was marred by civil unrest and riots that left 10 dead in May after controversial voting reforms were passed in Paris and the Indigenous Kanak people expressed concerns about their voice being drowned out. New Caledonia believed it was eligible for...

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, will visit Samoa from 21 – 23 August as part of his Pacific tour, preceding the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Tonga next week. He will meet with the Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa. With COP29 and the Summit of the Future on the horizon, the primary aim of the Secretary-General's visit to Samoa...

The Intergenerational Youth Summit will have a Youth dialogue with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in Tonga on Monday next week. The Office of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga said today the Youth Summit will be a significant side event to be held on 26 August, alongside the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIFL) Meeting to be...

The French government has extended the nighttime curfew in its Pacific colony, New Caledonia, until 26 August as it continues to suppress independence supporters opposing a constitutional reform that would reduce the influence of the indigenous population in elections. The unrest began after the French government proposed a constitutional reform that contradicts previous agreements made with the indigenous Kanak people,...

By Esther Wozniak The eastern Pacific Ocean is home to some of the most consistently productive fisheries in the world, including those for numerous species of commercially valuable tuna. But many of those fish populations face increasing threats from climate change; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; marine pollution and more. So when the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meets...

The Australian Government and Football Australia are partnering to support the development of elite football throughout the Pacific in a renewed partnership. Delivered through PacificAus Sports, the four-year investment will facilitate regular international fixtures between Australian and Pacific national teams, in addition to capacity-building initiatives aimed at supporting the development of players, match officials and administrators from throughout the region. Set...

Australia and New Zealand are doubling down on their commitment to a united Pacific. Following a meeting in Canberra, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasised that the success of their nations is tied to the region's strength. “The Pacific is strongest when it works together,” the leaders said, pledging to support the Pacific Islands...