PINA

Two U.S lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday that aims to shift more U.S foreign aid funding to the Indo-Pacific region in response to what one described as “China’s bid for hegemony” in the region. The Indo-Pacific Engagement Act is co-sponsored by Rep Ami Bera, a Democrat from California, and Rep Steve Chabot, a Republican from Ohio. It would require the...

Fiji's UN Ambassador, Satyendra Prasad, says Pacific nations needed “great predictability” and no “stop-start” in ties with Washington. “Pacific people and their governments would welcome an enduring partnership with the U.S that is there for the long-term,” he told Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. Samoa's UN envoy said there was a need to see whether a U.S treaty with...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$150 million in loans to help Fiji recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience against climate and disaster risks. The loan agreements were signed today in Suva by Fiji’s Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office in Fiji Aaron Batten. “This programme builds on...

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Thursday he expects to see more U.S cabinet-level officials visiting Pacific island countries as the United States steps up its engagement in the region to counter China. Speaking at a Centre for Strategic and International Studies event in Washington, Campbell said the United States needed more diplomatic facilities across the region, and...

The sentencing of four Bangladesh nationals implicated in what has been dubbed the biggest human trafficking case in Vanuatu as well as the region was handed down this week, after four years of battle in court. The man behind Mr Price, Sekdah Somon, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment and VT60, 000 (US$511) fine while his wife Buxoo Nabilah Bibi...

Commonwealth Secretariat and The NO MORE Foundation Launch New Guidelines to Help Reduce Violence Against Women and Girls in 54 Commonwealth Member Countries At a special event coinciding with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Commonwealth Secretariat and The NO MORE Foundation were joined by HRH Duchess of Cornwall for the launch of new guidelines for the 54...

Toea Wisil captured her second gold of this year’s Pacific Mini Games as she steered Papua New Guinea to women’s 4x100 metres relay success in Saipan. After winning the women’s 100m title on Tuesday (June 21), the 34-year-old sprinter teamed up with Adrine Monagi, Isila Apkup and Leonie Beu to claim relay gold in a time of 45.85 secs. They powered...

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) prepares to ease entry restrictions and accept international travelers when it reopens the nation's borders on 01 August 2022. “It has been two and a half years since our nation closed its borders. I have done everything I can to keep this country safe during this pandemic since 31 January, 2020," FSM President David...

Opinion by Adam Wolfenden, Campaigner Pacific Network on Globalisation As Ministers celebrated the conclusion the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation and an agreement on fisheries subsidies trade rules, 17,000 kilometers away in the Pacific Ocean, eight women were also being celebrated as the first all-women deck crew on a tuna longline fishing vessel in Fiji, the...

Ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference, we check in with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. 1. The rallying cry of the UN Ocean Conference is “Save our Ocean, Protect our Future”. What does this theme mean to you? Answer: You may have heard my daily mantra, “No healthy planet without a healthy ocean, and the ocean’s...