PINA

A senior U.S military general has warned during a visit to Australia that China’s offer to deepen security ties with Solomon Islands will come with strings attached, suggesting the Pacific island country may come to regret the planned deal. “My parents told me if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the commandant of the United...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says any suggestion that the Solomon Islands is “under the control of Australia” is “offensive” and risks a “heavy-handed” approach to the Pacific region. Morrison said he had been in regular contact with Fiji Prime Minister Bainimarama, who is the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum. “We will continue to work through these sensitive issues as...

The Chairman for Solomon Islands Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee Peter Kenilorea Junior says the ‘leaked’ diplomatic note on arming Chinese embassy personnel in Solomon Islands is a serious concern. Kenilorea said what has unfolded is a clear indication that citizens of this country had been fed with half-truths all along. In a statement, Opposition MP Kenilorea said the leaked documents have...

A healthy ocean is essential for the proper functioning of our planet, indeed for vibrant life on Earth. But today, we face yet another human endeavour that threatens to undermine the health of our ocean – the reckless haste to pursue deep sea mining, beginning in our Pacific Ocean. Not too long ago, the global community applauded the dedication of...

Fiji’s victory at the Singapore Sevens last weekend was remarkable on a number of levels. The Olympic champions were playing in their first World Series tournament since Dubai and were given a rude awakening with a first-ever defeat to Ireland in their opening game. It wasn’t the start that new head coach Ben Gollings envisaged or hoped for but they bounced...

Fijiana Drua Head Coach Senirusi Seruvakula will want to finish on a high note in the Super W competition next week. Seruvakula’s players were put to the test in last week’s clash against Brumbies and impressed the Head Coach by outclassing the Canberra-based side 17-7. Seruvakula has a tough job ahead of them when he selects his final team. He says players...

Suliasi Vunivalu is back at last. The dynamic Fijian finisher now has at least seven games in Super Rugby Pacific to force his way into the Wallabies. Vunivalu’s selection on the wing for the Queensland Reds is a fresh and exciting dimension to Friday night’s clash against the improving Melbourne Rebels in Melbourne. If there are early nerves in his first match...

The Republic of Palau and the United States opened the 7th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) today, marking the first time this event has been held in a small island developing state (SIDS). For SIDS, this underscores the critical role and leadership of indigenous peoples and local communities in tackling the climate change and ocean crises. Palau and the United States organised...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will continue to press the Solomon Islands amid its security pact with China if the Coalition is re-elected for another term. Morrison was asked what his government would do to ensure China would not establish a military base in the Solomon Islands while on the campaign trail on Tuesday. “Well, you heard from the...

China requested that a plainclothes 10-person security detail armed with pistols, rifles, two machine guns and a sniper rifle be dispatched to Solomon Islands late last year, leaked documents reveal. The Guardian has received a copy of the documents, dated 03 December 2021, in which China requested security personnel be allowed to enter the country to secure the Chinese embassy...