PINA

By David Marchese “We’re on the front of the front lines of vulnerability,” says Tina Stege. She would know: Stege is the climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, a country of roughly 60,000 people spread mostly among coral atolls halfway between Hawaii and Australia that is facing an imminent existential threat from climate change. In the Marshalls, sea-level rise...

Super Rugby continues to be marred by Covid-19 outbreaks with 1News able to reveal cases have been confirmed in the Highlanders squad. Highlanders high performance manager Greg O'Brien confirmed on Monday the southern franchise has cases in the team but would not disclose the exact figure. It comes after the Highlanders travelled to Auckland last week where they lost to the...

More than 40 communities in Fiji are at risk of being erased by the rising seas, says Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Prime Minister Bainimarama said the banks of Fiji's 45 rivers are breaking on a near-monthly basis under the strain of persistently record-breaking rains. Bainimarama while at the opening of the Blackrock Camp in Nadi said Fiji has been faced...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama today announced the official opening of the redeveloped Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp in Nadi, Fiji. Prime Minister Morrison said Australia was proud to call Fiji our partner, our friend and our family, and that Blackrock stood as testament to the strength of the bilateral relationship. “The...

The Australian Defence Force’s Peace Operations Training Centre will be working with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces next month to deliver the very first joint training course at Blackrock in Nadi. Australia's Minister for International Development Zed Seselja said the Blackrock Camp will be a facility that will provide a benefit to the region, under Fiji's leadership. Seselja said Australia...

An independent panel of global experts on nuclear issues are supporting Pacific nations in their consultations with Japan over its intentions to discharge treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The global experts are Dr Ken Buesseler, Senior Scientist and Oceanographer of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Dr Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research; Dr...

Manisha Naidu is a final-year medical student at the Fiji School of Medicine who was born and raised in the community of Tuvu in Ba, Fiji. She, alongside other members of her community, have been affected by inadequate access to sufficient or clean water for many years, due to changing rainfall patterns. “Many community members have had health problems due...

By Sanjeshni Kumar Tuvalu’s Director of Climate Change, Pepetua Latasi says loss and damage financing was a key element of the Pacific Island nation’s negotiating position at the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow. This remains a priority for Tuvalu in preparation for the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP27). “Tuvalu came prepared to COP26 and our...

A large crowd of people showed up at the public hearing to oppose the proposed bill to re-open the Palau National Marine Sanctuary to long-line and purse seine fishing. With the Our Oceans Conference (an international conference on oceans’ health) slated to be held in Palau five weeks from now, Palau’s national congress is contemplating overturning one of Palau’s landmark...

Australia has been able to stop an “incursion” by Beijing into the Pacific islands by talking with leaders there weekly and offering vaccine aid, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Concern over China's military ambitions for the region, after it provided police and riot equipment to the Solomon Islands, prompted U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken to last month...