PINA

Tuvalu and its 11,000 people, who live on nine atolls scattered across the Pacific, are running out of time. Fukanoe Laafai would like to start a family. But she is struggling to reconcile her plans with rising sea levels that scientists predict will submerge much of her homeland by the time her children would reach early adulthood. “I think we are...

Around 80 media delegates from more than 10 Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, have gathered in Niue for the 7th Pacific Media Summit 2024. The summit, themed “Charting a Resilient Future: Pacific Media Navigating Press Freedoms, AI & Geopolitical Interests,” was officially opened by Niue Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi last night. Tagelagi said that Niue was chosen as the host country...

Fiji has submitted a bid to host the Eighth Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) media summit in 2026. PINA board member and Fiji Times editor in chief Fred Wesley confirmed this following a meeting of PINA board members in Niue. Currently attending the Seventh Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, Wesley said Fiji wanted to host the next meeting. “We had...

By Nic Maclellan Months after his defeat in July’s National Assembly elections, French President Emmanuel Macron has finally appointed a new prime minister and government. Meanwhile, New Caledonia’s crisis has continued—with regional implications for Australia and Pacific neighbours. On 05 September, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as French prime minister, calling on him to form “a unifying government to...

Senior, former and current players of the Flying Fijians have raised questions about the whereabouts of the €600k (FJD$1.78 million) from the Rugby World Cup. This amount was allocated by World Rugby to teams that qualified for the quarterfinals of last year’s Rugby World Cup in France. During a Zoom call with FBC Sports, the players were asked if they had...

Oceania Rugby is thrilled to announce the launch of the first-ever Match Official High Performance Camp in Nadi, Fiji, marking a significant milestone for World Rugby. This exciting event gathers match officials from across the Oceania region to enhance their skills, share knowledge, and elevate officiating standards in rugby. This program is being supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs...

Tonga’s Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, made a resounding call for urgent and transformative climate action during the Summit of the Future at the United Nations. Speaking on behalf of the 18 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum, Sovaleni highlighted the existential threat posed by climate change to the Pacific region and...

Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, delivered a strong plea at the Summit of the Future, calling for urgent global action to tackle the existential threats faced by small island developing states (SIDS). Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Mata’afa highlighted the stark reality of climate change, debt, and economic instability as key challenges that...

In a world grappling with climate change, financial instability and social inequities, Tuvalu stands at the frontline of these pressing challenges. At the Summit of the Future, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo delivered a passionate plea, emphasising the existential threat climate change poses to his small Pacific atoll nation. “For Tuvalu, climate change-induced sea level rise is the greatest and most...

The President of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere has urged world leaders to urgently reshape international cooperation amidst a series of escalating global crises. In his address at the Summit of the Future, President Katonivere highlighted the multiple challenges facing the world today, including conflicts, climate change, stalled development, and failing ecosystems, with the most vulnerable populations suffering the consequences. “The world...