PINA

By David Robie Pacific Journalism Review (PJR) began life three decades ago in Papua New Guinea and recently celebrated a remarkable milestone in Fiji with its 30th anniversary edition and its 47th issue. Remarkable because it is the longest surviving media, journalism and development journal published in the Global South. It is also remarkable because at its birthday event held in...

The obscure UN organisation attempting to set rules for the exploitation of deep-sea metals is facing a potential shake-up as more nations call for a mining moratorium and a new candidate for its leadership vows to address perceptions of corporate bias. The number of countries against the imminent start of mining for metallic nodules on the seafloor has jumped to...

The Papua New Guinea opposition faced yet another delay in the hearing of their special reference case to recall parliament when the Attorney General Pila Niningi and Parliament Speaker Job Pomat filed an objection to competency application in court. This application took precedence Thursday with a decision reserved for a later date. The five-men bench headed by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs...

Any unsold vape, imitation tobacco or e-cigarette products must be removed from shelves from today and can no longer be sold to anyone as the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act 2024 comes into effect in Cook Islands. Te Marae Ora (TMO) Ministry of Health, which will monitor individuals who may be smoking vapes, says residents are expected to not have...

Tonga is hastily preparing to host the Pacific Forum Leaders Meeting, with hundreds of visitors expected to attend. With hotels in the capital fully booked, Nuku'alofa residents are being asked to open their homes to visitors, and shipping containers are being assembled to provide temporary accommodation. Over 100 container homes are under construction by the government, and many private homes are...

Team Fiji swimmer Tolu Young has set a new national record in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. The 19-year-old from Savusavu won his heat at the Olympic Games in Paris in a time of 22.71 seconds. Young broke his previous record of 22.87 set at Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last year. However, Young’s time was not one of the 16 fastest times...

The wait is almost over for rugby fans in the Pacific and North America as the Pacific Nations Cup 2024 gets ready for kick-off on Friday, 23 August. Run by World Rugby in partnership with the participating unions, the rebranded tournament is designed to drive competitiveness on the road to the expanded Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. Along the...

By Nic Maclellan For months, New Caledonia has been wracked by conflict between the independence movement and French security forces. A key trigger for the crisis was a vote in the French National Assembly on 13 May, as President Emmanual Macron sought a constitutional amendment that would add an estimated 25,800 people to voting rolls for New Caledonia’s three provincial...

Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa Thursday highlighted the importance of economic resilience, sustainable growth, and regional cooperation across the Pacific. “It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the 2024 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting, my first FEMM as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum. “As we gather here today, I am reminded of the importance of our...

Fiji’s Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad today stressed the complexities of migration and labour mobility, emphasising the need for a balanced and comprehensive approach. “Migration and labor mobility are important issues that come with both benefits and challenges,” Prasad said in an interview with journalists at the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting(FEMM) in Suva. “We can't view this as simply negative or...