PINA

Fiji's Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, has been elected the country’s next President in a special parliamentary session in Suva today, securing 37 votes to claim the position. Ratu Naiqama, nominated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, emerged victorious over opposition candidate Ratu Meli Natalatu Tora Taivaiqia, who received 16 votes. “Pursuant to section 84 of the Constitution of the Republic...

As COP29 approaches, the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, sent a powerful message to climate negotiators, calling for unity and unwavering resolve among small island developing states. “Our small island developing states are strong and unified in our positions,” he said, following a year of intensive efforts capped by recent high-level...

Australia to increase missile defence and long-range strike capability as the Asia Pacific region enters the ‘missile age’. Australia will increase its missile defence capability after China’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the South Pacific raised “significant concerns” and as the Asia Pacific region enters a “missile age”. Australia plans to increase its missile defence and long-range strike...

Voters in the U.S territory of Guam will be the country’s first to cast their choice for president on 05 November, but it will be a symbolic and democratically meaningless exercise. As the mainland gets to have its say on who will be president, an anomaly in U.S law means Guamanians are among the four million disenfranchised Americans living in...

Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts Tuesday pledged robust support for Pacific digital infrastructure at the Telstra Pacific Islands Telecommunications Strategy Forum in Sydney, highlighting Australia’s multi-million-dollar investment in undersea cables as a lifeline for Pacific connectivity. Addressing regional leaders and industry representatives, Watts acknowledged the crucial need for secure, resilient digital networks across the Blue Pacific, emphasising...

Acting Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Desna Solofa this week urged Forum Island Countries (FICs) to embrace investment opportunities from Japan as critical drivers for post-COVID economic recovery. “The Pacific is open for business, and this partnership with Japan is a cornerstone for our shared future.” With trade, investment, and tourism high on the agenda, Solofa highlighted that...

Japan's Director-General for Trade Policy and Economic Cooperation, Yasuji Komiyama has laid out an ambitious vision for the Pacific, promising that Japan is ready to be a strong partner in the region's economic development. Japan sees the Pacific as a critical partner for sustainable development and economic growth. Komiyama highlighted the Pacific’s “rich natural resources, diverse cultures, and tremendous economic potential”...

By Nic McLellan in Noumea, New Caledonia On the final day of the Pacific Islands Forum mission to New Caledonia, the delegation of Forum leaders’ broke bread with church and community elders at a working breakfast. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka thanked the hosts for their welcome, in the presence of senior church leaders like the Catholic Archbishop of Noumea,...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for decisive action to restore harmony with nature, warning that environmental crises are pushing humanity toward tipping points that threaten ecosystems, livelihoods and global stability. Speaking at the opening of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), he emphasised that “making peace with nature is the...

Pacific nations need anti-doping programmes to be able to support their athletes and get on level terms with top nations. This was discussed at the first-ever Pacific Sports Ministers at the Tanoa Hotel. The President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Witold Banka said the anti-doping topic is really important. They are here to discuss what they have to offer to athletes...