PINA

French police shot and killed two men in New Caledonia on Thursday, stoking tensions with pro-independence groups days ahead of a public holiday marking France’s annexation of the Pacific archipelago. The pro-independence FLNKS decried the deaths as “barbaric and humiliating methods” used by French police resulting in a “summary execution” and called for an independent investigation. The shootings bring the number...

Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, reaffirmed Australia's deep commitment to the Solomon Islands during his third visit to the country in two years. Speaking after a series of high-level meetings, Conroy highlighted Australia’s role as the Solomon Islands’ “number one economic development and security partner” and announced key initiatives to boost the nation’s security, infrastructure,...

The Commonwealth Secretariat has clarified media arrangements for accredited journalists for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). It is quite different from what the Samoan Government Media and Communication sub-committee had said earlier on. This is also the first time the Secretariat has said something about the issue hindering the freedom of the press. Leaders from the Commonwealth's 56 member...

Following four rounds of enthralling action, all eyes will be on Hanazono Rugby Stadium this Saturday as hosts Japan take on Fiji in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2024 final. Both teams head into the weekend in fine form, having won three out of three during the tournament so far and booked their place in the showpiece match...

Coup leader George Speight and former Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Unit soldier Shane Stevens were granted presidential pardons and released from Fiji's correctional facility today. The decision, made by the Mercy Commission on 18 September 2024, comes 24 years after Speight led the 2000 coup that shook the nation. Stevens, who was involved in the deadly mutiny at Queen Elizabeth Barracks...

Countries must use a once-in-a-generation UN summit to address current and emerging global challenges and reform outdated international institutions, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in New York. Guterres was speaking as negotiations for the Summit of the Future, which opens at UN Headquarters on Sunday, enter the final stretch. “I have one overriding message today: an appeal to Member States...

When activists, policymakers and representatives from across the globe gather next week in New York to participate in climate week, one pressing issue on the agenda that is less frequently discussed and known will be the environmental impact of seabed mining. As countries look for ways to lower emissions, critical minerals are playing a key role in that transition. Critical...

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” McClay said. Australia and New Zealand have strong trade and investment links with...

Seven Pacific Island nations - Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Tuvalu were among the 14 countries that voted against a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories without delay. The resolution, passed with 124 votes in favour, follows a July ruling by the...

New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Peters said. “The Israel-Palestine conflict has gone on for far too long and the suffering...