PINA

Papua New Guinea will be hosting Pope Francis in late August. Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands general secretary Father Victor Roche confirmed the Pope's visit with RNZ Pacific on Thursday. Papua New Guinea has approximately two million Catholics - about 20 percent of the nation. The Pope is visiting two cities in PNG over three to four...

By Yvonne Su, Assistant Professor in the Department of Equity Studies, York University, Canada The recent climate migration deal signed by Australia and Tuvalu in November 2023 has been touted as providing a “lifeline” to the people of the South Pacific nation who face existential threats from rising sea levels and climate change. The Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty is the world’s...

Captains of the best 12 men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams in the world were soaking up the sun in Perth on Wednesday ahead of the hotly anticipated third round of HSBC SVNS 2024 on 26-28 January. Players and fans can look forward to three action-packed days of rugby sevens and buzz-filled nights at HBF Park where fireworks can be...

Nauru’s Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade Lionel Aingimea and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi sign joint communique reaffirming the restoration of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Nauru and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing on 24 January. Minister Aingimea said it is a particular time in history for it restarts the friendly ties between the two...

By Munkhtuya Altangerel - Resident Representative, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Amidst the turbulence of global conflicts and economic uncertainty, one thing is clear: the current energy paradigm is unsustainable. Our dependence on fossil fuels is not only exacerbating climate change, but also leaving many countries vulnerable to potential price shocks and geopolitical instability. As we enter 2024, the time for...

The draws for the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 – Qualifying and OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 have been held at the OFC Home of Football – Te Kahu o Kiwa, in Auckland, New Zealand. The Qualifying tournament will be hosted in Tonga from 20-26 March and the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 will be held in Vanuatu from 15-30...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala of Tonga as its Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Following his confirmation, Dr Piukala addressed the Executive Board: “Today, I stand before you as the first Regional Director from the Pacific in WHO’s history. The enormity of this task is not lost on...

Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine has been inaugurated in Majuro in the presence of dignitaries from across Micronesia. President Heine was re-elected on 27 December last year for a second term as the nation's 10th president. She was elected in the Nitijela (Parliament) by an absolute minimum majority of 17 votes to 16 in the 33-seat chamber. She becomes one of only...

Palau on Monday became the first nation to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty. “As the first country to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty, Palau has jumped into the lead in the race to ratification," said Laura Meller, project leader of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign. "They’ve already shown leadership in opposing deep-sea mining in the Pacific Ocean and have...

Fiji’s deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says the Prime Minister, has certain powers, and the government is not operating as a different party but as a coalition. Prasad made this comment when asked about the recent developments in the coalition government with the dismissal of Aseri Radrodro. The Deputy PM said contrary to all the rumours, the coalition government is...