PINA

Amid a regional rift among the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum and increasing great-power competition between the United States and China, U.S representative Ed Case said that it would be a “terrible tragedy” if the Forum were to split up. Five Micronesian states have announced plans to withdraw from the Forum over a dispute about the regional rotation of...

As a proud founding member of the Forum, the Cook Islands has always taken the view that we are stronger together” says Prime Minister Mark Brown. Brown made the comments as Forum leaders celebrated the 50 years of the Pacific Islands Forum last week. The retreat chaired by Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama last Friday was attended by Forum leaders including...

Kiribati is the latest recipient of a new police patrol boat donated by Australia. Radio Kiribati reports the RKS Teanoai II arrived in Kiribati waters this week after a long journey from Western Australia through Cairns and Solomon Islands. It replaces its predecessor, also called Teanoai, which was also gifted by Australia, under the original Pacific Patrol Boat Programme between 1987...

Flight FJ 1910 touched down at Nadi International Airport on Wednesday evening local time, as the Fijiana’s historic Olympic campaign concluded in style. The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists had been upgraded to business class for the final leg of the journey from Sydney, and images posted on social media showed players tucking into celebratory cake and posing for photos with...

By Iliesa Tora Not many Pacific Island women work on fishing vessels, but a young Fijian woman has found a way to support the work of fishers such as her brother and cousins so they can continue to make a living from Pacific tuna. Esther Wozniak, who comes from a family of albacore tuna fishers, works with Pew Charitable Trusts’s...

Fourteen out of 15 prisoners currently on death row will be executed after a “possible execution mode is identified”, says Papua New Guinea Correctional Services Commissioner Stephen Pokanis. Pokanis also said all executions could proceed soon after the National Executive Council (NEC) appoints members to a committee that will identify the most possible mode of execution. His comments came in light...

Fiji has recorded 398 new cases of COVID-19 and five new deaths Thursday, increasing the total number of cases to 38,742 and 343 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said 254 cases are from the Western division and 144 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu, Fiji's main island. “There have been 703...

Pacific Countries will be benefiting from a $14-million (US$9.7 million) climate change funding support from the New Zealand government. The five-year funding assistance will help Pacific countries in addressing the impacts of climate change in the region. The fund will be channelled through the Pacific Community programme to improve food security, livelihoods, economic and environmental resilience in the Pacific. New Zealand Minister...

Public assembly or procession of any form will not be allowed under the current state of emergency unless authorised by the Prime Minister, says Solomon Islands Attorney General John Muria junior. Parts of Honiara, the Western Border, and Malaita Outer Islands are currently declared as emergency zones. “In any emergency zone, public assembly or procession is prohibited, unless there’s any order...

Pacific island leaders have agreed that their maritime borders should be permanent, even if their countries shrink due to a future rise in sea levels caused by climate change. In a declaration released by Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders, 18 member countries and territories affirmed that once Pacific islands have established and notified maritime zones to the secretary-general of the...