PINA

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have signed a US$4 million grant to fund disaster risk reduction improvements to FSM's energy sector. The agreement, additional financing, as part of the ADB supported Renewable Energy Development Project, were jointly signed by ADB Executive Director Tony McDonald, acting on behalf of the Government...

By Katie Surma The campaign to make ecocide an international crime took center stage in the Hague on Tuesday as Bangladesh, Samoa and Vanuatu advocated criminalising environmental destruction during a virtual forum at the annual meeting of the International Criminal Court’s 123 member nations. The forum, attended by more than 1,300 individual participants, represented a collective cry for justice from...

Solomon Islands leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale claims that the international peacekeepers deployed into the country following the recent unrest only brings calm while anger and hatred still exists. He said the only solution now is a dialogue among the provinces. “Their intervention only brings calm to the situation and the calmness is only on the surface. The anger and hatred is...

A Pacific volcano that explosively emerged from the sea in 2014 has erupted again. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai started letting off steam on Sunday night, around 8:30pm. A plume rose about 15km into the air, with varied reports on whether it contained ash or was just steam. The explosion could be heard up to 170km away, Volcano Discovery reported, citing social media reports. Hunga...

The Republic of Marshall Islands(RMI) can achieve higher household incomes, increased employment and economic growth by focusing on the health and education of its people, improving the quality of government spending, and maximising the benefits of key sectors like fisheries, according to new World Bank economic analysis. The Marshall Islands’ Country Economic Memorandum and Public Expenditure Review has examined the...

Westpac is reportedly still looking for a buyer for its Pacific banking business – but finding an interested party hasn’t been easy, according to some market watchers. Chinese lenders have reportedly expressed interest, but that could be problematic due to the tensions between Australia and China. One possible solution could be a deal similar to the one made with Pacific’s largest...

Tide Prediction Calendars for 24 Pacific locations were distributed last week to National Meteorological Services and ocean stakeholders around the region to assist in decision making on their daily ocean use. The annual tide prediction calendars are a popular product of the Australian-funded Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac) and are designed and produced in the region...

Papua New Guinea Minister for Defence Solan Mirisim, Monday announced that the Chief of Defence Force Major General Gilbert Toropo, will no longer serve as the Commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). He made this announcement following a National Executive Council (NEC) decision to revoke the appointment of Major General Toropo upon recommendations from the Defence Council. The...

New Zealand has now given almost 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Pacific and Asian nations, with more than half of them going to Indonesia, which has suffered one of the worst outbreaks in the region. The Government is now halfway towards making good on its pledges to help vaccinate poorer countries. A further 1.2 million doses of vaccine will...

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan added it would be “unwise” to conclude from early evidence that Omicron was a milder...