Regional

26th September

Biden to host Pacific island leaders in US charm offensive vs China

By David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt and Kirsty Needham WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will host a second summit with Pacific island leaders this week, part of a U.S. charm offensive to block further Chinese...

24th September

Tonga’s rusting iron avenue | 30,000 abandoned cars

The Kingdom of Tonga looks like paradise, but its lush coconut palms nurse a hidden problem that threatens the health of its people. Thousands of cars are imported here every year, but, due to the cost of removing them, they never leave. When a car comes to the end of its life, it’s usually abandoned....

Island nations blame rich countries for climate inaction at UN assembly

By Daphne Psaledakis UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Island nations bearing the brunt of climate change this week confronted rich countries at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the failure by developed countries to act with urgency had put the islands’ survival at risk. “There are many amongst us, the small and marginalized islands of our...

22nd September

Australian lawmakers call for release of Julian Assange during talks in Washington

WASHINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) – A cross-party delegation of Australian lawmakers that traveled to the United States seeking the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said they had a productive discussion in Washington with the U.S. Justice Department. The group of Australian lawmakers urged U.S. officials to drop their attempts to extradite Assange from a British prison...

21st September

Lloyd’s and the UN team up to get insurance to climate vulnerable countries

LONDON (Reuters) – Lloyd’s of London is teaming up with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to try and improve access to insurance for climate vulnerable countries, with an initial focus on Fiji and Pacific island countries. Climate change is happening faster and causing more damage than scientists had predicted, accelerating the need for...

78th UNGA | Fiji places trust in multilateralism; peace and security remains top priority – PM Rabuka

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the island nation places her trust in multilateralism because “we believe in the values of peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity”. Mr Rabuka made the comment during his meeting yesterday with United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres on the margins of the 78th UN General Assembly. At the...

20th September

Strong winds fan bushfires as Australia battles spring heatwave

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Strong winds and a rare, intense heatwave in early spring fanned dozens of bushfires across Australia’s southeast, prompting extreme fire danger warnings on Wednesday for the greater Sydney region, home to more than 5 million people. More than 600 firefighters and emergency personnel were battling to control 68 fires burning across New...

19th September

Pacific island countries to hold second summit next week with Biden

By David Brunnstrom and Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Pacific island countries will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden next week for a second summit with the United States, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna and a senior State Department official said on Monday. Puna made the announcement at an event in New York...

PIF Foreign Ministers re-emphasise collective decision on Fukushima

PACIFIC Islands Forum Foreign Ministers “highlighted the priorities of ensuring international consultation, international law, and independent and verifiable scientific assessments” in relation to Japan’s release of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. In a collective statement at the end of their meeting in Suva last week, they also re-emphasised their “collective Forum position and...