Pacific Islands Forum: climate crisis and old rows surface as leaders meet screen-to-screen

A Zoom meeting of prime ministers and presidents was never going to be a particularly smooth affair

There was what looked like a virtual walkout, veiled criticism of certain nations, a video address from the US president and of course, technical issues: this is diplomacy in the age of Zoom.

Presidents and prime ministers of Pacific nations, including Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern, logged on for the leaders' meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Friday morning, the most important diplomatic gathering in the Pacific.