PINA

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Tokyo Papua New Guinea and the Pacific's top woman weightlifter, Dika Toua created Olympics history Saturday, when she competed in her fifth Olympics - but bowed out at 10th place to a field of 14 strong lifters. Toua is not new to making history at the Olympics. In Sydney at the 2000 Games...

Two Pacific flag bearers in their traditional attire and well-oiled bodies sent twitter fans into frenzy at the opening of the 32nd Olympics in Tokyo Friday night. Not only Twitter fans but the international media featured the two Pacific athletes in their coverage of the opening ceremonies. Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua, dubbed the ‘shirtless’ flag bearer once again became an internet sensation...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Tokyo Japan delivered on its theme of ‘United by Emotion’ for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games - recognising its national sport heroes, health frontline workers and young children from the tsunami ravaged areas in the north of the country – who featured prominently in last night’s opening event that lasted almost four...

The Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party was Samoa's new Government bringing three months of political stalemate to a close. The court, the highest in the country, found that a swearing-in ceremony conducted by the party on the lawns of Parliament on 24 May was in fact legally binding, immediately...

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor at the Tokyo 2020 Games Vanuatu’s flag bearer at the Tokyo 2020 Games due to open tonight was the first Pacific athlete to compete in the men’s 2000m single scull rowing at 8.40am local time. Riilio Rii was placed 6th in a string field of competitors from Greece, New Zealand, Peru, Monaco and Dominican Republic in...

Tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is often a challenge for countries in the Pacific due to many reasons. Unavailability of maritime assets is one. On Monday, 28 June 2021, Solomon Islands officially took ownership of a new Guardian-class patrol boat, RSIPV Taro 06, thanks to the government of Australia. The new asset is the second to be handed...

By Ronald Toito'ona The Noro Port in the Western province of Solomon Islands has become the first e-port in the Pacific region, after launching a digitally integrated catch documentation and traceability scheme on 24 June. The launch was a landmark for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), the local tuna industry, customs and health departments – it is the...

-Fiji has recorded 918 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths reported. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said that out of the 15 deaths, 12, or 80 per cent were those that were not vaccinated whereas the remaining three had been partially vaccinated. Seven additional deaths during the same period were attributed to non-COVID illnesses. “The first COVID-19 death...

Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says there are no easy ways around this COVID-19 pandemic. “We have to meet it head-on, and we are,” Bainimarama said in Suva while receiving more than 150,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the U.S Government. He said Fijian frontline workers had been working tirelessly and selflessly in hospitals, homes, offices and informal settlements...

-Vaccine rollout in Solomon Islands and across the Pacific is critical to economic recovery. And Australia is leading efforts to vaccinate countries in the region with its vaccine dose supply expected to reach one million by the end of next week. Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja told Pacific journalists this week that his government is committed...