PINA

Pacific leaders in New Zealand fear they will have little or no voice in the new National-led Government with the real possibility of not a single Pacific person making it into the new coalition. Labour had 11 Pacific members of parliament, then 10 when Kris Faafoi left, included was Carmel Sepuloni who became Deputy Prime Minister when Chris Hipkins became...

The EU-Pacific Policy Dialogue Roundtable on the Ocean Programme concluded on Friday with a strong emphasis on bolstering ocean governance and effective policy implementation. Pacific Ocean Commissioner Dr Filimon Manoni expressed gratitude towards the European Union and the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) Programme for the invitation, highlighting the recent discussions with EU Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean, and Fisheries,...

The extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Waigani Convention made history today as Parties to the Convention adopted its first-ever amendment marking a significant step toward aligning the Convention with international efforts to combat plastic waste. The Waigani Convention, a regional treaty aimed at tackling hazardous waste and other pollutants in the Pacific region, has long...

Thirty Tongan nationals have been safely evacuated from Israel, including some from New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, on a 61 passengers flight to London, chartered by the Tongan Government. The flight departed at 1:38pm (Israel time) on Saturday 14 October, and landed at Stanstead Airport in England Sunday morning (Tonga time). They were accompanied by Major Kaho from the Tonga High...

The Fiji Law Society has written to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to request the withdrawal of the appointment of Filimoni Vosarogo as Attorney General. In a statement, the Society says it cannot support and strongly objects to Vosarogo’s recent appointment. According to the Society, Vosarogo is disqualified from holding the office of Attorney General under Section 96(2)(b) of the 2013 Constitution. The...

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has announced a strategic reassignment of ministerial portfolios Friday. The reshuffle is intended to enhance governance, improve policy coordination, and further improve service delivery to the people of Fiji, The following ministerial reassignments will become effective Tuesday 17 October 2023: * Siromi Turaga is reassigned to the ministerial portfolio of Lands and Mineral Resources; * Filimoni Vosarogo is...

Vanuatu's Supreme Court has struck out the constitutional petition of ousted prime minister Sato Kilman. Kilman had filed submissions for urgent relief on Wednesday, 11 October. His counsel argued that the challenge by now Prime Minister Charlot Salwai was unlawful because he did not secure the required 27 signatures for a vote of no-confidence. However, the Speaker Seoule Simeon had contended that...

Christopher Luxon said it was a “tremendous privilege” to wake up on Sunday as New Zealand’s incoming prime minister as he eyed talks to form a new coalition government. Voters ended the six-year reign of the centre-left Labour government on Saturday as Luxon’s conservative National Party won enough seats to govern in a coalition with liberal party ACT. Labour leader Chris...

By Nic Maclellan Yami Lester was ten years old when a British atomic weapon, codenamed Totem 1, was detonated at Emu Field on 15 October 1953. The isolated test site in the desert of South Australia was downwind from his home at Wallatinna, and the wind carried dust into his eyes. Four years later, he lost all sight. Before his untimely...

England are through to the semi-finals of Rugby World Cup 2023 after surviving a late fightback from Fiji to win 30-24 at Stade de Marseille on Sunday. Tries from Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant as well as 11 points from the boot of Owen Farrell had given England a handy 21-10 lead at half-time. However, the Flying Fijians roared back into...