PINA

Cronulla Sharks captain Tiana Penitani and Cowboys utility China Polata headline the Tonga Women's squad to take part in this year's Pacific Championships. Both players enjoyed strong seasons with their clubs and also featured in this year's State of Origin series and will provide key experience to the side being coached by Kelvin Wright. Eels winger Cassey Tohi-Hiku, who recently starred...

Vodafone Fijiana 15’s Head Coach Inoke Male has unveiled his 30-member squad for the upcoming inaugural WXV 3 Tournament scheduled to take place in Dubai next week. This squad announcement includes five players making their debut, with three of whom are from overseas clubs and two from the local scene. The debutants are Penina Turova, Mary Kanace, Iva Sauira, Una Lalabalavu...

The COVID19 crisis was a wake-up call for many Pacific Island Countries to enhance their social security systems. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its 14 Pacific Developing Member Countries (PMDCs) were quick to respond to the global health crisis in 2020 by declaring states of emergency, drawing up contingency plans, implementing health protocols, closing borders and undertaking mass...

Thousands of kilometres away from the Pacific, an oil rig in the North Sea operates under the flag of Vanuatu. In the Black Sea, a drilling rig hired by Canada’s Trillion Energy as part of its natural gas campaign is also flagged by Vanuatu. Offshore supply vessels sailing the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and the Oman Gulf have Vanuatu’s capital,...

Defence ministers from several Asian and Pacific States are scheduled to meet in New Caledonia for two days during the first week of December, French Armed Forces in New Caledonia (FANC) commander, General Yann Latil announced at the weekend, adding that French Defence minister Sebastien Lecornu is also scheduled to attend. The high-level meeting would also see the attendance of...

The Pacific ACP Trade Officials meeting began today in Suva. The meeting brings together Pacific members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to discuss sustainable development issues as well as cooperation and engagement with the European Union. Discussions include Regional Trade and Investment Landscape, regional trade agreements and trade opportunities with the U.S and other trading partners. While...

The Cook Islands Government as current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and host of the 52nd PIF Leaders Meeting (PIFLM52), is pleased to promote the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity (PPfP) Pavilion to be held from 07 – 09 November 2023 at the Punanga Nui Market in Rarotonga. In keeping with the theme for PIFLM52 of “Our Voices, Our...

Power transitioned from the Vanuatu Government to the Opposition in Parliament during the Fifth Extraordinary Session convened to debate the motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Monday. The opposition held 26 MPs against the government’s 24, with only two government MPs, Esmon Saimon from Vanua’aku Pati (VP) representing Malekula, and Wesley Rasu from Malo constituency, present during...

A deadline of strategic importance for Washington passed without a breakthrough on Saturday night. As lawmakers remained occupied with averting a federal government shutdown just hours before a midnight deadline, the Compact of Free Association (Cofa) pact that had steered ties between Washington and the Marshall Islands for decades expired on 30 September. No public announcement has been made on the...

A new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today delves into the current evidence of trafficking, risk areas, and frameworks and responses to human trafficking in the Pacific Island countries. Covering Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga, the report finds that the Pacific Island countries are vulnerable to the exploitation and...