PINA

The New Zealand government has given its full blessing to Cook Islands and Niue establishing diplomatic relations with the United States. At the U.S-Pacific summit on Monday (Washington time), President Joe Biden said he recognises the two island nations as sovereign and independent states, an announcement which the US Embassy in Aotearoa has labelled as “historic”. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said...

The U.S and Palau are discussing the permanent deployment of advanced missile defense systems in the Pacific island nation, Palau President Surangel Whipps said part of Washington’s efforts to check China's influence in the region. The revelation of talks over missile defence systems comes as U.S President Joe Biden host a second summit with Pacific island leaders at the White...

Women-led micro and small business owners in Fiji are celebrating the launch of digital mobile payment platform DUAPAY, following a successful 12-month pilot. Developed in collaboration with Mastercard, Fintech Pacific and international development organisation, ygap, in partnership with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), DUAPAY is now available to small business owners who have...

Free association deals have been central to Washington’s Pacific engagement for forty years. Will new deadlines be met? By Patricia O’Brien Little information has emerged about how negotiations for the renewal of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States are progressing. The United States has signed new agreements with...

Vaea Fifita’s Rugby World Cup is over after he was banned for four games following his red card in Tonga’s 45-17 loss to Scotland. The former All Blacks and Hurricanes flanker was sent off after he charged into a ruck and rammed his shoulder into the head of Scotland’s Finn Russell in the 77th minute. Fifita was immediately shown a yellow...

Samoa head coach Seilala Mapusua has made four changes to his starting XV from the team beaten 19-10 by Argentina. Taleni Seu comes into the back-row after making a team-high 25 metres - including 20 past the gain-line - during 26 minutes off the bench last week. Sa Jordan Taufua replaces Steven Luatua at number eight, earning his first start since...

Samoa head coach Seilala Mapusua says his country and Tonga would benefit from a similar development model that has seen Fiji take the Rugby World Cup by storm. While Fiji look on course to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2007 after beating Australia 22-15 in Pool C, Samoa's own Pool D hopes were dealt a...

The Flying Fijians is one of two teams with the best scrum success of 100 percent so far at the Rugby World Cup in France. Fiji side is the best in most carries per game with 132, the most dominant collisions with 45 a game, and the third-best success rate with that equaling 50 per cent of their total carries...

Vanuatu's opposition has filed a motion to call an extra-ordinary session of parliament Monday next week to debate a motion of no confidence against new Prime Minister Sato Kilman, who was elected for the top job. Kilman, 65, is the third prime minister of Vanuatu in three years since 2020. Bob Loughman was elected PM after the 2020 general election. He...

The Pacific Island state of Niue is one of the world’s tiniest. Covering just over 100 square miles and with a population of about 1,700, it has no military, is not a member of the United Nations and was not recognised as a sovereign nation by the United States until last year. But U.S President Biden was talking about Niue on...