PINA

Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally led a first round of voting on Sunday in exceptionally high-stakes elections that could put France’s government in the hands of a far-right party for the first time since World War II. President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling coalition was beaten into third place by a fledgling alliance of the left as the incumbent’s gamble with...

With just six years remaining to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global progress is alarmingly insufficient, with a mere 17 percent of the targets currently on track, according to a new UN report released on Friday. The 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report highlighted that nearly half the 17 targets are showing minimal or moderate progress, while over a one-third...

Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has ruled that Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa had “standing” to pursue the special reference filed to recall Parliament to sit and deal with a notice of no-confidence motion against Prime Minister James Marape. The five-men bench led by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika handed down the decision Friday in Port Moresby. Following the ruling, Tomuriesa said...

The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) is expected to provide an official response next week on the de-registration of the FijiFirst party. The party had until 4pm last Friday to amend its constitution as directed by the FEO. The Registrar of Political Parties, Ana Mataiciwa, had earlier informed the party that failure to abide by the instruction would result in its de-registration. However,...

Japan's government is set to provide weather data to South Pacific islands to help them deal with disasters. The announcement of the scheme will be made at the 10th summit of Pacific islands' leaders scheduled from 16 – 18 July in Tokyo. Since 1997, Japan has invited South Pacific leaders to the summit once every three years. Eighteen leaders are scheduled...

There will be more money to take home for those on minimum wage as the Samoa cabinet has approved an increase in the minimum wage rate. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labour announced that, following Cabinet Directive FK (24) 25, the minimum wage will increase in two stages. Effective from 1 July 2024, the new minimum wage will be $4.00...

Journalists and civil society actors from Southeast Asia and the Pacific made strong advocacy contributions at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), a global biennial gathering billed as the world’s biggest gathering of predominately non-State actors fighting corruption, hosted in Vilnius, Lithuania on 18-21 June. UNODC supported their participation, which enabled the sharing of insights and the showcasing of regional anti-corruption...

The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) had its Constitution passed Saturday after a unanimous vote by Union members at the FRU Special General Meeting which was held at the Novotel Convention Centre at Lami. Earlier last month, representatives from the Fiji Rugby Union held consultations in Suva, Nadi and Savusavu regarding the constitution where Union representatives had the chance to share...

Fiji Rugby has announced a strong squad for Team Fiji’s campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The squad, under the guidance of Head Coach Osea Kolinisau, is set to aim for Olympic glory later this month. Head coach Osea Kolinisau has finalised the 15-member squad. Kolinisau commented, “The Olympic Games are a unique event, and our biggest challenge will be adjusting...

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) has made history by electing Mrs Emma Waiwai as its first female President during the 2024 Annual General Assembly held in Port Moresby. This landmark election marks a significant milestone in the organization’s history and reflects its commitment to gender equality and progressive leadership. Waiwai, who has been an active member of the PNGOC...