PINA

Australians are voting in record numbers ahead of the federal election on Saturday 03 May, with early voting surging past half a million ballots on the first day alone - 22 April. With over 18 million people enrolled to vote, ABC Australia reports that more than one in five people (22 per cent) have already cast their ballots. Among those encouraging...

A proposal for a four-legged assistance scheme to detect hard drugs is amongst the support sought by local police from the New Zealand Police Commissioner, Sir Richard Chambers, on his visit to Samoa. Sir Chambers is in Samoa for his first visit as the NZ Police Commissioner, but has previously visited the island four times before. He was welcomed in an...

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has indicated that Fiji will not interfere in the matter of Indonesian Sovereignty regarding West Papua. Rabuka last month made an official visit to Indonesia which sparked debate with activists of the Free West Papua Movement. He stated that the matter is for the sovereign state of Indonesia to address. However, he expresses deep sympathy for the people...

Solomon Islands Member of Parliament for Central Honiara Gordon Darcy Lilo has clarified that there is no incentive scheme involved in the current political development in the country. Lilo told the local media Thursday following the formation of the new political grouping that intended to form the next government if a motion he filed against the current Prime Minister is...

A research fellow warns that China will not take a haircut on Tonga’s debt after Beijing took to Facebook to defend its lending practices. Riley Duke from the Lowy Institute's Pacific Aid Map unit highlights China’s firm stance amid rising concerns about Tonga’s substantial debt burden. “We see that in Tonga, as well as other parts of the world,” Duke says....

Niue and Tuvalu’s ability to ensure accurate trade measurements has received a major boost with the official handover of precision test weight sets from Fiji, part of a regional push to strengthen quality infrastructure across the Pacific. “These sets will be instrumental for Metrology Inspectors in Niue and Tuvalu, enabling them to calibrate weighing scales and other equipment with precision,”...

Following a record-breaking Olympic Games Paris 2024, World Rugby has confirmed an evolved HSBC SVNS competition model designed to deliver long-term financial sustainability and grow the global reach of rugby sevens in the lead-up to LA 2028. Shaped through stakeholder consultation and evaluation of the sporting landscape, the new structure introduces a devolved, three-division hosting model that expands the series...

Pacific Island nations are uniting behind a shared digital vision to strengthen sovereignty, boost connectivity, and build resilience across the region, Papua New Guinea’s Minister for ICT Timothy Masiu told delegates at the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) Annual General Meeting in Honiara this week. “The theme chosen for this year—‘Digital Nations and Smart Blue Continent: Strengthening the Digital Sovereignty,...

The Vanuatu Opposition bloc, led by Member of Parliament for Port Vila and President of the Union Moderate of Parties (UMP), Ishmael Kalsakau, chose not to enter Parliament Wednesday, staying outside the chamber. As a result, there was a lack of the required quorum for the special Parliament sitting. Parliament was subsequently adjourned due to the absence of the 39 MPs...

Former Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare pushed back sharply on Wednesday when asked by journalists whether he had defected to the Opposition to become Prime Minister, saying he had never in his life fought for the role—it was always offered to him. Sogavare and his former deputy PM Manasseh Maelanga—both key figures in the DCGA government from 2019 to...