PINA

Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa remains the leader of the government after surviving a second vote of no-confidence vote in two weeks. The motion of no-confidence was moved by the chair and leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party La'auli Leuatea Schmidt. The results came to 32 members of parliament opposing the motion and 19...

A Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked businessman, identified as one of Australia’s top criminal targets, was involved in establishing a new media venture in his adopted home of Fiji, according to documents and interviews. Documents from Fiji’s company registry show that Zhao Fugang and his lawyer, Nikheel Nambiar, helped establish the Duavata Broadcasting Company Pte Ltd, last May in collaboration with...

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka as part of his legislative agenda outlined by the President at the Opening of Parliament last week, tabled and read for the first time in Parliament the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025. Parliament has scheduled the second reading of the Bill, at a future date. Speaker of Parliament Filimoni Jitoko has urged MPs to prepare themselves for...

Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson has named an exciting lineup to take on the mighty Chiefs at Churchill Park in Lautoka this weekend. Jackson has made a handful of changes to his starting lineup in both the forward and back positions. For the front row, Haereiti Hetet maintains his spot at prop with Mesake Doge, with Zuriel Togiatama at hooker. The...

Moana Pasifika have been forced to relocate this month’s fixture against the Chiefs from Nuku’alofa to Pukekohe due to a number of logistical challenges. “Our hearts are in the Pacific and that is where we want to be, but it wasn’t possible for this fixture due to things that were out of our hands,” said Moana Pasifika CEO Debbie Sorensen. “It’s...

Seagrass meadows, the unsung heroes of marine ecosystems, play a crucial role in maintaining ocean health, biodiversity, and coastal resilience. In recognition of their significance, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2022, declaring 01 March as World Seagrass Day. This annual observance aims to raise awareness about seagrass conservation, aligning with global efforts to protect marine...

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretary General, Baron Waqa has welcomed the Republic of the Marshall Islands' (RMI) signing of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty on 03 March 2025. The historic signing of the Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, took place in Majuro during the observance of the Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day on the same day,...

Dramatically evolving geopolitical tensions amid “dangerous nuclear rhetoric and threats” are a stark wake-up call for States to take action to support the legally binding atomic weapon ban treaty, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday. “Critical disarmament instruments are being eroded,” said Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, who spoke on behalf of the UN chief at the...

Despite progress in the Pacific's media sector, new research reveals it remains fragile due to digital disruption and continued loss of advertising revenue following the COVID-19 pandemic. The State of the Media: Pacific research study involved more than 100 respondents across Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Nauru, Niue,...

One of the best Pacific Ocean locations to witness a stunning abundance of tropical fish, sharks and corals is also the least expected – Bikini Atoll, a site of U.S nuclear tests in the middle of the last century. The surprising recovery of the atoll’s reef in the decades after experiencing sea-surface temperatures of 55,000 degrees Celsius and forces that...