PINA

Despite reaching the final of the World Cup, Samoa will remain a tier two nation — and International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant says that won’t change “any time soon.” Samoa’s historical win over England to reach the final sparked a debate over the international tier system, just like Tonga’s upset win over Australia in 2019. But Grant has confirmed to...

Solomon Islands nationals and nationals of other Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) countries can now get their visa on arrival when traveling to Papua New Guinea (PNG). This came after the PNG government formally declared the re-activation of Visa on Arrival (VOA) procedure. The announcement on Tuesday in Port Moresby was made by PNG’s Deputy Prime Minister & Acting Minister for Labour...

For Ursula Rakova of Carteret Islands in Bougainville, the proposed Loss and Damage finance facility agreed to at the global climate talks in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt last week, is ‘too late’ to compensate for more than 15 years of suffering endured by her people. And, she’s not waiting for world leaders to agree on how to operationalise the funding...

15 Pacific Island countries have launched the new Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Review Wednesday to ensure all children, including those living with disability and out-of-school children, have equal access to quality learning. The Review was designed to advance understanding of the situation of inclusive education in the Pacific, foster cross-country learning and sharing, as well as strengthen partnerships, planning, decision-making...

There were strong, sincere statements and lamentations for Tonga, which has been severely hit by climate change. That was how contributions from visiting Commonwealth Youth Parliamentarians flowed in Tuesday’s debate, where Tonga’s representative Kilisitina Moala took the opportunity to deliver a weeping lament that her homeland was sinking. The CYP debate in Parliament on a proposed law for Remote Workplace operations...

Fiji's Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem predicts a roughly 65 percent voter turnout on 14 December. Saneem derived this figure from the number of postal ballot application received by the Fijian Elections Office as of 3pm Wednesday. Saneem said the FEO had estimated to receive around 23, 000 postal ballot applications, but as at 3pm only 9, 017 applications were received. He...

The long-term sustainability of the world’s most important tuna stocks – those in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) – will be at risk if governments fail to implement protective management measures. In early December 2022, the 26 member states of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) will meet for crucial negotiations on harvest strategies, measures that are needed...

The Oceania Football Confederation Executive Committee has approved plans for the formation of the OFC Professional League, during the OFC Executive Committee meeting in Doha, Qatar on 19 November. A taskforce was formed in 2019 with the sole purpose of determining the viability of a professional league in the Oceania region. Since then, extensive research and analysis has been conducted...

While dead set on keeping engaged with its allies in the Pacific island region, and possibly reconnecting with countries that have switched alliance to China, Taiwan is not inclined to play the communist regime's “chequebook” game, a Taiwanese official said. “Taiwan wins diplomacy with any country not by trying to buy them. We want to win them over by benefiting...

An Australian academic believes the Papua New Guinea Government might be preparing to walk away from the idea of independence for Bougainville. By 2027 the autonomous Papua New Guinea region expects to be an independent state, after 97.7 percent of Bougainvilleans backed it in a referendum in 2019. Work has been underway with both governments consulting on the way forward, but...