PINA

The Australian federal opposition has ruled out backing a new Pacific visa lottery scheme, labelling it as arbitrary and patronising to the Pacific community at home and abroad. Last month, the government announced plans to establish a new visa class for up to 3,000 people from the Pacific region, giving them a pathway to citizenship and access to benefits such...

Beijing’s newly appointed special envoy to the Pacific has underlined China’s investment in infrastructure during his first official trip to the region, as Australia and the United States step up efforts to keep island nations in their orbit. Qian Bo, the envoy, met with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko on Tuesday after visiting...

Communities in Vanuatu are slowly beginning to pick up the pieces left behind after destructive winds and heavy rains, brought by two Category Four cyclones, tore through the Pacific Island nation within the space of a few days, said Save the Children. Initial reports from Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office have indicated approximately 251,319 people, of which 125,500 are children,...

A pilot programme to provide mentoring for women journalists in the Pacific has been launched in Fiji, Tuesday. The project is a result of collaboration between the newly formed peak body for women working in Fijian media, Women in Media Fiji (WiM Fiji), the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) and Women in Media Australia (WiM Australia). The programme is an exclusive...

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union (EU), officially inaugurated its new representation office in Suva Tuesday, covering Fiji and the Pacific region. The new EIB office will be located on the premises of the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific. It will strengthen the European Union’s partnership with the region and enhance the...

The Government of Japan and UNICEF have officially signed a new USD$9 million partnership to strengthen digital health systems in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The four Pacific Island countries will receive support for immunisation, including information systems and digital health efforts that will enable monitoring for vaccination coverage down to the individual level. “On behalf of the...

A statement by the UN Resident Coordinators across the Pacific – Jaap van Hierden, Richard Howard, Sanaka Samarasinha, and Simona Marinescu, based in Micronesia, PNG, Fiji, and Samoa respectively. Happy International Women’s Day (IWD) puts a spotlight on the achievements of women and girls everywhere. It is the day of recognition and celebration of the strides which have been...

The Fijian Drua side is expecting a ruthless Crusaders team when the two sides clash this weekend at Churchill Park in round 3 of the 2023 Shop N Save Super Rugby season. Coach Mick Byrne says with the Drua coming off a loss against the Waratahs last week, the side is also hungry for a win as they want to...

The Fiji Rugby Union says it is keen on getting back Olympic Games sevens gold medal winning coach Ben Ryan into its setup. Ryan, who is considered a hero after guiding Fiji to its first Olympics medal ever in 2016, is currently the director of elite performance with English Premier League football club Brentford. He has served the France 7s team...

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is working in partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in the lead up to the 2023 Pacific Games, which were officially launched in Honiara last week Friday. The AFP, through the RSIPF and AFP Policing Partnership Programme (RAPPP) and Solomons’ International Assistance Force (SIAF) is assisting with operational readiness and security planning...