PINA

Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni is currently facing a new no-confidence vote following recent political tensions and concerns raised by the King. The Speaker of Parliament, Lord Fakafanua, announced the no-confidence vote motion this morning. It comes after the Prime Minister survived a motion for a vote of no confidence ballot against him in September 2023. “The office of the lord...

Samoa's Ministry of Health has confirmed a case of whooping cough, or pertussis. New Zealand has declared an epidemic of the disease. The health ministry said a seven-week-old baby boy, who had not yet received any vaccination, was confirmed to have whooping cough earlier this month and has since recovered. The ministry said it continues to observe a high number of severe...

With the close of COP29, attention now turns to The Hague, where Vanuatu’s historic climate case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to begin on 02 December. The case, supported by 110 UN member states and intergovernmental organisations, could have significant implications for global climate action. Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Environment, expressed frustration...

Rich nations pledged to contribute at least US$300 billion annually to the global fight against climate change as UN climate talks came to a contentious end early Sunday morning in Baku. Developing nations who had sought over US$1 trillion in assistance called the agreement “insulting” and argued it did not give them the vital resources they required to truly address...

National Capital District (NCD) Metropolitan Commander Silva Sika has confirmed that local journalist Hennah Joku from Jayapura, Indonesia was arrested and charged with two counts of making a defamatory publication using any electronic device by the NCD Cybercrime Unit at 7-mile. She was charged and processed at the 7-mile police station and then taken to Boroko Police Station cell where...

New Caledonia's Union Calédonienne, one of the main and oldest components of the pro-independence movement, has elected Emmanuel Tjibaou as its new president at the weekend. The election was one of the main items of the agenda of UC's Congress, which was held in the small village of Mia (near Canala, East Coast of the main island of Grande Terre). Tjibaou,...

In a historic moment marked for the United States (U.S) and Fiji relations, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sitiveni Rabuka met with the U.S Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III, the first- high ranking official from U.S Department of Defence to visit Fiji. In a bilateral meeting convened Saturday in Nadi, Prime Minister Rabuka welcomed Secretary Austin’s...

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) closed Sunday with a new finance goal to help countries to protect their people and economies against climate disasters and share in the vast benefits of the clean energy boom. With a central focus on climate finance, COP29 brought together nearly 200 countries in Baku, Azerbaijan, and reached a breakthrough agreement that will: *Triple finance...

In a star-studded evening in Monaco and surrounded by legends of the game, South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit and England’s Ellie Kildunne have been named World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year, respectively. The Springbok flanker wins the prestigious accolade for the second time, having also been named World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year in...

The Supreme Court of Vanuatu has registered an urgent court application from the former Opposition, challenging the dissolution of Parliament. The Opposition group, led by former Leader of Opposition Gracia Shadrack and 28 other former Members of Parliament (MPs), filed the application after preparing it since Monday. The court officially registered the case Thursday. This legal action comes after President Nikenike...