PINA

Countries that have experienced conflict in the past possess the capacity to achieve peace, says Johanna Podlesak, Director of Pacific Programmes (South East Asia and Pacific) at Conciliation Resources. Speaking to Solomon Star during the recent two-day Peacebuilding and Security Dialogue in Honiara, Podlesak emphasised the resilience of Pacific nations despite their histories of conflict. “Many countries in the region have...

The New Zealand government remains tight-lipped on the findings of a review into its development assistance to Kiribati. It came in the wake of a diplomatic stoush between Foreign Minister Winston Peters and the Kiribati President Taneti Maamau over a proposed visit. “It was a misunderstanding that has since been clarified,” Ruth Cross Kwansing, a Kiribati government MP, told RNZ Pacific. Both...

The Fiji Rugby Union has announced that the Flying Fijians will take on Scotland in a test match scheduled for July 12th, 2025, at 3:00 PM at the HFC Bank Stadium. This marks the 13th encounter between the two rugby nations, with their first meeting dating back to September 25th, 1982. Flying Fijians Head Coach Mick Byrne, who recently returned from...

The Fiji Drua boss has slammed Rugby Australia for what he labelled an “inequitable” travel schedule, where the Drua women’s team will arrive a day before before their Super Rugby Women’s semi-final on Sunday. He also suggested it could lead to a “ridiculously compromised” preparation if they make the grand final. The Fijian Drua open the Super Rugby Women's season with...

Papua New Guinea Law Society president Hubert Namani has described as a threat to democracy the Counter-Terrorism Act 2024, the National Executive Council Act 2025, and Constitutional Amendment No 48 (Motion of No Confidence) Law 2025. He said after Monday’s Rule of Law march by lawyers that the new laws threatened the checks and balances that upheld the country’s democracy. He...

The third edition of the LDC Future Forum, which opened on Monday, focusses on how these 44 nations can better withstand systemic shocks, including the adverse effects of climate change and other global crises. The objective is to develop actionable solutions that will contribute to sustainable development and resilience building in these countries. The forum aligns with Priority 5 of the...

Two Fiji nationals living in Modesto, California Jyoteshna Karan, 52, and Praveen Singh, 45, were sentenced for leading a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today. Karan received three years and four months in prison, and Singh received two years. According to court records, from 2006 through 2015, Karan and Singh conspired to make straw...

The leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, Peter Dutton has been accosted for comments about a Pacific climate conference that could damage Australia's standing in the region. Australia is bidding to host the COP31 climate conference in 2026 in conjunction with Pacific island nations but the opposition leader rejected it, saying it would cost "tens of billions of dollars". Dutton...

A landmark court conviction in Papua New Guinea related to the murder of a mother-of-five accused of sorcery is being hailed as a major victory in the fight to stop such attacks and murders. For the first time, a court has found a person guilty of accusing someone of sorcery under legislation, known as the Glasman Act, which was passed...

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) will hold its first regional technical cooperation session in Fiji from 07 to 11 April, during which it will engage in exchanges with three States parties: Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. Facilitated by several partners, this is the Committee’s first regional engagement outside Geneva or New York. It...