PINA

Papua New Guinea is on the cusp of voting in our first female Governor General (GG) after nominations for the post lapsed on Tuesday afternoon. In the running are only three familiar names. Former PNG High Commissioner to UK and Cabinet Secretary Winnie Kiap is up against two male nominees, the incumbent Sir Bob Dadae and lawyer and National Alliance(NA) stalwart...

Election observer MP Todd McClay says he believes Fiji's election was fair and that the country must now democratically decide the composition of the next government. For the first time since the return of democracy in Fiji in 2014, Voreqe Bainimarama's Fiji First Party has failed to secure the majority of seats in Parliament. A New Zealand delegation has been in...

Fiji's Opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) Leader Viliame Gavoka says he will step down from his position. He said according to the party’s constitution, he has 30 days to finalise his report and then vacate his seat. Gavoka will remain as SODELPA’s leader until January next year. “The spirit of the constitution is that I vacate the seat and I want...

Samoa Cabinet has appointed the Attorney General and Chief Executive Officers for the Ministry of Justice & Courts Administration and the Samoa Qualifications Authority. Su’a Hellene Wallwork-Lamb continues as Attorney General following her interim appointment to replace the former Attorney General who was dismissed in September 2021 having lost the trust and confidence of the Government. The 48-year old had served...

Details of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 have been announced with a pair of three-day combined men’s and women’s events taking place at Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 20-22 and 28-30 April, 2023. The winner of the 12-team women’s Challenger Series will gain the ultimate prize of automatic promotion to the Sevens World Series 2024 –...

Oceania Rugby (OR) has announced the appointment of Frank Puletua as its new General Manager (GM) following a global search and unanimous endorsement from the Oceania Board. Puletua joins OR following over 10 years at the National Rugby League (NRL), most recently as the GM International Strategy & NRL Awards since May 2018. Puletua has a deep understanding of sport and...

- FijiFirst General Secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has spoken out for the first time after the result of the election was made public on Sunday – clarifying that Voreqe Bainimarama and his cabinet remain in government until a new Prime Minister is elected in Parliament. Khaiyum said there is no other Prime Minister until an election in Parliament, when the President...

The People’s Alliance (PA), National Federation Party (NFP) and Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) coalition supports the Fiji Police Force call for calm and for all Fijians to respect the political process. “Reports of violent incidents overnight by the Commissioner of Police are disturbing and must cease immediately,” Sitiveni Rabuka, the leader of the PA-NFP-SODELPA coalition and Prime Minister-designate, said...

Outgoing Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has blasted New Zealand Foreign Minister saying she should respect the election process of the Pacific nation. Bainimarama was replying to New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanai Mahuta’s tweet, endorsing the new Fijian coalition government. “You got the wrong country. “You’ve jumped the gun please respect our laws and pull down your tweet,” Bainimarama said in his...

Global scientists leading some of the world's best marine laboratories have called for a stop to Japan's plans release of over 1.3 million tons of radioactively contaminated water from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster into the Pacific Ocean next year. The U.S National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML), an organisation of more than 100 member laboratories, expressed their opposition...