PINA

By Stefan Armbruster Imagine living in a city that is still littered with bombs from about 80 years ago – and then one exploding. Maerverlyn survived, but her friends didn't. The scars of war cover Maeverlyn Pitanoe’s body. The 50-year-old mother-of-two was blown up while at a Mother’s Day fundraising barbecue in Solomon Islands last year by an unexploded World...

French Polynesia President Édouard Fritch has signed a principle agreement for the territory, which includes the planned Paris 2024 surfing venue host Teahupo’o on the island of Tahiti, to feature in the Olympic Games Torch Relay. The Organising Committee has recently played down concerns over the development of the Athletes' Village in Teahupo’o, and Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet made...

The Australian government and the country's cricket federation will help develop the sport of cricket in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu as part of a renewed soft power push in the Pacific region. The initiative will offer coaching and training support to the elite teams of both countries, and will allow them to compete in Australian cricket competitions. An Indigenous...

The Solomon Islands Government is investing about US$66 million (about SBD367 million) in improving telephone network nationwide over the next two years, largely to ensure people in the rural areas have access to watching the 2023 Pacific Games. A government committee has been assessing sites to be included in the project for towers to be built. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry...

The Kiribati Government has expressed its gravest concerns by the action of the Court of Appeal and those who continue to aid and abet David Lambourne in his unconstitutional attempt to seek a life-time appointment. It is also unbecoming for members of the noble judiciary to continue with the action to purposefully create a life-time appointment within the Judiciary, when...

Australia is pinning its hopes on Pacific workers to help fill shortages across the economy — particularly in aged care — but industry says a history of poor conditions and sheer numbers mean that's unlikely to make a significant dent in demand. The federal government has expanded the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) to include aged care, hospitality and...

Vanuatu Speaker of Parliament, MP Simeon Seoule has stressed his status is neutral. He made this statement following a call made by the government side for him to resign. The Speaker's status was questioned after his involvement in a reconciliation ceremony made recently between him and another MP in the Opposition Camp. MP Seoule conceded he was part of a reconciliation ceremony,...

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister and Pangu Pati leader James Marape says the Government and Pangu appreciates the role of a free media. He, however, cautioned the media to stay away from political and personal preferences. PM Marape said it was quite evident during the 2022 General Election that certain media houses were taking side with politicians, and political parties, and...

Solomon Islands is one of the countries in the Pacific that has accessed the green climate fund. Exsley Taloiburi Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Programme Adviser Climate Finance and Resilience Team Leader says the Green Climate Fund works through accredited implementing entities. He said there is potential for the Pacific Resilience Facility to consider serving as a regional conduit in the medium...

Kiwi startup Xerra has detected up to 100 possible “dark vessels” during an exercise to crack down on illegal fisheries around Tuvalu. Xerra senior scientist Moritz Lehmann said the rate of detection was higher than expected, and the findings could indicate illegal fishing was a bigger problem than currently thought in the waters around the small Pacific nation. “We did not...