PINA

Solomon Islands has announced the country’s international borders will open by 01 July 2022. This is for those coming in and leaving the country. “We will make sure that we no longer have as much restrictions as we currently have,” said Secretary to the Prime Minister and Vice-Chairman of Oversight Committee Dr Jimmie Rodgers during an Oversight Committee talk-back show. However, he...

Health teams worldwide need much safer working conditions to combat the “dangerous neglect” they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health and labour agencies said on Monday. Approximately 115,500 health workers died from COVID-19 in the first 18 months of the pandemic, linked to a “systemic lack of safeguards”, they noted. In a joint call for action from the...

While all eyes are on the COVID-19 crisis, one of the world's deadliest diseases continues to haunt the Pacific. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a highly-contagious airborne bacterial infection that attacks the lungs. It killed 1.5 million people last year - more than any other infectious disease except for COVID-19 and has been called a ‘silent’ or ‘hidden’ epidemic. Dr Hemant Bogati...

The Fijian Elections Office has completed its operational plan for the Writ period, laying out how the entire process will be run. The plan covers a 50-day period from the day that the Writ of Election is issued by the President, to when the Writ is returned with all the election results. Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said the plan will...

Coordinator of the Papuan Observatory for Human Rights (POHR) Thomas Syufi said Indonesia’s apathy towards human rights, economic, socio-cultural, environmental, educational, and health issues in Papua had made the international community increasingly suspicious of the Indonesian government over the deteriorating human rights situation in Papua and West Papua provinces. “The United Nation Human Rights Council has repeatedly asked the Indonesian...

Fiji's Ministry of Health has recorded two more COVID-19 deaths and 26 new cases. Since the last update, Fiji has recorded 26 new cases of which 11 new cases were recorded last Saturday, 19 February, three new cases were recorded on Sunday, 20 February 20 and 12 new cases Monday. Of the 26 cases recorded, 13 cases were in the Central...

Tongan business experts say up to 50 per cent of the country’s tourism and hospitality sector might not return after the recent volcano eruption, tsunami and Covid-19 lockdown. At least 35 tourism and hospitality businesses were either partially or totally destroyed by the tsunami and eruption on 15 January, according to Tourism Tonga. This included a number of businesses in the...

The Tongatapu end of the Tonga Cable was being spliced this afternoon, and service is expected to come online by late Tuesday, 38 days after a large section was blown to bits by a volcanic eruption on 15 January. “We need another 24 hours to connect the Tonga end,” James Panuve, CEO of Tonga Cable Ltd said. The cable ship Reliance...

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a project to improve the diet of school-aged children, with support from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). In many countries, school meals represent a significant portion of children's daily diets, and it is vital that these directly contribute...

Moana Pasifika’s Round 2 DHL Super Rugby Pacific match against the Gallagher Chiefs has been postponed due to player welfare concerns New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced. The first cohort of Moana Pasifika players and staff emerged from their Queenstown hotel Monday after nearly 10 days of isolation following positive COVID-19 cases in the group. The DHL Super Rugby Pacific Medical...