PINA

The 12 women’s and 16 men’s captains got ready for lift off as they lined up in front of the Ariane 5 space rocket at Space City on Wednesday ahead of the HSBC France Sevens, which is taking place in Toulouse for the first time. Rugby fans in France and around the world can look forward to being entertained by...

Fijian Drua Head Coach Mick Byrne has announced his line-up for big clash against the Crusaders in Christchurch this Friday. Missing from the line-up will be recent team captain Meli Derenalagi and prop Meli Tuni, both of whom will undergo immediate surgery for ACL injury. The injuries and required rehabilitation mean both players are out for the reminder of the...

All Blacks wing Sevu Reece has been messaging brother Cyril in Fiji to say “ I could have been playing you on Friday night’’. While Sevu Reece, 25, has been named on the Crusaders’ right wing for the clash with the Fijian Drua, Cyril, 30, will be watching from afar. But they could have been on opposite sides for the Drua’s...

The ONOC Medical Commission is one of the key Commissions that worked to bring confidence to athletes and National Olympic Committees in Oceania during the COVID-19 pandemic – its core work being the health and wellbeing of athletes before, during, and after the TOKYO 2020 Summer Olympics. The four other commissions at the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) are the...

Three former presidents, one former prime minister and six former ministers are among 16 leaders tasked with exploring options for reducing the risks of overshooting global temperature goals. The Climate Overshoot Commission launched on Tuesday with a majority of members from developing countries. It will address sensitive questions around the ethics and feasibility of ways to reverse warming. These include large-scale...

A new study says climate change could put Pacific Islanders at risk of losing their nationality and citizenship if countries in the region do not strengthen their laws. The study looked at 23 Pacific countries and found that some existing laws do not protect citizens when they relocate or migrate overseas. Professor Michelle Foster, Director of the Peter McMullin Centre on...

Fiji police have suspended an officer pending an investigation after a video showing what appeared to be the use of excessive force against a bus driver during an arrest was shared widely in the Pacific country. The video appears to show a police officer attempting to remove a handcuffed bus driver from his bus in Labasa on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s...

Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai has announced that nominations will be accepted from Thursday onwards and counting will be carried out in tandem with polling. Candidates for the 2022 National General Elections will have until 26 May to nominate, this would ensure a two-week grace period for United Labour Party to elect a new party leader and to...

A defence expert has issued a stark warning about the presence of Chinese ships in the Pacific region, suggesting more sightings could be “the new normal”. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Michael Shoebridge has warned the presence of Chinese naval vessels in the Pacific is “the new normal”. His comments come after a Chinese spy ship was detected “hugging” the Western...

Kiribati-born Tiibea Baure moved to Australia in 2008 as a nursing student with a plan for her extended family's future. “So when one day they have to migrate due to climate change, I'm here, ready to take them on board,” the Toowoomba-based aged care service manager said. But Baure said starting a life abroad came with its challenges. When she arrived in...