PINA

Fiji Pearls were outplayed on home court in a 29-59 loss against the Tonga Tala in the Oceania Netball World Cup qualifiers last night. The unranked Tongans outclassed the 15th ranked Pearls as they dominated from the start, surprising the Fijian defenders and beating them convincingly at its own backyard. It was like the match was being played in Nukualofa as...

With less than eight years remaining to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the President of the UN General Assembly convened a ‘Moment for Nature’ debate on Tuesday to examine the interconnected environmental threats hampering efforts to achieve sustainable development. The day-long event is being held to assess recent decisions on the global environment agenda and to present solutions...

Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says no election will be deemed as failed unless a full report is given by security and electoral staff in the five electorates that have faced issues in the past week. Markham and Kabwum in Morobe, Kompiam-Ambum, Lagaip and Porgera in Enga Province are five electorates that have seen allegations of vote-fixing leading...

Two of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have reported their first community spread of covid since the pandemic began in early 2020, ending the country's status as one of a handful of covid-free countries globally. The FSM President's Office said that after two college students tested positive for Covid on Monday, health authorities tested 11...

A prolonged indentation in sea levels is being blamed for causing damaging elevated high tides in the Cook Islands, both Samoas and French Polynesia. A scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) Connon Andrews said it's a common phenomenon although the intensity of such events are being exacerbated by sea level rising. “The issue is that...

Cook Islands businesses have rallied round in the wake of last week’s flooding as they prepare for another battering. The king tides, which reached as high as 4.5 metres on the south side of Rarotonga, are expected to return on today, with some parts of the island likely to experience swells of close to five metres. The effect on businesses of...

Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has surpassed absolutely majority with 37,501 votes on Tuesday and declared winner of the Ialibu-Pangia Open seat. O'Neill thanked his supporters for their unwavering commitment to democracy. “There has been a lot of incentives given to the voters of Ialibu Pangia to switch allegiance from myself to others and I want to thank...

France's Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu says his country shares the Pacific's ambition for regional integration. As major powers China and the United States lock horns to battle for influence in the region, François-Xavier Léger said working together cooperatively was “part of France's DNA and diplomacy.” Speaking at the 233rd Bastille Day Anniversary celebrations in Suva on Monday...

In the margins of the Kiwa Initiative Steering Committee meeting chaired by Canada, the Kiwa Initiative awarded grants to ten local projects in the Pacific Island Countries, as well as launched the third Kiwa regional project implemented by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The Kiwa Initiative – Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience aims at strengthening the climate change resilience of...

The Fiji Pearls started its Oceania Netball World Cup Qualifier campaign with a big win over Papua New Guinea last night. Our Pearls thrashed the Pepes 74-32 in game one of the qualifiers at the Vodafone Arena in Suva. The national side was fired up from the first quarter with former basketball player and Pearls shooter Vilisi Tavui making sure of...