PINA

Australian voters have delivered a sharp rebuke to the centrer-right government, ending nine years of conservative rule, in favor of the centre-left opposition that promised strong action on climate change. Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese appeared certain to form a minority government, though it was unclear as counting continued if the party would have enough seats for a majority,...

A proposal to double funding in the Pacific to reduce the Chinese infiltration in the region was knocked back by the Cabinet's National Security Committee months before the Solomon Islands security agreement. Foreign Minister Marise Payne proposed doubling Australia’s Pacific aid months before the Solomon Islands-China security pact but the Cabinet’s National Security Committee rejected the proposal. Payne presented the bolstered...

Former Fiji Opposition MP Niko Nawaikula will spend two years behind bars. The matter was called for sentencing in the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Suva today. On 03 May this year, High Court Judge Justice Thushara Kumarage found Nawaikula guilty and convicted him on one count of giving false information to a public servant and one count of...

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has concluded its consideration of the combined second to fourth periodic report of Kiribati, with Committee Experts congratulating Kiribati for raising the age of marriage to 18, while raising questions about birth registration and school dropout rates for boys. A Committee Expert congratulated Kiribati for raising the age of marriage to 18. Another...

Papua New Guinea Judge Derek Hartshorn says a one-man Supreme Court bench does not have the power to stop an act of Parliament that has already been enforced. He made the comment while dismissing Opposition Leader Belden Namah’s application to stop the Parliament’s decision of adding new electorates and the Electoral Commission to proceed with the general election with those...

The U.S has announced it will boost military spending in the Pacific to counter China. The White House’s Indo-Pacific Strategy announcement didn’t include any money attached to it, but that should change in the next federal budget, according to Camille Dawson, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. As every close watcher of the...

National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad says the Fijian government won’t be able to stop them and the People’s Alliance from winning this year’s general election. Prasad said the lies spread by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama during his official tours around the country won’t stop the two parties from winning this year’s election. “We are ready for the 2022 general election...

Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner David Manning says anyone found to be in possession of an unlicensed and homemade firearm will be arrested and charged by security personnel across the country. Commissioner Manning said that the two week amnesty ended Thursday with all security personnel given clear instructions to arrest and charge anyone who is found, “manufacturing homemade guns, illegal...

Tuvalu's athletes have been training in an unusual place to prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - the country's international airport. Space in the Pacific island nation is at a premium, and with only one flight currently arriving a fortnight the locals have come up with an innovative solution. “At the moment we are using our runway,” said Tuvalu's Chef...

Fiji will host the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2022, which also features Australia A, Samoa and Tonga,, from 02-16 July with matches taking place in Suva and Lautoka. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format with the Pacific Nations Cup winner determined by the highest number of competition points at the end of the three match-days, with...