PINA

Drua winger Vinaya Habosi defied doctors’ orders and a blood infection that nearly killed him to become one of the breakout stars of Super Rugby Pacific. At just 22, Habosi’s speed and tough playing style has him topping the competition for defenders beaten, and in the top four for clean breaks and carry metres. He’s scored two tries for the...

Moana Pasifika have named their team to play the rematch against the Blues on Saturday. Round 7 of DHL Super Rugby Pacific sees the two Auckland-based teams play each other twice in the space of four days. With the short turnaround, Head Coach Aaron Mauger has named a very different side to the team who went down on Tuesday 32-19. Sekope...

Four debutants have been named in the 13-member Fiji 7s team for this month's Singapore and Vancouver 7s. Army halfback Filipo Bukayaro, sensational Fire speed merchant Vuiviawa Naduvalo, lanky winger Tira Wilagi and Police Blue forward Josevani Soro are the new faces in the team announced Thursday. Wardens forward Tevita Daugunu will captain the side and he will be assisted by...

One Pacific leader has spoken out against the proposed security deal between Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China. President David W. Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) wrote to Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare Wednesday to plead with him to deeply consider the long-term security consequences for the Pacific region, if China is allowed to...

Efforts to dissuade the Solomon Islands over a proposed security agreement with China could hinge on fellow Melanesian nations Fiji and Papua New Guinea coming up to with face-saving off-ramp for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to water down the deal. Pessimism is rising that the deal will not be dumped altogether following Sogavare’s staunch defence of the proposed agreement in...

China’s proposed treaty with Solomon Islands is an “adverse development for Australia’s security” but it may be too late to stop the deal, a former senior Australian intelligence official has warned. Richard Maude, head of the Office of National Assessments from 2013 to 2016 and an experienced former diplomat, urged the Morrison government not to engage in megaphone diplomacy as...

Australia's spending on defence cooperation in the Pacific region is being cut at the same time concerns grow over China's rising influence over neighbouring countries such as Solomon Islands. This week's budget confirmed overall funding for the “Defence Cooperation Programme”, which provides assistance such as language training to mainly Pacific nations, will fall from $236 million (US$177 million) forecast this...

The Kingdom of Tonga has won the prestigious BIE Gold Award for Exhibition design for supreme aesthetic functionality with extraordinary visitor discovery at Expo 2020 Dubai. This award was decided by an international panel of nine experts in Architecture, Urban planning, Exhibition, World Expos and more. They have spent weeks around every pavilion on site to make their decision. Deputy Commissioner...

The unsustainable nature of the high debt burden in Pacific countries is an area of concern for New Zealand, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Mahuta in an interview with FijiLive said because of high debt levels, they generally encourage Pacific countries to make use of grant finances where possible. She said Aotearoa New Zealand’s approach to development funding is to provide...

Fiji's Electoral Commission Chair Mukesh Nand is urging all eligible voters to exercise their right by voting in the upcoming General Election. Nand made the call in a press conference Wednesday as a decline in voters turning up to vote in the 2018 election was recorded. He said in the 2014 election, 84 percent people had voted while it dropped to...