PINA

Vanuatu’s electoral roll dates back to 1980. Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Edward Kaltamat, revealed this as he commented that it is remarkable when one compares the total population, which was released by the Vanuatu National Statistic Office (VNSO) last year. The total population recorded during the national census then was 309,000. The total registered voters now are 302, 307. Kaltamat said the...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will this week welcome New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta on her first official visit to the Cook Islands this year. PM Brown said he was delighted to be able to welcome Minister Nanaia Mahuta to the Cook Islands, for in-person bilateral discussions, and the signing of the statement of partnership. “This is the first...

The president of Palau said last Thursday that his small Pacific island nation is committed to supporting Taiwan despite “mounting aggressions,” offering his strong backing at a time Beijing is ramping up pressure against Taipei in the region. The Pacific is the site of a diplomatic tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington, and in 2019 China snatched away two of Taiwan's...

The United States and Taiwan have launched a programme aimed at enhancing the economic prospects of women in four Pacific island nations -- Palau, Nauru, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands -- which have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the U.S Department of State announced on Friday. According to a statement, the State Department and Taiwan have teamed up with the Grameen...

By Jo Chandler In mid-May, a bulldozer began clearing a logging road into an area of largely untouched rainforest near the village of Suburam, on Papua New Guinea’s north coast, between the mountains of the Adelbert Range and the Bismarck Sea. Towering kwila trees were among those locals say were felled by loggers. This is a coveted, high-value species that...

Former Leeds Rhinos and Toronto Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott is set to guide Fiji in next weekend’s opening World Cup match against Australia after answering an SOS call to help the Bati. Recently appointed Wests Tigers assistant David Furner was Fiji’s coaching director during the mid-season Test against Papua New Guinea but was unable to travel to England and he...

-Mal Meninga wants every NRL player to pledge their allegiance to a specific country when they sign their first NRL contract as he escalates his push to scrap the tier system and put Pasifika powerhouses such as Tonga and Samoa on a level footing with Australia. The Kangaroos coach, who will lead the World Cup holders in their first Test...

-A tricky first half did not prevent England opening their World Cup campaign with an 84-19 dismantling of Fiji at Auckland’s Eden Park, extending the tournament favourites’ winning streak to 26 matches. The match was a long time coming for both teams with the finals starting a year late because of coronavirus, plus this being the first meeting between the...

By Elenoa Dimaira The treaty of the Biodiversity of Areas Beyond Marine Jurisdiction or the Treaty of the High Seas, which is still under negotiation is of critical importance to the Pacific Islands as it will impact our culture, food, livelihoods, and national economies. Negotiations on the BBNJ Treaty have been ongoing for the last 18 years, the latest were...

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the prime minister and his Solomon Islands counterpart will discuss important regional issues amid concerns about Honiara relationship with Beijing. Such concerns include threats to ban foreign journalists critical of the Chinese government. Dr Chalmers told reporters before the meeting that the face-to-face was "an important opportunity ... talk about all of the issues we confront". “You...