PINA

An allocation of $6million (US$3 million) has been provided to support Fiji Rugby Union and the Fijian Drua in meeting the New Zealand Rugby Union’s financing requirements for Super Rugby Pacific. While delivering the 2021-2022 Revised National Budget in Parliament last night, Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the investment also for 51 percent shareholding in Counter Ruck Pte Limited, or...

The President of the Pacific nation whose nomination for the Secretary General post became a flashpoint for the possible breakup of the Pacific Islands Forum has said not only does he not want the Micronesia area nations to pull out of the Forum, he wants current Secretary General Henry Puna to stay on the job. In a 17 February letter...

The UN set an ambitious five year deadline on Wednesday for countries to ensure that citizens worldwide are protected by early warning systems against extreme weather and climate change, the UN chief announced, marking World Meteorological Day. “Early warnings and action save lives,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message during a ceremony marking the day, adding that the...

The former prime minister of Samoa has been found guilty of contempt of court after fighting judgments that tried to manage the 2021 election turmoil. In a decision delivered by the Supreme Court of Samoa on 23 February, New Zealand justices Robert Fisher and Raynor Asher set out how Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and others “damaged the fabric of Samoa” with...

Taiwan has long struggled for global recognition, but on Tuesday the leader of one of the world's smallest countries vowed he will not rest until the island is an “equal member of the family of nations”. The sparsely populated Marshall Islands, whose president is conducting a five-day visit to Taiwan, is among the self-ruled island's remaining 14 diplomatic allies that...

Time is running out for governments to reach an ambitious Paris-style agreement for nature, say campaigners, who warn that crucial negotiations to protect biodiversity are moving at a “snail’s pace”. Amid increasingly alarming scientific assessments about the state of life on Earth, negotiators are meeting in Geneva for talks aimed at halting and reversing the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems...

The final count of the ballots from Niue’s Fono Ekepule returned 11 votes to five against the motion defeating the vote of no confidence in Premier Dalton Tagelagi Cabinet. The sixteen members present all spoke after the presentation of the motion by Common Roll member Terry Coe. Despite Speaker Hima Takelesi’s decision that the vote will be by secret ballot, the...

Samoa's Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported 155 new community cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours to push the country's cumulative total to 622. Upolu continues to lead in terms of total cases with the MOH confirming 606 cases with Savai'i recording 16 active cases. According to the MOH health workers have administered a total of 940 Rapid Antigen...

It's been more than two years since many Pacific countries closed their international borders as a result of the pandemic. But in that time, some nations have decided to relax restrictions to welcome tourists back and revive the economy. With sandy beaches and warm, sunny weather Cook Islands is a dream destination for many travellers. Now Aussies can be part of the...

By Geraldine Panapasa Ten years ago, at the age of 21, Sashi Kumari was admitted to hospital and told her kidneys were failing. She was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), which requires four-hour dialysis twice every week and ultimately a kidney transplant. “I was very scared in the early stages of my diagnosis,” she said. “I thought about my family,...