PINA

Almost 500 million people have been infected with the coronavirus since March 2020 and new variants are still a threat. This Friday marks two years since the World Health Organisation (WHO) characterised the global spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic. The UN health agency’s assessment was made six weeks after the virus was declared a global health emergency when there were...

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for The Metals Company (TMC) deep sea mining test by its Nauruan subsidiary, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI), received over 600 comments across a range of critical issues. Government and non-government organisations declared it sub-standard and not fit for purpose as a risk management tool. Dr Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch Canada (MWC) said, “The EIS has supposedly...

Niue, one of the only countries to remain Covid-free throughout the pandemic, has recorded its first case of the virus. The person, a traveller from New Zealand, arrived on a flight on Monday. They are now in quarantine. The person was double vaccinated and boosted and had returned a negative PCR test and rapid antigen tests prior to boarding their flight, a...

Pacific Island states are paying close attention as the world responds to conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Dr George Carter, an expert in geopolitics and director of the Australian National University's Pacific Institute, said island countries would be assessing their geopolitical ties. “The war Ukraine and Russia tells us that we are also living in a time that inter-war between...

Australia and New Zealand's long-standing spying operations in the Pacific have been brought back into the spotlight, following an investigation by journalist Nicky Hager for the publication Declassified Australia. Hager said conversations with a confidential source within the New Zealand government have led him to believe the surveillance programmes continue to this day. “If you're working in the government from a...

A growing Covid-19 outbreak has forced a postponement of the Hurricanes' Super Rugby Pacific match against Moana Pasifika on Saturday. The postponement was made on the advice of the Super Rugby Pacific Medical Advisory Group that the Hurricanes squad did not have enough players to form a match day 23. Newstalk ZB understands up to 20 people in the Hurricanes camp...

Teti Tela and Frank Lomani have been selected in Swire Shipping Fijian Drua line-up to take on Queensland Reds for this weekendin round four. Flanker Meli Derenalagi captains the side again this week in the continued absence of Nemani Nagusa, while the match day 23 also features three potential Drua debutants. In the front row, Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (1) and Samuela Tawake...

Sport in the Pacific Islands is to benefit from preemptive moves by an Oceania-stakeholder Working Group’s evolving architecture leading to the BRISBANE 2032 Olympic Games to benefit trainers, coaches, specialists, and athletes in the islands – but with an emphasis on Pacific islanders for Pacific islanders. In opening remarks to the hybrid online and in-person ONOC Secretaries-General Workshop in Guam,...

There is a need for the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Oceania to be more transparent with its national federations and athletes on grants and opportunities offered through the Olympic Solidarity Programme. Ricardo Blas, Secretary-General of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) made the call at the opening of the ONOC Secretaries-General Workshop, a quadrennial meet that kickstarts the beginning...

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming a socio-economic burden for Fiji as they account for an estimated 84 percent of premature deaths in the island nation, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) official. Shiva Anjini Singh, WHO Strategic Planning Officer, made the comments while highlighting the overview of the situation analysis of NCDs in Fiji during the Wellness and NCD consultation...