PINA

At least 217 individuals have applied to contest the upcoming Vanuatu snap election. Deputy Principal Electoral Officer (PEO), Gary Tavoa, confirmed this was the total number of applications they received out from over 300 candidature applications that they have issued. Currently the Office is undertaking the screening process on the respective applicants to check whether or not they are qualified to...

Ongerung Kambes Kesolei, a seasoned journalist from Palau was elected Secretary of the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalists Network (PACJN) during the meeting of the 6th Pacific Media Summit in Honiara, the Solomon Islands, this week. Palau Media Council’s nominee Kesolei to the Board of the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalist Network was elected during the PACJN’s AGM held alongside the 6th Pacific Media...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced plans to provide at least US$14 billion over 2022–2025 in a comprehensive program of support to ease a worsening food crisis in Asia and the Pacific, and improve long-term food security by strengthening food systems against the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. The assistance expands ADB's already significant support for food...

Opinion by Gerard Finin and Terence Wesley-Smith This week, the White House will host its first-ever summit with Pacific Islands leaders. The Pacific spans nearly a third of the globe and is home to 16 island nations. In geostrategic terms, the region is more important today than any time since the second world war. The summit is a direct response to...

Toa Samoa's World Cup credentials have been underlined by the inclusion of eight players from the Penrith and Parramatta grand final teams in a powerful squad announced on Tuesday. Samoa are the first Pacific nation to publicly unveil their squad for the World Cup and if coach Matt Parish wanted to make a statement ahead of the opening game against...

-Twenty of the best female players from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga gathered on Australia’s Gold Coast last week for the historic Oceania Rugby Women’s Combine. Designed to help accelerate the growth of the women’s game in the Pacific, the programme ran from 19-24 September and exposed the players to world-class coaching from Daryl Gibson, Toutai Kefu, Seilala Mapusua,...

The Bula Boys have been beaten 1-0 by Papua New Guinea in the MSG Prime Ministers Cup semifinal at Korman Stadium in Port Villa, Vanuatu. A 23rd-minute goal from a penalty was enough for PNG to make the final. The Roy Krishna-captained side failed to capitalise on a few scoring chances in the second half. Christopher Wasasala could have equalized in the...

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee has named former national swim sensation and four-time Olympian Ryan Pini as the chef de mission for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Pini has made a name for himself in the pool on a national and international athletic career spaning over 28 years for Team PNG. Committee president Sir John Dawanincura congratulated Pini...

By Ben Bilua The 6th Pacific Media Summit – the region’s biggest gathering of media executives and Practioners – opens at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara this evening. Up to 150 media delegates from the region and beyond are attending the week-long event. “We are privileged to be given the opportunity to host this prestigious and big media event,” Media Association...

By Ben Bilua Former Member of Parliament and longtime journalist, Alfred Sasako says Solomon Islands has been engrained by corruption that there seems to be no solution to address the issue. Speaking during a penal discussion on “Media’s Role in Investigating the Management of Public Resources” Monday, Sasako said the issue continues to be a challenge due to a number of...