PINA

By Niuone Eliuta Tuvalu, a picturesque island nation nestled in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, is currently grappling with a relentless onslaught of storm surges and towering waves, wreaking havoc on coastal communities. While spring or king tides always come around in February, this year’s king tide is like nothing we have witnessed before. This week, the...

A last-minute bipartisan effort to add key funding aimed at countering China in the Pacific has failed in the U.S Senate even as a US$95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan moved forward. A renewal of the 20-year agreement known as the Compacts of Free Association or COFA was signed late last year, but US$7 billion dollars to...

-Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has openly welcomed the Opposition’s motion for a vote-of-no-confidence against him. This announcement came after the Acting Speaker, Konie Iguan, briefed Parliament about receiving the notice at 1.45pm Tuesday, just before the February session resumed. “I welcome the notice of motion of a vote-of-no-confidence by the Opposition,” stated Prime Minister Marape. He further elaborated on...

-The Papua New Guinea Opposition has nominated East Sepik Governor Allan Bird as their alternative Prime Minister. Leader of the Opposition Douglas Tomuriesa announced this in a news conference Tuesday at the end of parliament sitting. The opposition confirmed handing the vote of no confidence motion to acting Parliament Speaker Koni Iguan before parliament convened at 2pm Tuesday The alternate government comprising...

An election result in Tuvalu has been delayed by two weeks as dangerous weather stops boats from bringing new lawmakers to the capital to vote for prime minister, highlighting why climate change is the top political issue in the Pacific Islands nation. Tuvalu's prime minister, Kausea Natano, lost his seat in a general election on 26 January closely watched by...

The Solomon Islands’ ruling party has pledged to strike a “pragmatic” balance between stronger ties with China and its relations with “traditional partners” such as Australia if it wins re-election in April. The Pacific nation’s Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has taken a pro-Beijing stance since returning to power in 2019 and has accused “agents of Western powers” of trying to...

The Australian Government, through PacificAus Sports, will partner with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to support more than 250 athletes from 13 Pacific nations as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The supported athletes will compete across 15 sports including athletics, swimming, boxing, weightlifting and Rugby 7s. Australia’s commitment to promoting greater inclusion of women and...

Super Rugby Pacific will look to encourage more counterattacking from kicking duals as they tweak the offside laws. The current laws state players can be put onside from a kick if the ball is either passed or the ball carrier runs five metres. This limits the amount of opportunities and space to attack, leading to further kicking between the teams. Super Rugby...

The government of Japan reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of releasing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. In a press briefing in Suva Monday, Japan’s Deputy Press Secretary Mariko Kaneko said the decision to discharge the treated water into the ocean came after six years of extensive research and consultation with...

A former political advisor believes Tonga's parliament should be dissolved due to the current stand-off between King Tupou VI and the government. Lopeti Senituli advisor to former Prime Minister Akalisi Pohiva says the King has no confidence in the current Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni. And he says it's time for the prime minister to step down. Meanwhile, a stalemate remains in Tonga...