PINA

The Vanuatu Electoral Commission will adopt the “simple majority” rule for counting referendum votes. This decision was revealed by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Edward Kaltamat while launching the 2024 National Referendum, Wednesday. According to Kaltamat, the decision was made at the recent meeting of the Commission. He added that they will not use the qualifying majority or the territorial...

New Zealand will provide $20 million (US$12.2 million) towards an initiative aimed at strengthening severe weather and early warning capabilities in the Pacific region. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters made the announcement in Tonga, where he and Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti are on the first leg of this year’s Pacific Mission. The funds will go towards setting up...

The government's 2024 Pacific Mission, led by New Zealand deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti, is travelling to three Pacific islands for a series of meetings and events across Tonga, the Cook Islands and Samoa throughout the week. The first set of the Deputy Prime Minister's bi-lateral meetings was...

Papua New Guinea has flatly ruled out signing a security deal with China as Prime Minister James Marape touches down in Australia. Marape attended an official dinner with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra before he becomes the first Pacific leader to address parliament. Marape will use his speech today to celebrate independence from Australia almost 50 years ago and the...

Border security agencies must carry out their own internal investigations to flush out their own who are involved in the drug business, says Fiji Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua. Tikoduadua said there was a zero-tolerance policy for security officers involved in the movement of drugs, an activity that has been happening for years. “I have demanded for the police to really...

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau says that Kiribati and China have continued to forge a friendship rooted in mutual respect, cooperation, and commitment Maamau made the remarks while addressing the Spring Festival reception held by the Chinese Embassy in Kiribati. “From the beginning of our establishment of diplomatic relations in 1980, until the resumption of diplomatic relations in 2019, Kiribati and China...

Dedicated towards conserving Cook Islands biodiversity, the island nation is applying for the Takitumu Conservation Area to be recognised as an ‘Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure’. If successful, this will be the first internationally acknowledged OECM in the Pacific Islands region. OECMs are not formally Protected Areas but are geographically defined areas that are governed and managed in ways that...

The Papua New Guinea Government plans to introduce laws to curb free speech and freedom of the press, former prime minister Peter O’Neill says. In a statement, O’Neill said the same law would jail any journalist or person who published anything the Government deemed to be “misreporting”. O’Neill described the Government’s proposal as “deeply concerning and need to be vehemently opposed...

Tonga's Acting Prime Minister Samiuela Vaipulu says the government will resolve its differences with the King “the Pacific Way” This comes after the government rejected a directive from the Privy Council, which said King Tupou VI was revoking the ministerial appointments for defence, held by Prime Minister Hu'akavameilku, and foreign affairs held Fekita 'Utoikamanu. Tonga's Attorney-General Linda Folaumoetu'i advised the Prime...

FijiFirst Leader Voreqe Bainimarama, former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and former Health Minister Dr Neil Prakash Sharma have been granted bail by the Suva Magistrates Court. The three appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Waleen George for abuse of office-related charges. State Counsel, Laisani Tabuakuro did not object to bail but asked for strict bail conditions including $10,000 (US$5,000) cash bail. Tabuakuro said...