PINA

In response to the infamous events in Port Moresby last Wednesday, Prime Minister James Marape said he would be initiating a restructure of the Cabinet. And that reshuffle has now occurred. “The issues concerning the economy and the functionality of key state agencies, including Treasury, Finance, and Planning, have been heard loud and clear,” said Prime Minister Marape. “We will examine the...

There has been another major drug bust in Fiji on Saturday – with approximately 1.1 tonnes of white substances in crystal and powder seized in Maqalevu, Nadi. This is a week after three tonnes were found in Legalega, also in Nadi. Fiji Police Assistant Commissioner of Police Mesake Waqa said preliminary test has confirmed that the white substance was methamphetamine. The drugs...

The Pacific Meteorological Desk at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Samoa continues to remind Pacific communities to stay vigilant, be prepared and take heed of the correct information and warnings from their National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) as the region enters the second half of the cyclone season. Three Tropical Cyclones have occurred in...

The U.S government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is supporting Pacific Island Countries to build an equipped workforce to improve peoples’ access to secure, fast, and affordable internet connectivity in the region. USAID's Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP) - Pacific project is collaborating with partners such as the Asia Open Radio Access Network (RAN) Academy...

In a bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Fiji Taekwondo Association will be sending athletes to a World Taekwondo, in cooperation with the Olympic Solidarity Programme of the International Olympic Committee, funded Solomon Island Taekwondo Training Camp to prepare Oceania athletes for this opportunity. Fiji Taekwondo Association President Nimesh Narayan said this is a historic opportunity for...

The Fiji Rugby Union and Fijian Drua have named former Flying Fijians players Kele Leawere and Seremai Bai as coaches for the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua Women’s team. Leawere will serve as the Senior Assistant Coach for both Drua Women and Vodafone Fijiana 15s teams, while Seremaia Bai will take on the role of Assistant Coach for the Drua Women. The...

Twenty-nine people in the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) have died in the last financial year, making it the deadliest period in the history of the expanding scheme, according to government data. The fourfold rise came as participant numbers reached an all-time high amid an increasing reliance on Pacific workers in the Australian agriculture and meat industries. According to data from...

France welcomes the UN General Assembly’s adoption on 18 December of the resolution it introduced with Costa Rica establishing the terms of the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which will be held in Nice in June 2025. The adoption of this resolution by consensus sends a very positive signal for ocean conservation, which is vital to the planet and crucial...

The President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)Benny Wenda has highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by tens of thousands of West Papuans due to what he described as Indonesian genocidal violence, colonialism, and corporate greed. In his Christmas message, Wenda gieve over West Papuans who, instead of celebrating Christmas with family and friends, find themselves spending the...

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has authorised the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), at their request, to participate in the advisory proceedings on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. Pursuant to Article 66 of its Statute, the Court has decided that the Pacific Islands Forum and AOSIS are likely...