PINA

Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine has been inaugurated in Majuro in the presence of dignitaries from across Micronesia. President Heine was re-elected on 27 December last year for a second term as the nation's 10th president. She was elected in the Nitijela (Parliament) by an absolute minimum majority of 17 votes to 16 in the 33-seat chamber. She becomes one of only...

Palau on Monday became the first nation to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty. “As the first country to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty, Palau has jumped into the lead in the race to ratification," said Laura Meller, project leader of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign. "They’ve already shown leadership in opposing deep-sea mining in the Pacific Ocean and have...

Fiji’s deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says the Prime Minister, has certain powers, and the government is not operating as a different party but as a coalition. Prasad made this comment when asked about the recent developments in the coalition government with the dismissal of Aseri Radrodro. The Deputy PM said contrary to all the rumours, the coalition government is...

Plans to introduce Video Assistant Referees (VAR) into OFC competitions have taken a significant step forward this week in Auckland. Under the guidance of Lewis Watterson from Hawk-Eye, five local operators have been getting VAR training at the OFC Home of Football – Te Kahu o Kiwa. “I’m here for the week taking the guys through how to set up in...

Fiji’s sacked education minister, Aseri Radrodro has apologised to the Prime Minister and people of Fiji – for what he termed as a ‘miscommunications involving all the parties involved.’ “I requested humbly that my termination as the Minister of Education in the Coalition Government be rescinded, and this matter be noted as a miscommunication from various parties involved, Radrodro pleaded...

The coalition government in Fiji is embroiled in a tussle for power – as Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced Friday to remove Aseri Radrodro from cabinet, as minister for education – for insubordination and disobedience. Radrodro is from the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), the junior party in the three-way ruling government in Fiji. His party is now calling on PM...

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...