PINA

The Tongan Government has agreed to allow bars and kava clubs and certain face to face education in classrooms to open and put in place new isolation and quarantine timelines, starting from Saturday, as COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom continues to decrease. The Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni announced the changes in the first face to face press conference with...

A new project on Building the Capacity of Pacific Media to Report on Anti-Corruption was launched in Fiji today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA). The project, implemented by PINA through the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalists Network (PACJN), aims to build the capacity of selected national media associations and journalists...

The seat of convicted SODELPA MP, Niko Nawaikula has become vacant and he has been disqualified from contesting Fiji's 2022 General Election. Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau clarified this in parliament this morning saying Nawaikula had been convicted with one count of tendering false information to a public servant and one count of obtaining a financial advantage and is...

A meeting between Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her Solomons Islands counterpart is a positive step forward, according to the prime minister. Scott Morrison said the meeting between Senator Payne and Jeremiah Manele in Brisbane reinforced Australia's role in the region. The meeting came following heightened tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Solomons signing a security...

The Japanese Government has reaffirmed their solidarity and unwavering support to the Fijian Government for the advancement of regional prosperity and Fiji’s national priorities. This has been reinforced at the bilateral meeting convened Saturday between Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, and Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hayashi Yoshimasa. Prime Minister Bainimarama formally welcomed Minister Yoshimasa on his first official visit to Fiji...

Japan, Fiji and Palau share the same concerns over a security pact China recently signed with the Solomon Islands, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Sunday as he wrapped up a trip to the two Pacific island nations. Hayashi told an online press conference from Palau that the pact could have a "significant impact” on the security of the Pacific and...

A meeting of the Tongan Legislative Assembly will be held on 16 May to unseat two Members of Parliament from their seats, after their elections were voided by the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa. The date for the meeting was announced on 04 May, before a third member of parliament had his election declared void by the Court. Three other election petitions...

Visiting Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasa and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General have discussed regional affairs concerning the security environment of our region. The Minister held a meeting with Henry Puna Saturday. Yoshimasa says the relationship with the Pacific Islands Forum is important. The two leaders confirmed the importance of working together for regional peace and stability, including frank dialogue in...

The Pacific Collective on Nuclear Issues (the Collective) is calling on Japan's Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, who visited Fiji and Palau on the weekend, to reconsider Japan's plans to dump over one million tonnes of radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean as early as next year. According to the Japanese Government, Minister Hayasi toured the two Pacific states to promote...

Australian officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have used rare talks with their Chinese counterparts to raise “serious concerns” about Beijing's new security pact with Solomon Islands and to stress the depth of Australia's connections with the Pacific. Mid-ranking public servants from both countries held the virtual talks on the Pacific last Friday. The ABC was told...