PINA

By Graeme Dobell As Australia must close the gap between its First Nations peoples and other Australians, so it must open the door to Melanesians. The two needs are distinct and separate. Yet they share elements of necessity and symbolic importance. Closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in life expectancy, child mortality, literacy, education and employment is a great...

-A record-breaking double by Chris Wood has helped New Zealand to a dominant 4-0 win over Fiji in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers. His 73rd minute goal makes him the outright leading goal scorer for the All Whites and vindicated his selection straight into the lineup after arriving in Doha just days before the match. Coach Danny Hay...

After a couple of days of disruption, the on field action returned to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers in Doha, with Papua New Guinea beating New Caledonia 1-0 in a physical but wildly entertaining encounter at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. Both sides made several changes to their starting XI’s after first round losses, Papua New Guinea holding top-ranked...

-Disappointed Moana Pasifika coach Aaron Mauger has challenged his players to address two key areas after being dished up a Super Rugby Pacific lesson by the in-form Chiefs at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday night. Mauger’s Moana Pasifika received a reality check at the hands of the under-strength, but in-sync Chiefs in just their second official outing as a franchise....

Fiji Pearls has recorded its first win in the PacificAus Sports Netball Series edging Samoa 55-44 earlier this afternoon. The pearls looked in fine form returning back onto the court after 975 days when it last had its international outing. Fiji made it look easy in the first quarter holding off Samoa in a 17-9 lead. Basic passing skills were what stood...

Tonga's national women's netball team overpowered Papua New Guinea 85-42 in their first game of the Australia Pacific Netball series in Sydney, Australia, Monday. The series will run this week from March 21-26, with Tonga to meet Fiji today, Samoa on Wednesday and Singapore on Friday, ending with the finals on Saturday. Prime Minister, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni wished the team all...

The clock ran out Friday at UN talks to forge a legally binding treaty to protect open oceans beyond national jurisdictions (BBNJ), with no schedule set for prolonging the discussions. This fourth round of negotiations since 2018 -- preceded by a decade of preliminary talks -- was meant to create vast marine reserves to prevent biodiversity loss, oversee industrial-scale fisheries...

“Fabian, Fabian, why did you do that, why?” were the alleged words of Moresby Northwest MP Lohia Boe Samuel contained in a Papua New Guinea police statement of facts after the shooting incident at a restaurant in Port Moresby few days ago. Fabian Hera is Samuel’s protocol officer and was with Samuel and the deceased Robert Jerry during the incident...

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta is leading Timor Leste's presidential election, garnering 44 percent out of 50 percent votes counted by Sunday afternoon, according to data from the country's Election Secretariat. The Southeast Asian nation just had the presidential election on Saturday, presenting 16 candidates in the political contest. Incumbent president Francisco Guterres has garnered 22.66 percent. None of the...

The Australian Federal Agriculture Minister has taken a swipe at labour-hire companies that leave foreign workers with just $100 (US$74) in weekly wages. David Littleproud said it was not appropriate the workers be left with such little take-home pay after their employer made deductions for things like accommodation, transport and visas. “There is a small cohort in agriculture, as there is...