PINA

The Lakapi Samoa Board has decided to move the Manu Samoa 7’s Team out of Dubai where they have been in a holding camp for seven weeks. The decision is in response to the player’s complaints against management which was submitted to the Pacific Rugby Players Association and Lakapi Samoa. “The welfare of the team, both players and management was the...

One-way quarantine-free travel to New Zealand will be extended to include Nauru, Tuvalu and American Samoa, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Health Aupito William Sio announced today. “I am pleased to announce that from 11.59 pm 27 February, eligible travellers from Nauru, Tuvalu and American Samoa, will be able to enter New Zealand without entering MIQ or self-isolation on...

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman has announced four new active COVID-19 cases in managed quarantine. They came through repatriation. Three came on the flight from Noumea, New Caledonia and one on the flight from Brisbane, Australia. “Samples of the cases will be send overseas to determine the specific variant type. Currently, there is no evidence of community transmission,” said the PM. “The...

Australia welcomes Micronesia’s leader’s decision to temporarily rescind its withdrawal from the premier political body- the Pacific Islands Forum. This week, Forum Chair and Fiji’s Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the temporary suspension of withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum, “is a positive development that is testament to the ongoing value of our Pacific Way, leadership and dialogue. Australia Minister...

Deadly wildfires, noise pollution and other looming environmental threats could cause widespread ecological damage, and need to be urgently addressed, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a new report published on Thursday. “The Frontiers Report identifies and offers solutions to three environmental issues that merit attention and action from governments and the public at large,” said UNEP Executive Director...

New Zealand’s richest man is donating 30 fishing boats, eight new tractors and a container full of breakfast food to the people of Tonga. Graeme Hart, who is thought to be worth $11 billion (US$7.3 billion), contacted Aotearoa Tongan Relief Committee (ATRC) co-chairperson Jenny Salesa just after the disaster to offer support. He asked Salesa to find out what was most needed...

A month after an undersea volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami lashed Tonga, a UN official said Wednesday that 80 percent of the Pacific island nation’s 105,000 people were affected and the country needs over US$90 million to start repairing damage and restoring its key farming and fishing sectors. Sanaka Samarasinha, the UN resident coordinator for Tonga, said during a virtual...

Problems that led to an Australian navy ship losing power twice while providing aid to Tonga may have been caused by volcanic ash, defence officials have revealed. HMAS Adelaide had a total power failure on 29 January while anchored in Tonga after delivering 88 tonnes of aid. Emergency power was restored within a matter of hours but a second power failure...

Fiji and other countries facing the impacts of climate change need to be able to access funds to address these challenges. Fiji’s Permanent representative to the United Nations, Satyendra Prasad said there was a missed opportunity during the COP 26 meeting in Glasgow last year, for countries like Fiji to have access to the US$100 billion climate fund target, which...

An opportunity exists for an early to mid-career professional in the Pacific, working in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), to attend the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver, Canada. The global forum, which brings together ocean conservation professionals and high-level officials to inform, inspire and act on MPAs is scheduled for September 2022. The call for applications has...