PINA

Education needs to be one of the key pillars for action by countries across the world to better protect the seas and oceans from damaging climate change, said the head of the UN Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Thursday. “If we want to protect the ocean better, we must teach it better”, said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, speaking...

The United States remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward Ukraine, U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. Blinken is in the Australian city of Melbourne for a meeting on Friday with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. The four nations form the so-called “Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was...

Even as America's top diplomat visits the Pacific region seeking to counter China's growing power and influence, the Washington ambassador of the tiny Marshall Islands said talks aimed at renewing agreements covering access for the U.S military have stalled. The envoy, Gerald Zackios, told Reuters there had been no talks on renewing its Compact of Free Association Agreement (COFA) with...

Kiribati Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC) says there have been delays in shipment of basic food supplies to the outer islands due the current Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown on South Tarawa and Betio. Booti Nauan made the comments in response to concerns about cargo shortages in a number of outer islands. Nauan said the private sector is always...

Fijian Drua have given Melbourne rugby fans a sneak peek of what to expect in the Super Rugby Pacific competition, beating the Rebels 28-26 in a warmup match on Thursday night. The Drua came from behind in the four-tries apiece thriller at Harlequin Rugby Club in their first and only hit out before taking on the NSW Waratahs in their...

Following the announcement of the inclusion of Fijiana Drua into Australia’s premier Women’s XV Rugby competition, the Buildcorp Super W, Fiji Rugby Chief Executive John O’Connor highlighted that this is another historical milestone for the Fiji Rugby Union and for Women Rugby in Fiji. "We are excited with this opportunity considering that we just kicked off our first organized domestic...

The COVID-19 pandemic could be defeated this year but only if vaccines, tests and treatments are made available to all people, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday. The UN chief was among world leaders calling for US$23 billion to support the ACT-Accelerator, the landmark collaboration that makes these goods accessible to everyone globally. “Vaccine inequity is the biggest moral failure...

Up to 40 world leaders are due to make “ambitious and concrete commitments” towards combating illegal fishing, decarbonising shipping and reducing plastic pollution at what is billed as the first high-level summit dedicated to the ocean. One Ocean summit, which opens on Wednesday in the French port of Brest, aims to mobilise “unprecedented international political engagement” for a wide range...

Tonga has reported 31 new COVID-19 positive cases Thursday, one of them in Vava'u, as authorities try to slow the outbreak with a continuing lockdown. Two new suburbs of Nuku'alofa, named as Mataika and Kolomotu'a have one case each. All of adults who tested positive were vaccinated. There are also children testing positive but the age and genders of the new...

Kiribati reported 222 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total positive infections to 2,173. The omicron variant is now widespread in the community as cases continue to be recorded on South Tarawa, Betio, Buota, Butaritari island and in North Tarawa. The health ministry has confirmed that a 65-year-old woman who previously had a stroke has been admitted to an isolation...