PINA

The 60th session of the Commission for Social Development kicked off on Monday, in a virtual format, with appeals to make COVID-19 a turning point for humanity, and a focus on making social protection systems universally available. Opening the session, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Liu Zhenmin, argued that the pandemic had highlighted the critical role of...

Future Pacific rugby players like never before will have a clear pathway to follow into the Super Rugby franchise. The inclusion of Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua into Super Rugby Pacific is the light at the end of the tunnel for many Pacific players. Moana Pasifika player, Christian Leali’ifano says both teams are passionate about representing its people and culture...

18 February will be a date that will go down in history as the Fijian Drua will make its maiden Super Rugby Pacific appearance. Facing the Waratahs, Captain Nemani Nagusa said the match is an important one as the Drua will be put to the real test. With 10 days left until kick-off, Nagusa said the players are reminded to focus...

Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services has confirmed two 201 new Covid-19 positive cases in the community on South Tarawa, Betio and Buota through PCR lab tests. The new cases are in home quarantine due to mild symptoms In light of the new cases, the cumulative number of positive cases in the country is now 1,744 - 42 imported and...

Progress has been slow in the search for the Fiji end of Tonga's submarine telecommunications cable - suspected to be broken in several places. Bad weather and rough seas persist in the area. The cable repair ship Reliance recovered the Tonga end of the international cable over the weekend, and secured it at 7:00 am on Monday. “It has identified the break...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today announced a US$500,000 ($1.13 million pa’anga) grant to the Government of Tonga to help restore life-sustaining services following the extensive damage from an undersea volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami in Tonga and around the Pacific. “An estimated 84% of Tonga’s population was affected by this twin disaster,” said ADB Director General for the Pacific...

Tongan authorities are battling to contain the spread of Covid-19, locking down two villages as more cases emerge. In a media conference on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said there are now 14 active cases, and one person had recovered. The villages of Vaini and Pili, which have six new cases between them, have been designated red zones and residents...

Foreign Ministers from Australia, Japan, India and the U.S will canvass how the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue can work in concert with other regional blocs as they seek to check Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. While expanding the Quad is not on the agenda for Friday’s meeting in Melbourne, members want to begin forging relationships with other regional groupings such as...

Australian soldiers have hit the ground in Tonga to help the country recover from a devastating volcano and tsunami after the country’s largest warship recovered from a power outage that had it stranded on the shores of the Pacific nation. At the request of the Tongan government, an advance team of 30 Australian personnel hopped off HMAS Adelaide on Friday...

Elon Musk's satellite internet venture is helping to restore connectivity to the Pacific Island nation of Tonga, according to an official in Fiji where the work is underway. Tonga's sole optic-fibre link to the internet and the rest of the world was severed by a volcanic eruption on Jan. 15 and only limited connectivity has been possible since. read more “A...