PINA

The Cook Islands and kuru (breadfruit) share a long and interesting history. It was the English explorer Captain James Cook who was the first European to navigate through these groups of islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and it was on one of those voyages that Cook stumbled upon the humble tropical food crop in what is now Tahiti, and...

By Celsus Irokwato Talifilu China must be hoping that Australia persists in its “business as usual” approach to Solomon Islands. An appeasement policy by Australia towards the Solomons prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has been outstandingly successful for Beijing over the past few years, and the CCP’s muscular actions in the South Pacific in the last six months seem to anticipate...

Kristian Woolf will continue to be Head Coach of Tonga’s National Rugby League team ahead of the June test match against New Zealand and the World Cup in England later this year. The Kiwis match against Tonga in June could be accompanied by up to two tests across the Tasman on the same weekend. The New Zealand side are set to...

Argentina overcame Fiji to record a stunning victory in Vancouver and win their first HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title in 13 years. The Argentineans played some scintillating rugby all weekend and produced a composed performance in the final to dominate Olympic champions Fiji, the winners in Singapore the week before, to lift the title thanks to a 29-10 victory...

The Government and people of Niue, in collaboration with Tofia Niue through the Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) public private partnership, today announced bold new marine legislation passed in November 2021, that will ensure sustainable use across its entire EEZ and sovereign waters (317,500 square kilometres) while also contributing to the global environment, climate action and key sustainable development goals. The...

Outspoken Madang MP Bryan Kramer has been stripped of the Papua New Guinea Justice and Attorney General ministry and given the Immigration and Border Security portfolio in a move seen as a demotion. Prime Minister James Marape announced the change along with four others in a mini-reshuffle Wednesday, only a fortnight out from the start of the 2022 National General...

The Fiji Police Force has seized the US$325 million (FJD$466 million) superyacht, Amadea, belonging to Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. Crew members are being questioned in Police custody. Commissioner of Police, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho confirmed this Wednesday. It is understood that the yacht had travelled from Mexico or South America to Fiji and arrived at the Lautoka Port on Tuesday. Brigadier-General Qiliho said the...

Tuvalu's government has rescinded its support to explore deep sea mining in the country's waters. The government had sponsored mining firm Circular Metals Tuvalu last December to apply for an exploration permit with the International Seabed Authority. But Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said the government has now reversed the sponsorship. “After concerns by the by the government as well as within particularly...

The Solomon Islands government has confirmed the armed personnel requested by China to provide security at the Chinese Embassy in Honiara never entered the country. “I can use this occasion to say, no, we don’t have any embassy security personnel. None had actually entered the country. “We also want to say that no arms have been shipped other than the training...

“We don’t do Russians.” This was the response from Fijian Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete when asked about the arrival on Tuesday of Russian superyacht Amadea. “We’ll need clarification on that then we can comment on that,” he said. “We don’t do Russians.” While the Prime Minister’s office did not respond to queries on the subject, the United States Embassy in Suva...