PINA

New eligibility rules passed by World Rugby could open the way for the controversial Israel Folau to make his return to the international game with Tonga. The world governing body approved a major amendment to their eligibility policy on Wednesday which will allow players to switch countries more easily from next January. It looks set to pave the path for the...

The United Nations has glaring problems in Samoa where the government is calling for the UN's role in the country to be reviewed. The most pressing immediate problem concerns UN Resident Co-ordinator in Samoa, Simona Marinescu, and the local government's allegation that she has interfered in domestic politics. Samoa's ruling Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party has accused...

Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is seen as a shining light when it comes to Pacific women in politics but across the region, female candidates are struggling to get into parliament. A leading Tongan women's rights activist is calling for electoral reforms after 12 women candidates failed to win a seat in last week's national election. Ofa-ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki said the...

The head of Fiji's Electoral Commission has resigned - less than 12 months from the general election. Lawyer Suresh Chandra made the surprise revelation during the signing of the Terms of Reference between the Fijian Elections Office, the Pacific Disability Forum and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on Monday. Chandra told the...

Children who have developed organ inflammation linked to COVID-19 infection should be given steroid treatment in hospital, the World Health Organisation, (WHO), said on Tuesday. The updated recommendation from the UN health agency comes after it first described Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated With COVID-19, or MIS-C for short, last May. “MIS-C is a rare but serious condition where children...

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the CNMI Covid-19 Task Force on Tuesday announced that 98 new positive Covid-19 cases had been identified during a single day of community screening — the largest recorded in CNMI history. These new cases are in addition to the 10 new cases that CHCC reported on the evening of Monday, 22 November. Pacific Island Health Officers...

Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the Fijian delegation at COP26 did not depart our shores for a vacation in Glasgow, Scotland, but had a purpose and mission to fulfill. Speaking on Radio Fiji One’s – Nai Lalakai programme, Bainimarama highlighted the support rendered by Fijians and religious leaders helped the delegation achieve various key outcomes at the summit. Bainimarama said...

By Nic Maclellan In a significant intervention, former Pacific Island presidents, prime ministers and senior officials have written to French President Emmanuel Macron, urging him to delay the next referendum on self-determination in New Caledonia, scheduled to be held on 12 December. Grouped as Pacific Elders Voice, the leading Pacific politicians have called on the French President “to respect the wishes...

A recent report illustrates that the people of the Pacific believe corruption is a massive problem for both them and their governments Is the Pacific Islands region the most corrupt region in the world? A new report by Transparency International found that in some Pacific Island nations more than 90 percent of people believe corruption is a serious problem. The report,...

The waters of the Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are home to numerous aquatic species that are listed in the CITES Appendices, and which support livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities in over a dozen Parties to the Convention. The sustainable use of these species and the regulation of their trade is of paramount importance for their conservation. To support national...