PINA

Spike in drug use has caused problems across Tongan society, with arrests doubling in two years and children severely affected By Joshua Mcdonald After more than four decades spent living in New Zealand, Ned Cook knew it was time to return to his home country of Tonga. His country was in the grip of a methamphetamine epidemic that was ripping families apart...

50 Fijian soldiers will be dispatch to the Solomon Islands Tuesday as part of a reinforcing platoon. The team will be commanded by Major Asaeli Toanikeve. The country’s capital Honiara has been wracked with unrest in recent days. Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama said his platoon will be embedded with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) elements on the ground. Bainimarama said another 120 troops...

For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally. Its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made it a key strategic outpost for the U.S military. But that loyalty is being tested amid a dispute with Washington over the terms of its “Compact of Free Association” agreement, which expires soon. The U.S. is refusing...

Nations most vulnerable to climate change say rich world must step up, meet goal to limit temperature rise to 1.5C. By Catherine Wilson The United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow this month was billed as the last chance to save the future of life on earth by ensuring global warming did not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees...

The World Health Organisation (WHO)published on Sunday an update on the science regarding the new coronavirus variant Omicron which is causing global concern and sparking increasing flight bans on Southern African countries. The experts of the UN health agency said researchers in South Africa and around the world are currently conducting studies to better understand the aspects of Omicron, but...

NSW Health has confirmed two returned travellers have tested positive for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant in Sydney, making them the first known cases of the strain in Australia. Both people, who are fully vaccinated and were asymptomatic, arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Saturday, November 27. They are among 14 people who arrived on Qatar Airways QR908, Doha to...

The Fijian Government has strengthened its strict conditions for entry for incoming travelers from red list countries in response to the newly-reported Omicron variant of COVID-19. “We’re monitoring the Omicron variant closely as it has been shown to carry significant mutations that could spell higher rates of transmissibility and virulence. We commend South Africa on identifying and publishing the first...

The Solomon Islands is a valued member of the Pacific Islands Forum and as part of the Forum Family, it is with deep regret that we have watched the evolving situation in Honiara says Forum Secretary General Henry Puna. “I am especially concerned by the deaths reported so far, and note the importance of the rule of law and safety...

The Pacific Islands Forum is deploying the Forum Ministerial Committee to New Caledonia to observe New Caledonia’s third and final independence referendum under the 1998 Noumea Accord on 12 December 2021. The Committee is led by the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Fiji and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, joined by Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia,...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the government is fully intact. In his third national address Sunday since the riots, Sogavare said he is sincerely grateful to his colleague MPs for their ongoing support and solidarity to stand for the principles of democracy despite the threats and intimidations. “The intention is very clear and that is to put pressure on...