PINA

Akaiti Puna was sworn in as Manihiki’s new Cook Islands Member of Parliament on Monday during a flash sitting. Puna, who won the Manihiki seat for the Cook Islands Party by 49 votes early last month, entered Parliament for the first time yesterday as an elected MP to take the oath of office. “I’m glad it’s over, I’m glad that bits...

Governments are being urged to finance a new US$50 billion roadmap to end the COVID-19 pandemic and drive a fast recovery, announced on Tuesday by the heads of the world’s predominant global financing, health and trade agencies. The plan seeks to scale-up supplies of vaccines, tests and treatments, thus reducing the “equity gap” in developing countries, the leaders of the...

Fifty plus electoral petitions and counter-petitions have been pushed back twice to allow the Courts to deal with constitutional issues that resulted in a Government in limbo. Three Supreme Courts will be operating simultaneously on Monday next week to hear the electoral petitions – the last test for the winning members to secure 5 years tenure in Parliament. The Appellate Court...

The Nadi Hospital and two wings of Fiji’s largest referral health facility – CWM Hospital – have been put on lockdown after positive cases of COVID-19 were detected there. The case at the Nadi hospital – a staff – is from the Nawaka cluster. And in addition to this staff, the Ministry of Health announced last night that further investigation had...

Vanuatu's Supreme Court will sit on Wednesday morning to hear an urgent application from the government, which wants to remove parliament's speaker. Prime Minister Bob Loughman and his government walked out of parliament on Tuesday after Gracia Shadrak refused to let them debate a motion to remove him. Shadrak has fallen out with the government after agreeing to a motion to...

The Samoa Appellant Court has ruled that six women should sit in Parliament to meet a constitutionally mandated minimum level of representation. But the inclusion of another woman MP in the Legislative Assembly could be months away until after all election results, including by-elections, are finalised. “Although we have found that 10 per cent means six women in Parliament it remains...

The U.S secretary of state has warned leaders of Pacific countries about “threats to the rules-based international order” and “economic coercion”, in what appears to be a veiled swipe at China’s growing influence in the region. Antony Blinken was addressing leaders and their delegates from 11 Pacific countries and territories including Fiji, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,...

Global talks to reign in global fisheries subsidies are failing to hold big, rich and powerful subsidisers accountable while unfairly shifting the burden onto vulnerable fishing communities. Negotiations have run into deep trouble with the release of the latest version of the Chair's text. Some developing country members say they cannot accept the text as a basis for future negotiations, objecting...

Samoa Court of Appeal has reserved its decision after hearing the appeal on the matter regarding the 10 percent representation of women in Parliament. This is the Matter CA 04/21 & CA 05/21 – Electoral Commissioner and Ali’imalemanu Moti Alofa Tu’u’au vs FAST Party and Seu’ula Ioane. The presiding panel of Judges chaired by the Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese as...

On the eve of Samoa's 59th independence anniversary, the nation's caretaker Prime Minister says Samoa is amidst one of its most challenging times, in an address focused mostly on politics. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi made the remarks during a meeting held on Monday by the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) at Malae o Tiafau. The meeting followed a peaceful march by more...