PINA

The caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi claims the Samoa Observer Newspaper has long been trying to topple the Government. Speaking on the state-owned 2AP radio programme on Thursday, Tuilaepa accused the country’s only daily newspaper of being the champion in "twisting stories and fabricating news" with the intention to tear down the Government. He alluded to the claims whilst responding...

The new head of the Pacific Islands Forum says restoring unity to the congregation of Pacific leaders is his 'utmost priority' in the short term. In his first trip to Australia as the region's top diplomat, Henry Puna said leaders were engaging in a process of dialogue, following a decision by Micronesian representatives to leave the forum early this year. The...

The leader of the Tautua Samoa Party, Afualo Dr Wood Salele, has been found guilty of bribery by the Samoa Supreme Court. The court further dismissed three counts of bribery against the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party candidate, Fepuleai Faasavalu Faimata, who is the Member of Parliament-elect for the Salega No. 1 seat. Justice Niava Mata Tuatagaloa and...

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China is ready to continue providing vaccines and other support for Fiji's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In a phone conversation with Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, Xi said China will set up a China-Pacific Island countries reserve of emergency supplies, and help Fiji and other island countries improve their ability to cope...

Fiji’s test positivity for COVID-19 has crossed the World Health Organisation threshold of five percent. The national seven-day average daily test positivity now stands at 5.7 percent which means there is widespread virus transmission in the Lami-Nausori containment zone. Higher positivity rates mean that more testing should be done, as it suggests there are more people with the disease in the...

Fiji’s COVID-19 infection has soared with 308 new cases and one death recorded Thursday. Ministry of Health and Medical Services permanent secretary Dr James Fong says 297 cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone, and 11 are from Tramline Nadi.218 of the cases in Lami-Suva-Nausori are from existing areas of interest. He said that included 153 cases from Qauia in Lami;...

Fiji's Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong says the global expert consensus is that COVID-19 is likely to become an endemic disease, one which continues to circulate indefinitely. However, he said it was too early to say if that would be the case in Fiji. He said regardless, the strategy remained the same. “We have to help people navigate the...

-The 19 Members of Vanuatu Parliament that have one foot out of parliament after the declaration by the Supreme Court, upholding the Speaker of Parliament’s announcement, but pending the Court of Appeal after the decision was set aside, come from 12 constituencies. Vanuatu has a total of 18 constituencies. The 19 MPs were elected in the constituencies of Tanna, Port Vila,...

Wise, the technology company building the best way to move money around the world, has enabled international transfers to Fiji today, expanding coverage in the Pacific region. Over 222,000 Fijians who live abroad, including 95% of those in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada and the UK will now be able to send up to FJD$10,000(US$5,000) per transaction via the Wise...

Miners are pushing hard to extract metals from the ocean floor, but there is mounting concern about what it might do to the marine environment By Kate Lyons SYDNEY, 24 JUNE 2021 (THE GUARDIAN)----Travel thousands of metres below the surface of the ocean, and you reach the seabed. Pitch black and quiet, it is largely unexplored, untouched, unknown. What is known...