PINA

by Grant Walton Over the past decade, around the world, the number of anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) – organisations specifically tasked with fighting corruption – has increased significantly. In turn, researchers and policymakers have sought to understand how ACAs are established and why they often fail to live up to expectations. The international literature points to three institutions that determine how ACAs...

By Oliver Hasenkamp For decades, Samoa was seen as the most politically stable country in the Pacific. Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi served as prime minister for almost 23 years with little opposition. His Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) had been in power for nearly 40 years and was the only party represented in the country’s parliament, the Fono, in the...

Small island developing states (SIDS) are facing an uphill struggle to recover from the impact of the pandemic, which has deepened their financial and economic vulnerabilities, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) Last year was an exceptionally challenging year for SIDS, which are at least 35 per cent more susceptible to external economic shocks than...

Samoa's FAST party is seeking clarification of an Appeal Court decision about extra parliamentary seats for women. An Appeal Court decision last week upheld the Supreme Court's earlier voiding of an extra women's seat in the aftermath of April's national election. The ruling meant the FAST party maintained its majority of 26 seats in the 51-seat Parliament. But the court also ruled...

Five police officers are among 39 new cases of Covid-19 in Fiji Thursday. The government announced late last night that 32 of the latest cases are from existing clusters. Another 11 cases were reported from the country's main hospital in the capital Suva. Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong said the ministry's mitigation strategy is to isolate cases, treat seriously-ill patients and...

The New Zealand government will not get involved in the state of affairs of any nation and this applies to Fiji which is fighting the second wave of COVID-19. New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, made these comments when asked by the media on Fiji's effort in containing the virus. Mahuta said New Zealand role is to assist and not...

Members of the Papua New Guinea Special Police Forensic Criminal Investigation Team (SPFCIT), arrested prominent lawyer Gregory James Sheppard of Young & Williams Lawyers on Tuesday in Port Moresby. He was taken to the Boroko Police Station, interviewed and subsequently charged with two counts of misappropriation and another two counts of money laundering in relation to his alleged direct involvement...

Samoa caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi was Tuesday served to appear in Court next week, to face a motion that he and others be cited with contempt of Court for boycotting the convening of Parliament on Monday 14 May 2021. The Court action is a response to a motion by FAST – Faatuatua i Le Atua Samoa ua...

There's been a strong uptake from Pacific Island athletes getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics. The Summer Games are scheduled to begin on 23 July, after being delayed by 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The International Olympic Committee said vaccination was "encouraged" but not compulsory for athletes. Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in...

Tom Trbojevic scored a hat-trick as a dynamic New South Wales crushed Queensland 50-6 Wednesday to draw first blood in the best-of-three State of Origin rugby league series. In front of a raucous sell-out crowd in Townsville, Brad Fittler's men took charge with a three-try blitz in nine first-half minutes, sending them to the break 20-6 ahead. And there was no...