PINA

Fiji has recorded 58 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths Thursday increasing the total number of cases to 51,316 and 647 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said there have been 24 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 2,895 active cases. “There have been...

Cook Islands deputy Prime Minister Robert Tapaitau has been revealed as the government member facing conspiracy to defraud charge. Prime Minister Mark Brown has been advised that Cook Islands Police has concluded their investigation into allegations concerning the former Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands and the former Director of the National Environment Service. Deputy Prime Minister Robert Tapaitau advised the Prime...

The Pacific’s collective voice, calling on world leaders to urgently implement the Paris Agreement, will have new-found mana at the UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow, with the announcement of five Political Climate Change Champions. The champions, who will advocate for Pacific priorities and influence decision-making in calling for urgent climate action now, were announced during a High Level virtual launch event. They...

A new President of the Republic of Fiji will be appointed on Friday, 22 October 2021. This was confirmed in an advisory by Civic Education & Media Unit of the Parliament of Fiji that the Business Committee in its meeting Wednesday, 06 October, 2021, unanimously agreed for Parliament to reassemble at 10am to appoint the new President. The advisory further reads...

Pacific leaders are warning time is running out to address climate change and are urging all nations, including Australia, to halve their emissions in the next decade. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is in the midst of negotiating with the Coalition's junior partner, the Nationals, to commit Australia to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Australia is one of the few developed...

With emotion shining in her eyes, Fijian Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa watched with pride as her police officers marched in tight formation before her in a special parade of honour to bid farewell to their leader. It has been a long and challenging journey for the first female Police Commissioner to serve with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, having risen...

By Priyanka Chowdhury Police Commissioner Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa is a mother, a career woman and above all, a committed police officer. In her professional life, she’s shattered many a glass ceiling and she does so with empathy, grace and steely determination. The first woman to be chosen to lead the Police component of the world’s largest peace operation, the United Nations...

The media are the ears and eyes of members of the public. In an effort to strengthen the capacity of Pacific islands media to accurately report on issues that are pertinent to the Pacific, such as climate change and waste, a series of training sessions have been lined up for the next few weeks to achieve this. The Media ManaClasses are...

In this two-part series, BCN Journalist Esther Pavihi speaks with Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the SPC, Coral Pasisi on Climate Finance, the Science and Security concerns of Pacific states like Niue, leading up to COP26. In Part One we talk about Climate Finance. EP – We know that the host country Great Britain will want to push the...

Pacific Island nations are tired of reiterating their people’s suffering and applauding their resilience in the face of climate change and will demand real action from developed nations at upcoming climate talks, Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has warned. “We refuse to be the proverbial canaries in the world’s coal mine, as we are so often called,” said Bainimarama in...