PINA

Covid vaccinations for commercial fishermen are being ramped up and expanded, following preparations involving multiple government agencies in the Marshall Islands over the past two weeks. The Marshall Islands became the first nation in the Pacific islands to offer Covid vaccinations for fishermen on longline and purse seine vessels when it started in June in Majuro. But after vaccinating 312 fishermen...

Vanuatu leader of Opposition, Ralph Regenvanu has urged Australia not to grow kava. “I wish to say to Australia, our friend, don’t grow kava,” MP Regenvanu said. “Do not allow kava to grow in Australia commercially, make it illegal but make it legal for us to export Vanuatu kava to you. That is the request of Vanuatu and other Pacific Islands.” He...

The Fijian Government should answer why it has taken Fiji 16 years to ratify the 2005 agreement on establishing the Pacific Islands Forum(PIF), says Opposition MP Niko Nawaikula. He also said Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should also tell Fiji why it decided to form a rival group the Pacific Islands Development Forum(PIDF) in 2013. Nawaikula said the AG should also explain why...

Fiji does not accept Professor Pal Ahluwalia as the vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP), says Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. And he says that Fiji will not provide any funding or assistance to the university for as long as Prof Ahluwalia remains the VC and the university council “fail in its duty to independently investigate him”. Prof Pal was...

Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has welcomed Fiji’s Parliament approval to ratify the 2005 Agreement establishing the Pacific Islands Forum. “I offer my warm congratulations to the Republic of Fiji for its unanimous approval in Parliament Wednesday, to ratify the 2005 Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum. It is a historic moment for Fiji and for our Forum family. “Upon Fiji’s...

As the global aid community marked World Humanitarian Day on Thursday, UN chief António Guterres paid tribute to all those who help people in need and urged support for the day’s #TheHumanRace campaign, which aims to protect the most vulnerable people from the climate emergency. “Humanitarian workers are here to help the world’s most vulnerable people when disaster strikes”, the...

New Zealand’s recent outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Auckland means it is not yet safe to open up travel to the Pacific, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says. A nationwide alert level 4 lockdown was activated at 11.59pm on Tuesday after a case of the virus was found in the Auckland community. The Government confirmed it...

Fiji has recorded 781 new cases of COVID-19 and eight new deaths Thursday, increasing the total number of cases to 42,541 and 419 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary of Health, Dr James Fong said 626 cases are from the Western division, 154 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu, Fiji's main island and one case from...

A Southland doctor is fearful of the Delta variant spreading throughout New Zealand and also reaching the Cook Islands. Pacific Islands Advisory Charitable Trust chairman and surgeon George Ngaei is currently in Rarotonga, holidaying with his wife Bobi. However, he has still kept a close watch on the news in New Zealand, especially since the Delta outbreak of Covid-19 in Auckland,...

Fiji's Supervisor of Election says he respected the decision handed down by the Courts of Disputed Returns this week. SODELPA party MP Niko Nawaikula was removed from the Register of Voters last month by the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, who is also the Registrar of Political Parties. The move caused the Speaker, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, to declare Nawaikula's seat in...