PINA

The recognised seasonal employment one-way quarantine-free travel bubble between New Zealand and three Pacific nations has been put on hold as Delta cases continue to emerge in the Covid-19 outbreak. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in August that Cabinet had agreed in principle for seasonal workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu to travel to New Zealand without undergoing a two-week...

Peter Stewart has been appointed CEO of the 2023 Pacific Games Organising Committee, with just over 800 days until the opening ceremony in Honiara. The Australian-based administrator was CEO of the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby and has held several other positions in Papua New Guinea and at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He replaces Shalom Akao...

Eight Pacific island nations of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) have adopted a regional communique with a set of 16 recommendations to address the regions' most urgent climate change policy priorities at the conclusion of the CVF Pacific regional dialogue, held virtually from 01-3 September. The dialogue was the third in a series of regional to global conversations that aims...

The Human Rights Protection Party leader and former Samoa Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has written to the Speaker asking that they wish to be sworn in by the Head of State when parliament convenes on 14 September. Tuilaepa also suggested that such swearing in should be part of the official opening of the 17th Parliament of Samoa by the...

Four commercially-fished tuna species are on the path to recovery thanks to the enforcement of regional fishing quotas over the last decade, according to Saturday's update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille. However, the recovery comes in the midst of growing pressures on marine species, with 37 percent of...

An ambitious proposal for a new sports diplomacy mission dubbed ‘Team AusPac’ was tabled in the Australian Federal Parliament last Wednesday, aimed at deepening ties between Australia and Pacific island countries. Chair of the Australian Parliament’s Trade Sub-Committee, MP Ted O’Brien, announced the proposal which forms part of a Parliamentary Inquiry report entitled ‘One Region, One Family, One Future’. “Australia and...

Fijiana XV’s have been pumping up preparation off the field leading up to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year. World Rugby made the decision to postpone the 2021 Rugby World Cup due to the uncertainty and the challenges of a global COVID-19 landscape. Fijiana have not played a match together since they last played a year ago, the...

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) will tap a U.S funding facility to construct a Pacific undersea communications cable, two sources told Reuters, after rejecting a Chinese company-led proposal that was deemed a security threat by U.S officials. The United States has taken great interest in several plans in recent years to lay optic fibre cables across the Pacific, projects...

Fiji has recorded 156 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, increasing the total number of cases in the island nation to 47,795 with 506 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said 79 cases are from the Western division, 73 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu, Fiji's main island and four cases are...

Health authorities in West Sepik in Papua New Guinea are seeking help to manage the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of cases rise. They are also advocating for provincial lockdown or a partial lockdown to prevent a possible second surge of COVID-19 cases. It had a lock-down early this year when it had its first surge. Director for WSP Public Health...