PINA

Nauruans stranded in Fiji because of COVID-19 border restrictions could be making their way home soon. Discussions were being held between the Nauru COVID-19 Taskforce and its national carrier on the possibility of repatriating Nauruans from Fiji and Taiwan. Nauru president Lionel Aingimea said Fiji was of concern given the highly infectious Delta strain circulating within its communities. A Nauru goverment statement...

Civil society organisations from around the world are calling on trade ministers to ensure that negotiations on fisheries subsidies at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) don't undermine development aspirations of small-scale fishing communities and developing countries - but target those most historically responsible for the state of global overfishing. “The current text of the negotiations is providing permanent loopholes for...

Fiji forwards coach Jason Ryan has promised the All Blacks another fiery reception in the breakdowns during the second test in Hamilton on Saturday night. Although the All Blacks were convincing 57-23 winners over Fiji in Dunedin last weekend, they received a rude awakening at the breakdowns as the visitors, led by their impressive No 6 Johnny Dyer, made the...

Moana Pasifika has been granted an unconditional licence to join an expanded Super Rugby competition next year. New Zealand Rugby awarded the franchise a conditional licence in April to join a revamped competition, alongside five teams from New Zealand, five from Australia and the Fijian Drua. Confirmation was expected last month but complications over finance, the competition format and getting buy-in...

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General has appealed for people in the region to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic in order for some form of normalcy to return to the islands. Henry Puna made the appeal during his opening remarks at the Forum Trade Officials Meeting where he emphasised that due to the unprecedented times brought on by the...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the Government is cautious of the imminent threat of the ‘delta variant of COVID-19’ in neighbouring Fiji. Speaking during his nationwide address in Honiara, the Prime Minister said the delta variant is highly transmissible and has been described by WHO as the ‘fittest and fastest’ variant of COVID-19. The Prime Minister said the situation...

A case involving Prime Minister Mark Brown and Pacific Forum Secretary General Henry Puna was dismissed in March this year by a High Court judge, but could be brought back to life as lawyer Norman George and Paul Allsworth of Citizens Against Corruption (CAC) apply to appeal the matter. Chief Justice Sir Hugh Williams QC in March dismissed charges levelled...

By Samantha Magick Pacific finance and trade leaders will have critical meetings this week to discuss how they can rebuild the region’s economies following the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. Managing increasing debt burdens will be high on the agenda. “We sure live in some very challenging times. The last 18 months have been, perhaps, one of the toughest periods for...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new strategy to help ADB’s Pacific developing member countries (DMCs) improve connectivity and tackle other core development challenges across the Pacific over the next 5 years. The Transport Sector Assessment, Strategy, and Road Map 2021–2025 reviews transport sector performance, summarises development constraints, and articulates the rationale and strategic direction behind ADB’s support....

The COVID-19 Delta variant is travelling around the world at a “scorching pace” driving a new spike in cases and deaths, but it’s exposing a ‘hugely uneven and inequitable’ global gap in vaccine supply, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday. “We’re in the midst of a growing two-track pandemic where the haves and have-nots within...