PINA

World Rugby said on Thursday it has offered to help Samoa sevens players stuck in the United Arab Emirates following last month's Olympic qualifying tournament. The Pacific Islanders have been in Dubai since failing to reach this summer's Tokyo Games after losing in the semi-finals of the preliminary tournament on June 20. They remain in the Middle East after being unable...

Ministers responsible for civil aviation and senior aviation officials from 14 Pacific Islands States convened virtually this week to endorse the Port Moresby Declaration formalising their shared commitments to progressing important Pacific regional aviation matters through a new enhanced collaboration framework. The Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM), hosted by the Papua New Guinea government on Wednesday, 30 June, resulted in...

Small island nations on the climate crisis frontlines have been overlooked in overseas aid, according to a new index. Urging a move away from the current benchmark of using gross domestic product (GDP) to measure aid allocation, researchers from the Commonwealth secretariat and the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (Ferdi), a French thinktank, have developed the universal...

The dramatic plunge in global tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic is having far-reaching and devastating effects, particularly for Small States. During a Commonwealth Tourism Seminar, the Commonwealth Secretariat proposed the development of a global 'Tourism Action Plan' to help spur a much-needed recovery. Tourism is the economic lifeblood for many Commonwealth Small States, in particular Small Island Developing States (SIDS)...

The apex predators show preferences for certain individuals and avoid others, according to new research on sharks in Fiji By Tom Vierus They reach 3.5 metres long, weigh more than 200kg and are an apex predator. But even apex predators need friends. And, according to new research, bull sharks may be capable of making them. A recently published study from Fiji...

Samoa caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said they will appeal part of this weeks’ court ruling especially the orders to convene Parliament within seven days of the ruling. Tuilaepa has also said that the judiciary was over-reaching its powers and that one arm of government should not be “Hitler like” and asserting its authority over another. He remains defiant in...

Vanuatu leader of Opposition, Ralph Regenvanu, has registered a complaint with the police in Port Vila on alleged conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The complaint was against Prime Minister Bob Loughman, Deputy Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau, the Leader of Government Business, Anatole Hymak, Government Whip, Kenneth Natapei, Speaker of Parliament, Seule Simon, Members of Parliament that had their...

Papua New Guinea Health Minister Jelta Wong has advised that a charter flight from India was denied entry into PNG due to concerns over the high possibility of passengers carrying the highly contagious Delta mutation of COVID-19. He said correct procedures were not followed and the Government will continue protecting PNG from the escalating COVID-19 risk. “The spread of the highly...

An enduring partnership between Fiji and New Zealand is the foundation for achieving shared goals and aspirations in areas such as resilient health care, peace and security, climate change and disaster resilience, economic reform, and joint advocacy on Pacific priorities. This was reiterated in a meeting between Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Prime Minister Bainimarama...

On 30 June, the Asian Development Bank Board (ADB) generally endorsed its Pacific Approach 2021-2025, the blueprint for future activities in 12 of ADB's 14 developing member countries in the Pacific. In this Q&A, Leah Gutierrez, Director General of ADB's Pacific Regional Department, outlines the key priorities in the Pacific Approach for 2021-2025, the impact of COVID-19 on the region...