PINA

Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is looking forward to handing over the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders chairmanship to Tongan PM as he focuses on his roles back home. Speaking to Cook Islands News, Brown said the handing of the chairman’s role to incoming chair PM Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni takes place at the beginning of the Leaders Meeting in Tonga. The meeting...

The rapid construction of 140 prefabricated container houses in and around Nuku'alofa, should be completed by Friday, 16 August 2024, the CEO of Tonga Assets Managers and Associates (TAMA), Tevita Hu’akau said. The units are expected to house delegations attending the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting hosted by Tonga from 26-30 August 2024. Tevita Hu’akau said that in a meeting...

Fiji’s cabinet has approved the implementation of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) with the European Union (EU) and decided to remove duties on certain goods from EU countries. This move is part of Fiji’s ongoing commitment to the iEPA, a trade agreement designed to enhance trade and strengthen economic ties between Fiji and the EU. Fiji is already reaping the...

World Rugby has reinstated Fiji to the World Rugby Council, effective immediately. This decision comes after the Executive Board approved the recommendation from the Fiji Oversight Committee, following the adoption of a new constitution and governance structure. “World Rugby can confirm that Fiji has been reinstated to the World Rugby Council with immediate effect following the Executive Board’s approval of the...

World Rugby has announced a reimagination of the qualification process for the men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027, the first event to feature 24 nations. With the core principle of qualifying on merit and simplifying the process for fans and teams, the new process opens new avenues for more teams to reach the pinnacle of the sport, raising global standards...

Following the World Rugby Council decision in October 2023, an adjustment to World Rugby Regulation 8.1 (c) governing national eligibility has been adopted across the game. From 01 August, 2024, any player with a genuine, close, credible and established link to a union is no longer required to complete 60 months (five years) of unbroken residency in the relevant country...

The purported motion of no confidence in the leadership of Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has been neutralised for now after the two Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) Members of Parliament, Nako Natuman and Anatole Hymak, were removed from their ministerial portfolios of Agriculture and Education Monday. UMP was the only major political party with MPs in both the Opposition...

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is seeking to expand its tuna industry by securing broader access to the international market and reforming its foreign investment policies. At the Second National Fisheries Summit earlier this month, Vice President Aren Palik said the nation must strengthen its partnerships with the European Union, and regional allies including Papua New Guinea and the...

The Marshall Islands decided to agree with other Pacific leaders to support Japan's release of treated nuclear wastewater, despite its president raising concerns. In August last year, Japan began discharging water collected from the Fukushima nuclear plant after an earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that caused it to melt down. Pacific reactions were mixed. The Marshall Islands has had ongoing concerns about...

Tuvalu has endorsed, in principle, a national adaptation plan to address the existential threat posed by climate change on the Pacific island nation. The proposal was presented to Prime Minister Feleti Teo and his Cabinet by the Nanumea Salvation Seawall Group, comprising locals and Tuvaluans living overseas. Teo was elected unopposed by parliament in February and during his first address to...