PINA

In the dense fog of Covid-19 misinformation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) lurk deeply embedded beliefs in witchcraft. As Australia's nearest neighbour battles with what experts say is an exponential surge in coronavirus cases, fears of unexplained deaths have had sinister consequences. Sanguma - a local word that refers to the occult - is common across the Pacific. It is a...

A total of 28 election petitions have been filed in the Samoa Supreme Court following last month’s general elections. The petitions are registered at the close of business, 30 April 2021 being the last day for filing allowed for under section 109 of the Electoral Act 2019. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration (MJCA) and...

Samoa caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi should accept the result of the general elections and concede defeat. This is according to the leader of the Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi – FAST party, Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa who has reiterated the result of the general elections that gave her party the lead with 26 seats against to the Human...

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor says a commitment to keeping global warming to the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 degrees is still possible, if developed nations do their part. Speaking to TVNZ journalist John Campbell on the ONE Breakfast show today, the SG said reducing carbon emissions and keeping to the 1.5 limit on global warming...

By Joey Tau and Talei Luscia Mangioni Earlier this month, the Japanese government announced plans to discharge 1m tonnes of radioactive wastewater accruing since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 into the Pacific Ocean. To Pacific peoples, who have carried the disproportionate human cost of nuclearism in our region, this is yet another act of catastrophic and irreversible trans-boundary harm...

The Government of Vanuatu through the Ministry of Health along with satellite operator Kacific Broadband Satellites Group and its service provider in Vanuatu, 3 Link Communications, have begun to roll out the Health Project, a programme to bring fast broadband to health clinics and communities across the Republic of Vanuatu. Vanuatu’s Minister of Health, Silas Bule Melve said, “We are...

In the true Pacific way, Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama has called on fellow Pacific Leaders to strengthen ties and have greater understanding and amicable solutions on critical issues of the region. While delivering his official remarks at the virtual dialogue between the Forum Troika Plus and Micronesian Presidents Forum Monday, Prime Minister Bainimarama commended the Micronesian Leaders for...

This statement was originally published on hrw.org on 31 March 2021. The Papua New Guinea government has failed to live up to commitments on women’s rights, children’s rights, and police accountability, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Papua New Guinea’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights situation before the...

This statement was originally published on bytesforall.pk on 16 April 2021. Bytes For All strongly condemns the arbitrary suspension of various social media platforms in Pakistan on Friday. As per a notification by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), on the directions of the Ministry of Interior, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Telegram are being blocked during 11am to 3pm to...

This statement was originally published on freedomforum.org.np on 17 April 2021. Freedom Forum is alarmed over the harassment of journalists who have been reporting about a secret agreement between a foreign official and the prime minister. Security forces raided the residence of journalist Babin Sharma and his office for sharing a news story originally published by the Ujyaalo News Network on...