PINA

Solomon Islands Opposition leader Matthew Wale has warned the Pacific nation should not to be on the grounds where big powers play or compete. Wale made this statement following the controversial draft security agreement with China leaked in the media recently. The Opposition Leader warned that this is a very dangerous place to be and the agreement places Solomon Islands in...

Armed Solomon Islands police and foreign troops will be deployed inside and outside the Parliament House from today when Parliament begins its budget session, it was revealed Saturday. Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau reportedly briefed the Chairman of the House Committee about the unprecedented move earlier last week. The move which has the potential to ignite a public backlash, similar to last...

When internet systems in the Marshall Islands went on the blink in mid-March, it wasn’t immediately clear what was causing the rolling outages. Home, business and government DSL and dedicated lines as well as mobile 4G services became intermittent or non-functional, forcing the National Telecommunications Authority or NTA to repeatedly issue messages updating customers about “intermittent disruptions” and “urgent maintenance”...

Fijian Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, unveiled a new $7-dollar commemorative banknote on the margins of the Marist 7s tournament at the ANZ Stadium in Laucala Bay last Saturday. In congratulating the Fiji 7s Men and Ladies Teams for their victories at the Tokyo Olympics last year, PM Bainimarama said the Fijian teams went to Tokyo with the goal of winning. “Our...

By Joanne Wallis, Czeslaw Tubilewicz The draft security agreement between China and Solomon Islands circulating on social media raises important questions about how the Australian government and national security community understand power dynamics in the Pacific Islands. In Australian debates, the term “influence” is often used to characterise the assumed consequences of China's increasingly visible presence in the Pacific. There's an assumption...

The Solomon Islands have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers final after a brace from Alvin Hou helped them win a 3-2 thriller v Papua New Guinea at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha. Solomon Islands head coach Felipe Vega-Arango sent out the same starting eleven that overcame Tahiti in their previous fixture. Meanwhile,...

New Zealand will face the Solomon Islands in the final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Oceania Qualifiers after Liberato Cacace’s second-half goal ended Tahiti’s brave resolve at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha. New Zealand boss Danny Hay made several changes to the side that faced New Caledonia last time out, with just Matt Garbett and Callum McCowatt...

Tonga claimed gold after securing a 60-52 victory against the Fiji Pearls today at the PacificAus Sports Netball Series grand finale in Sydney. Both teams were consistent in the first quarter and pushed each other. While Fiji Pearls' wing-defence Ateca Qasenivalu continued to apply pressure on the opponents, Tonga proved to be more decisive as they managed to burst into a...

Replacement Danny Toala has scored a try in the fifth minute of golden-point extra time to give Moana Pasifika their first-ever Super Rugby win, beating the Hurricanes 24-19. Coming off a 59-12 loss to the Chiefs last weekend, the Super Rugby Pacific newcomers were given no chance of beating the Hurricanes on Friday night despite their home advantage in Auckland. Though...

A wide-ranging draft security pact between the Solomon Islands and China has been leaked online, prompting Australia to voice concern about actions that would “destabilise” the South Pacific. The proposals — which have not yet been adopted — would allow Chinese security and naval deployments to the crisis-hit Pacific island nation. The United States and Australia have long been concerned about...