PINA

Three-time Olympic flagbearer Pita Taufatofua has launched a fundraiser for tsunami relief in Tonga, where his father is among scores of people who have not been heard from. An underwater volcano erupted near Tonga sparking a tsunami which hit the island nation. No deaths have so far been reported, but communication with Tonga is extremely limited and there are mounting fears...

A ground-breaking ceremony has been held at Honiara's King George VI school to mark the beginning of the construction of the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Football Academy. The development will consist of an office building, two FIFA-compliant football pitches, an outdoor futsal court, a beach soccer pitch and a two-story accommodation block Construction is expected to be completed by June...

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his deep concern after reports of a tsunami and ash affecting Tonga following the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific nation. Guterres aired his concern about the tsunami warnings that have been issued in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States. “The United Nations offices in the...

Early data from Tonga's violent volcanic eruption suggests it is the biggest blast since Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines 30 years ago, volcanologist Shane Cronin says. The eruption of the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, about 65km north of Nuku'alofa, on Saturday shot thick ash and steam 20km skywards. University of Auckland volcanologist Professor Shane Cronin said scenes on the ground...

The European Commission has proposed suspending a visa-free travel arrangement with Vanuatu due to concerns about the Pacific nation’s controversial “golden passports” scheme. The proposed suspension, which still needs to be voted on by EU states, would prevent all holders of passports issued as of 25 May 2015 – when Vanuatu started issuing a substantial number of passports in exchange...

Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Limited (ATH) is on the cusp of launching the completion of its greenfield network project in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Scheduled to open in the next few months, the greenfield network roll out has been executed with little help from host country, Papua New Guinea. ATH chief executive officer, Ivan Fong, made the remarks at the annual general...

By Ofani Eremae When Malaysian logger Richard Kong Sing Ngea pleaded guilty in December 2020 to the illegal harvesting of Tubi trees in Solomons’ Isabel Province, tribal leader Wilson Tohidi was thrilled. Ngea’s admittance of guilt, Tohidi believes, should prompt the Solomon Islands Government to seize the illegally felled logs and return them to landowners. His tribe, Tohidi insists, is the rightful...

Despite the annihilation of two major Japanese cities in 1945, atomic bombs have not been relegated to the pages of history books, but continue to be developed today – with increasingly more power to destroy than they had when unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in 1945. Those first nuclear weapons deployed by the United States, indiscriminately killed tens of...

Attention turns to Spain where Malaga and Seville will host the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series for the first time. 16 men's and 12 women's teams will compete over three days of non-stop action. New Zealand's men's and women's teams are unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are replaced by Germany and Belgium, respectively. Taking place on 21-23 January,...

Moana Pasifika has secured Southland Head Coach Dale MacLeod, and specialist prop Pauliasi Manu to their 2022 Super Rugby Pacific coaching team. Dale MacLeod, who takes on responsibility for Moana’s Defence strategy, coached the Southland Stags in 2020 and 2021, has also coached the Blues A, and Highlanders Bravehearts teams. Pauliasi Manu, 34, made his debut in 2011 for the...