PINA

A Tongan member of parliament hopes the country can copy El Salvador in adopting bitcoin as legal tender and pave the way for other Pacific islands to follow its revolutionary path, as enthusiasm for the potential of cryptocurrencies engulfs emerging economies. Bitcoin advocate, Tongan MP, barrister and hereditary Tongan landowner Lord Fusitu’a says he will table an El Salvador-style bill...

An array of organisations aiming to host events at November’s UN climate conference in Glasgow have raised concerns about delays and the unusually high cost of building pavilions at this year’s COP26 summit. Seven environmental and governmental groups told the Financial Times they were taken aback by the large sums quoted for the construction of pavilions, as labour and materials...

Twelve provinces in Papua New Guinea are showing widespread community transmission of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), according to reports and data from health authorities. They are Morobe, East Sepik, Madang, West Sepik, Enga, Eastern Highlands, Hela,Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, National Capital District (NCD), Central and Western. Community transmission came after the PNG Covid-19 Health situation report picked up data and delayed reporting...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the country’s target population to be fully vaccinated is 414,327 people. The Prime Minister said this means we need to administer a total of 828,654 doses of vaccines to cover the total eligible population. Prime Minister Sogavare highlighted during his nationwide address, Monday this week. He said as of Friday 01 October 2021, Solomon Islands...

Colonised peoples have rights to resources, on land and in the oceans, and this must be recognised. By Nic Maclellan Both the Australian Labour Party and Coalition have expressed support for France to remain as a Pacific power, seeing the French Republic as a stable, democratic, Western ally at a time of growing Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands. But this...

A New Zealand offshore mining company has lost its supreme court bid to overturn a decision preventing it from mining millions of tonnes of iron-sand off the coast of South Taranaki, on New Zealand’s North Island. Last Thursday’s unanimous ruling by New Zealand’s supreme court, which upheld previous high court and appeal court decisions revoking Trans-Tasman Resources’ (TTR) permission to...

By Phil McCabe and James Hita The decision by New Zealand’s Supreme Court last week against a giant seabed mining proposal in the South Taranaki Bight is a wake-up call for the world’s would-be seabed mining industry, both in the deep oceans of international waters and for countries contemplating such activities off their own coasts. The mining operation, proposed by...

The Fijian Drua have welcomed six additional squad members for its debut Super Rugby Pacific 2022 season. Joining the team are Olympic Gold Medallist and 7s star Kalione Nasoko, Flying Fijians and Nadroga prop Jone Koroiduadua, Namosi and former NRC Drua halfback Ratu Peni Matawalu, Flying Fijians and Naitasiri lock Chris Minimbi, Northland (NZ NPC) flanker and former Fiji U20...

Lifting rugby union and getting the national sevens teams into the next Olympics are the dreams of Papua New Guinea National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop. He hosted the dinner on Friday in his capacity as the new patron of Papua New Guinea Rugby Union. Parkop said he was honoured to be appointed as patron, assuring the new union board, led...

John Kotsifas has been re-elected as President of World Taekwondo Oceania (WTO) and eight other members have been voted onto the organisation's Council. Kotsifas first became President in 2015, was re-elected in 2017, and can now look towards another four years at the helm after running unopposed. Election result was announced in an online ceremony due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The...