Tagata o te Moana for 14 March 2020

This week the threat from Covid-19 came closer to home in the Pacific, with the first confirmed cases reported in French Polynesia; the West Papua National Liberation Army has been launching attacks against the operations of a major gold and copper mine, run by US company Freeport McMoran, in its war against the Indonesian state; the Cook Islands will host its first pride day this weekend, as the country's LGBT community gears up for battle to have homosexuality removed from the Crimes Act; the Norfolk Island administrator is stressing the island will not run out of food as it struggles with shipping issues; Niue has become the world's first Dark Sky Place following the International Dark-Sky Association's approval of the island's application for the protection of its sky, land and sea; the practice of traditional tattooing is seen by many in the Pacific as the sole domain of men - but that's not the case everywhere; The first full season of Global Rapid Rugby kicks off this weekend with teams from Fiji and Samoa hoping the competition can be a springboard for players hoping to push for higher honours.