Five soldiers from His Majesty’s Armed Forces Tonga (HMAF) have the skills to train their fellow colleagues in the Army Combatives Program (ACP), having qualified as instructors following training at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Brisbane, Australia. ACP is combat-focused, and teaches lethal and non-lethal techniques relevant to soldiers.
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Results for Australia
Friday 17 September 2021
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Sydney, Australia
New York Times News Analysis: When Scott Morrison became Australia’s prime minister three years ago, he insisted that the country could maintain close ties with China, its largest trading partner, while working with the United States, its main security ally. “Australia doesn’t have to choose,” he said in one of his first foreign policy speeches. On Thursday, Australia effectively chose. Following years of sharply deteriorating relations with Beijing, Australia announced a new defense agreement in which the United States and Britain would help it deploy nuclear-powered submarines, a major advance in Australian military strength.
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Friday 17 September 2021
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Paris, France
New York Times Reporting: President Joe Biden’s announcement of a deal to help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines has strained the Western alliance, infuriating France and foreshadowing how the conflicting U.S. and European responses to confrontation with China may redraw the global strategic map. The Biden administration appears to be upping the ante with Beijing by providing a Pacific ally with submarines that are much harder to detect than conventional ones.
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Tuesday 31 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A container of 200,000 N95 masks donated from Australia has been welcomed by the Ministry of Health today, 31 August 2021.
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Wednesday 11 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A consignment of 10,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Tonga on Tuesday, August 10. This will enable the vaccination roll out to reach the outer islands of Ha'apai and the two Niuas.
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Tuesday 20 July 2021
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A delivery of 9,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured in Australia, arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport today, July 20. These doses will be used for vulnerable groups on the outer island of Vava'u.
Wednesday 7 July 2021
Sydney, Australia
New York Times reporting: Three days after the emergence of a rare COVID-19 case in Sydney, around 40 friends gathered for a birthday party. Along with cake and laughter, there was a hidden threat: One of the guests had unknowingly crossed paths with that single COVID case, an airport driver who had caught the Delta variant from an American aircrew. Two weeks later, 27 people from the party have tested positive. And the seven people at the gathering who were not infected? They were all vaccinated. By Damien Cave.
Tuesday 15 June 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
HM King Tupou VI today commissioned the Fangatā Military Camp of His Majesty's Armed Forces in 'Eua, constructed under a Defence Cooperation Program between the governments of Tonga and Australia.
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Thursday 3 June 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A repatriation flight with around 141 passengers arrived in Tonga today from Brisbane, Australia.
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Thursday 20 May 2021
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Melbourne, Australia
New York Times reporting: When Australian officials announced last week that the country was unlikely to fully reopen its borders until mid-2022 because of the coronavirus, the backlash immediately began building. Critics warned that Australia risked becoming a “hermit nation.” Members of the Australian diaspora who had been struggling to return home for months saw it as another blow. The announcement drew dire warnings from business, legal and academic leaders. But polls show that keeping the borders shut is a popular idea.
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Tuesday 4 May 2021
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Sydney, Australia
New York Times Reporting: About 8,000 Australians are affected by an unprecedented travel ban that began on Monday, prompted by India’s record-breaking COVID outbreak. It is believed to be the first time that Australia has made it a criminal offence for its own citizens and permanent residents to enter the country, with a threat of jail time or large fines. Families are separated and Indian-Australians are outraged.
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Thursday 22 April 2021
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Suva, Fiji
A new partnership between the University of the South Pacific (USP) and Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) was signed to further support Pacific Island skills training needs for labour market demands.
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Monday 19 April 2021
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Auckland, New Zealand
The first two-way quarantine-free commercial flights between Australia and New Zealand started today, April 19.
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Monday 12 April 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A total of 213 seasonal workers left Tonga last Friday, 9 April, to work in Adelaide, Australia.
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Wednesday 31 March 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A repatriation flight with 110 passengers arrived in Tonga from Auckland, today. Another flight from Australia was scheduled today, to pick up seasonal workers, who are expected to depart for Australia later this evening.
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Tuesday 23 March 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Three repatriation flights to Tonga are now expected to arrive on March 31 and April 1. The flights will be from Auckland, Brisbane and Fiji.
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Thursday 4 March 2021
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Shepparton, Australia
New York Times reporting: With the Australian borders closed to the backpackers who do much of the country’s farm labour, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the shaky labour foundation of the country’s agriculture industry, spurring calls for an immigration overhaul. Right now, farmers are contending with national borders that were closed in March 2020 and are unlikely to reopen until 2022.
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Wednesday 3 March 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Repatriation flights from Australia and Fiji arrived this afternoon with 167 passengers, confirmed Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Atunaisa Taumoepeau.
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Monday 1 March 2021
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Sydney, Australia
The National Rugby League (NRL) is seeking millions of dollars from Australia's federal government to introduce rugby league in Pacific Islands schools, including Tonga.
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Thursday 25 February 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
More than 100 seasonal workers left Tonga on a chartered flight for Australia this afternoon, February 25. Tonga has since last year been sending seasonal workers to Australia, despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and border closures.
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