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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Results for Pacific Islands
Friday 17 September 2021
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Sydney, Australia
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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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Wednesday 15 September 2021
Hamilton, New Zealand
In New Zealand, the University of Waikato, in support of increased Covid-19 vaccination rates among Māori and Pacific communities, will host a vaccination clinic and drive on September 16 to mark Kīngitanga day. There is concern that vaccination rates among the Māori and Pacific communities are lower when compared to the New Zealand national average, while some studies also suggest that Pacific people are three times more likely to need hospitalisation when infected with the virus than non-Pacific people.
Wednesday 15 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Emosi Vakarua, the Secretary General of the University of the South Pacific Students' Association is calling on the Fijian Government to release the grant payments that it owes to the University of the South Pacific (USP).
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Wednesday 15 September 2021
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Auckland, New Zealand
Seasonal workers from Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu will be able to travel to New Zealand quarantine-free starting in October, announced New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor yesterday, September 14. The arrangement will help New Zealand’s horticulture industry for the upcoming picking season.
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Monday 13 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The new Director General of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme will be Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, the SPREP Secretariat announced on 9 September, in Apia, Samoa. He will take over the role from Mr Kosi Latu on 4 April 2022.
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Monday 13 September 2021
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Suva, Fiji
Heads of Customs in the Pacific, including Tonga, have agreed that they need to work together with national security to ensure the region is more secure from transnational crimes. Despite border closures because of COVID-19, they say threats in the Pacific remain high from illegal activities, which are often facilitated by trusted insiders.
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Tuesday 7 September 2021
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s Director of Meteorology, ‘Ofa Fa’anunu has been re-elected for another four-years as President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Region V, at their virtual session held from September 1-3. "Our challenges are quite unique in the sense that we are in charge of monitoring the atmosphere and the ocean in a very large area of mostly ocean," he said.
Monday 6 September 2021
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Eight Pacific Islands Nations, members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) met virtually last week to address the regions’ most urgent climate change policy priorities. They are at the frontline of climate change impacts, with sea level rise, droughts, flooding, salt water intrusion, cyclones and ocean acidification causing significant difficulties to the livelihoods of their people.
Monday 6 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga formalized diplomatic ties with the State of Kuwait at an official ceremony at the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations office in New York, USA, on 2 September.
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Monday 6 September 2021
Guam, Pacific Islands
Just as tourists were starting to return to Guam, the island has reported a record number of new COVID cases, a surge that is filling up hospital beds and dashing hopes of an economic recovery despite a successful vaccination campaign.
Saturday 4 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A multi-million dollar grant for the provision of a new tugboat for the Port of Nuku'alofa was signed by the Japanese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr Kensaku Munenaga and the Prime Minister, Hon, Rev. Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa at the Prime Minister’s Office, yesterday, 3 September 2021.
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Friday 27 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Legislation to introduce the death penalty for the most serious illicit drugs offences stirred vociferous debate in the Tongan parliament yesterday evening, 26 August 2021. Although a majority of members were unhappy with death penalty clauses, they proceeded to pass the bill without the changes they wanted being written. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 17 August 2021
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Suva, Fiji
The University of the South Pacific is planning to hold their annual open week virtually this year due to COVID-19, from 30 August to 3 September.
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Wednesday 11 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The cocaine haul seized in Vava’u has been weighed at just over 14 kilograms, with an estimated street value over $5 million pa’anga, Tonga Police said today. Twelve people have been charged in relation to the haul.
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Wednesday 11 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Parliament got off to a slow start yesterday, 10 August after its four weeks break. At first it did not have a quorum, so it went into recess for 10 minutes. In fact, the House was scheduled to resume on 2 August. However, it did not get rolling until yesterday morning. Government had tabled several Bills to the House only the day before the House resumed its proceeding. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 10 August 2021
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Canberra, Australia
The Pacific faces huge challenges should the world warm by 1.5 degrees Celsius by the early 2030s, warns an Australian climate change expert after a UN scientific report was released yesterday.
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Monday 9 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
US border agencies will detain tuna and other seafood harvested by the Hangton 112, a Fijian flagged and owned fishing vessel, under a Withhold Release Order issued by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which claims the use of forced labour on the vessel. Flag states need to uphold international standards and perform proper oversight and safety of their ships, says the chair of a migrant workers union.
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Thursday 5 August 2021
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Pacific Civil Society, including youth, has called on Vanuatu’s Prime Minister to raise a proposal on climate change at the upcoming virtual Pacific Island Forum Meeting, on August 6.
Wednesday 4 August 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga is set to introduce compulsory inoculation against coronavirus disease. A Bill to amend the Public Health Act to enforce inoculation of the public against COVID-19, was among seven Bills that government tabled into parliament yesterday, 3 August. The Bill was carried unanimously on its first reading and passed on to a Standing committee. Full details of the amendment have not been released to the public. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Tonga weather forecast from yr.no, delivered by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the NRK. See also Fua'amotu Weather Forecasting Center, Tonga, for latest local weather bulletin.