Results for Pacific Islands

A large fruit-eating bird from Tonga joins the dodo in the line-up of giant island pigeons hunted to extinction. New research into fossils shows that ‘Tongoenas burleyi’, a newly described genus and species, inhabited the Pacific islands for at least 60,000 years, but vanished within a century or two of human arrival around 2,850 years ago. The size of a large duck, ‘T. burleyi’ was likely capable of swallowing fruit as big as a tennis ball, said study lead author David Steadman.

A total of $24.2 million has to date been provided by the United States to support efforts to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19 in the Pacific Islands, through support for humanitarian partners, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and UN World Food Program (WFP).

The global crisis resulting from the spread of COVID-19, has had a major effect on sustainable development targets and urgent action is needed on COVID-19 recovery. ESCAP will highlight Asia-Pacific priorities at United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum which opens today, 7 July.

Ko e taha e fehu‘i tefito hotau fonua he ‘aho ni ko e fatongia ‘o e Hou‘eiki mo e Nopele ki he Fa‘unga Pule ‘o e ‘aho ni. Pea ko e hoha‘a ‘oku ma‘alifekina pe kohai ‘oku nau fakafofonga‘i ‘i Fale Alea. Pea he ‘ikai teu toe lave ki he faikehekehe ‘o Nopele mo e Hou‘eiki Tauhi Fonua he ko e kupu si‘i mo e lahi ‘o e me‘a tatau.. ‘Inoke Fotu Hu‘akau.

A Joint Operations Room at His Majesty’s Armed Forces was refurbished with $25,000 pa’anga by the Australian Defence Cooperation Program.

As the Pacific Islands consider ways to build back economies severely struck by the CoViD-19 crisis, the environmental impacts faced worldwide highlight the opportunity we now have in our hands to build back a ‘Bluer Pacific’, said Kosi Latu, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) on World Environment Day.

Faced with a deficit National Budget for 2020-21, the salaries of Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament will be reduced by 20%, to help Tonga to counter the impact of the COVID-19, the Prime Minister told parliament this morning.

The Australian Government is assisting Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, to prepare and prevent the spread of CoViD-19, and manage health and economic impacts.

The Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr Cao Xiaolin presented USD$200,000 to Prime Minister Hon. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa to help Tonga’s preparedness and response to CoViD-19 today, 30 March.