Results for Pacific Islands

Breaking news: Tonga has recorded its first two COVID-19 positive cases today, among the front liners handling incoming cargo shipments, Tonga's Prime Minister announced in a urgent press conference at 9:00pm. tonight, Tuesday. Tonga now faces its first COVID-19 lockdown before full telcommunications have been restored, and businesses and homes and communities are left without working internet.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has provided Tongan communities with more than half a million litres of fresh water and continues to transport much-needed aid to Tonga with a fourth Hercules flight scheduled tomorrow, Tuesday.

When Tongatapu’s small business community met on Thursday Jan. 27, to discuss their concerns, amid an unfolding national catastrophe, following volcanic eruptions and devastating tsunamis, they slumped in chairs and their faces showed how seriously concerned, worried, exhausted and frustrated they are. But after all of that, what's really destroying them is the total failure of Tonga's international communications two weeks ago. Tonga's telecommunications authorities have put spectrum licensing roadblocks around the local private sector's ability to find relief in a commercial satellite broadband service solution. By Mary Lyn Fonua.

“We were lucky that it was daylight when the tsunami happened and we fled to higher grounds,” said ‘Aliki Moavuka (53), a school principal, on the outer island of Fonoifua, one of the worst affected by the natural disaster in the Ha’apai Group.

Eleven people on Pangaimotu Island climbed into a fau tree as tsunamis ravaged the coast of the low-lying atoll on Jan. 15, following the massive explosion at Hunga volcano.

With a little help from the Tongan tug boat, the Australian Defence Force staff docked the HMAS Adelaide themselves, at Vuna Wharf in Tonga yesterday evening, after fears over COVID-19 transmission. There are 29 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 on board the ship that berthed at 6:39 pm.

This Australia Day we acknowledge the resilience and courage shown by Tonga, part of our Pacific family, following the devastating Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami on 15 January. ‘I hono faka’ilonga’I ‘a e ‘aho fakafonua ‘o ‘Aositelelia ‘I he ‘aho ni, ‘oku mau tangane’ia ‘I he loto to’a mo e vave ‘a e ngaue ‘a Tonga ki he fakaakeake hiliange ‘a e faingata’a mei he puna ‘a e mo’ungaafi ‘I Hunga -Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai fakataha mo e peaukula ne hake ‘I he 15 ‘o Sanuali.

A team of Tongan geologists who went out to observe the Jan. 14 eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano witnessed spectacular explosions on the dangerous mission on Friday afternoon. The pulsating explosions throughout the day were also viewed from weather satellites in space.

Me‘a ‘a e Tangata‘eiki ‘Amapasitoa Siaina ki Tonga, Cao Xiaolin ‘i hono foaki ‘o e ngaahi Mīsini ki he Ngoué mo e Ngaahi Naunau ki he Akó mei he Pule‘anga FakaVahe ‘o e Vāhenga Guangdong, Lēpapulika ‘o Siainá ki he Pule‘anga ‘o Tongá. (Pulelulu, 12 Sānuali, 2022)