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Results for Pacific Islands

Monday 29 November 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Two Tongans who studied online to complete a Master’s Degree in Disaster Management, under a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) program, received their certificates on November 24. Mafoa Penisoni focused on Seismology and Tevita ‘Aho focused on Flood Disaster.
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Sunday 28 November 2021
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Brisbane, Australia
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.
Sunday 28 November 2021
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Melbourne, Australia
New York Times Reporting by Yan Zhuang: After days of riots in the Solomon Islands during which protesters called for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to resign, set buildings ablaze and looted stores, authorities on Saturday said they had found the bodies of three people in a burned-out building of a store in the Chinatown district. They are the first reported deaths after days of violent protests in Honiara, the nation’s capital. Australia sent around 100 police officers and soldiers Thursday and Friday to help stabilize the situation, and Papua New Guinea sent 35 police and correctional service personnel Friday.
Wednesday 24 November 2021

Auckland, New Zealand
New York Times Reporting by Natasha Frost. New Zealand plans to allow most fully vaccinated travelers into the country by the end of April without a mandatory hotel quarantine, as it slowly emerges from what has been one of the world’s longest lockdowns.
Friday 19 November 2021
Tonga lunar eclipse

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A stunning and unusual moon rising high to the north of Nuku'alofa was clearly observable tonight in Tongatapu. The partial eclipse of the moon, ko e mate ʻa e māhina, began at 7:02pm, Friday 19 November, and ends at 01:03 Saturday morning Tonga time - a duration of 6 hours and 2 minutes.
Sunday 14 November 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A new multi-million Tonga parliament complex will be constructed on the Nuku'alofa waterfront - where project coordinators say the ground level for the building will have to be raised by about three meters to protect the national infrastructure from the effects of climate change and future sea level rise.
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Thursday 11 November 2021

Glasgow, United Kingdom
The dangerous effects of climate change continue to threaten Tonga's environment as well as the livelihoods and future existence of our people, Tonga's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Hon. Fanetupouvava'u Tu'ivakano told the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, Wednesday, in presenting Tonga's National Statement.
Thursday 11 November 2021
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
A sea level rise of one metre will be devasting for Tongatapu where, “Under this scenario, 25% of buildings, 11% of roads, 16% of water, and 29% of power infrastructure would be permanently lost,” new modelling shows. The findings of a groundbreaking report analyzing climate and disaster risk management in the Pacific nation of Tonga, one of the most vulnerable in the world to the impact of climate change, was discussed at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow this week. New assets need to be developed away from low-lying high risk locations, it says.
Thursday 11 November 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A day after Tongatapu's one-week lockdown was lifted on Monday night, November 2, over 3,900 senior students began sitting their National Examinations throughout Tonga.
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Tuesday 9 November 2021

Suva, Fiji
The Premier of Niue, Hon. Dalton Emani Makamau Tagelagi was installed as the new Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP) this week.
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Friday 5 November 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s first COVID-19 positive case is believed to be a historical case, after testing a weak positive today in a third test, “we believe he is not infectious,” said Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau‘ola this afternoon. By Eleanor Gee.
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Wednesday 27 October 2021

Suva, Fiji
Fiji is on track to open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers as the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decrease in the country, while a high percentage of its adult population have been inoculated. About 96.2% of eligible adults have received their first dose, and 86.3% are now fully vaccinated in the country.
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Monday 25 October 2021

Melbourne, Australia
Australian telecommunications company, Telstra, announced today it will acquire Digicel Pacific for US$1.6 billion, in partnership with the Australian Government. Telstra plans to retain the same Digicel brand and the current Digicel Pacific management team will continue to lead the business.
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Friday 22 October 2021

Sydney, Australia
The Pacific has demanded that world leaders at the upcoming COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow must draw a line under new coal, oil and gas projects and immediately end fossil fuel subsidies if the Pacific islands are to remain above the sea with their cultures preserved. The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, which is made up of civil society groups from across the Pacific, including Greenpeace, has outlined its demands for a successful COP26 climate summit and near the top of the list is an immediate end to fossil fuel projects and subsidies.
Friday 22 October 2021
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Apia, Samoa
The Pacific is likely to experience a rare occurrence of what is called a double dip La Niña in the coming months, Climate models and predictions tools used by Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological services (NMHSs) show. As a result, Pacific Island countries in the Central Pacific region such as Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu may experience below normal rainfall during this period, while islands in the South West Pacific will experience higher than normal rainfall, such as Fiji, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Friday 8 October 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Problematic students in Tonga, including absentees, have increased alarmingly in 2021 compared to 2020, Deputy CEO Ministry of Education, Kalafitoni Latu said during his presentation at the Tonga National Symposium on Illicit Drugs on October 6. “The students that are absent from school are more likely to be vulnerable to the illicit drug problem.” Many come from broken homes and we need to pay attention to these figures, he said.
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Monday 4 October 2021

Suva, Fiji
Life in Fiji is starting to return to normal as businesses re-open at 70 percent capacity starting from today but only for people who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. There are currently 12,828 active COVID-19 cases in Fiji. Since the COVID-19 outbreak that started in April 2021, there have been 51,132 cases and 631 deaths there.
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Monday 27 September 2021

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with King Tupou VI of Tonga last week on 24 September. “Tonga will continue to firmly support China on issues concerning its core interests,” stated a report posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.
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Tuesday 21 September 2021

Hamilton, New Zealand
New research into the effect of drinking kava on driving has revealed it has a significant impact on temporal order judgement - or how well the brain is able to keep track of the order of events. Dr Apo Aporosa says the research findings will assist with kava drink-driving cases in court, but there is more work to be done.
Tuesday 21 September 2021

Sydney, Australia
A new declaration by Pacific leaders on maritime zone
 preservation helps, but must also allow for cultural dialogue. With only 35 out of 48 overlapping boundaries mutually delineated between countries in the Pacific Island region, the Declaration’s call for urgent and collective action to secure maritime zones of Forum member states will require significant diplomatic, legal and cultural dialogue. The latter point could present the greatest challenge if indigenous knowledge is not afforded the same level of recognition by both bilateral partners in a boundary negotiation. -By Anna Naupa.

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