New York Times reporting: New Caledonia will not mark the new year by becoming the world’s newest country. In a referendum held Sunday, voters rejected independence overwhelmingly, with 96% electing to stay part of France, according to provisional results released Sunday by the French High Commission in New Caledonia. The vote on the Pacific island territory comes as France’s president has prioritized shoring up the country’s international profile, seeing its military as a bulwark against China. A large portion of the Kanak pro-independence bloc boycotted Sunday’s vote.
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Results for Pacific Islands
Thursday 2 December 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Essential COVID-19 supplies and oxygen equipment was donated to the Ministry of Health from the Government of Australia, after the cargo arrived on November 30 at Fua'amotu International Airport.
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Thursday 2 December 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Vulnerable rural farmers in Tonga will receive a range of services and support to improve farm productivity and their livelihoods under the Pacific Islands Rural & Agricultural Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) project, launched at Falemasiva Hall, Tailulu College on December 2. By Eleanor Gee.
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Wednesday 1 December 2021
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Suva, Fiji
New COVID-19 cases in Fiji continue to decline with 12 new cases reported between November 27-28 and zero cases on November 29, Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services reported. Fiji opened its borders today to fully vaccinated international travellers, repatriates and Fijians visiting families and friends.
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Tuesday 30 November 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s health records will move from paper-based to a digital patient management system starting tomorrow, December 1, after the Prime Minister Hon. Rev. Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa launched the Kingdom’s first National Health Information System (NHIS) this morning at Davina House in Nuku'alofa. By Eleanor Gee.
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Monday 29 November 2021
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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
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
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
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
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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
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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.
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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.