Results for Pacific Islands

New York Times: New Zealand’s popular prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is expected to return to power in this week’s general election, with polls giving her Labour Party a comfortable double-digit lead over the more conservative National Party. Here’s how the campaign has played out, and what to watch for as the results come in Saturday. By Damien Cave.

La Niña is officially underway in the Pacific, according to the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Tonga is among the countries in the South-West Pacific that will usually experience higher than normal rainfall, under these conditions that are likely to continue into the first quarter of 2021. The last La Niña conditions in the 2017-2018 season saw three cyclones in the Pacific- Gita, Hola and Fehi.

The Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS) awarded various bachelor degrees to 17 Tongan overseas students at a graduation ceremony on Monday, 21 September. Unfortunately, the parents of the students could not attend the ceremony because of the Covid-19 border restrictions in Tonga.

With increasing State powers declared in most Pacific Island countries under national states of emergencies and public health emergencies, it is crucial that the processes of enforcement of these emergency measures always adhere to key democratic principles, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Tonga and other Pacific states said yesterday, on the International Day of Democracy. “Responsive, transparent and accountable COVID-19 responses are critical to democracy,” Mr Sanaka Samarasinha said.

The World Health Organization is urging countries to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat (TFA), from the global food supply by 2023, due to its link to heart disease and death. In Tonga, 1.71 % of coronary heart disease deaths is due to trans-fat intake. Trans-fats raise our bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Examples of foods that may contain trans-fat include doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes.

Tonga’s High Commissioner to Australia, Princess Angelika Latufuipeka Tuku’aho is looking for creative artwork or photos and stories that symbolise and celebrate Tonga's 50 years relationship with Australia - and three cash prizes are offered for the top submissions.

The village of Felemea, Ha’apai needs clean drinking water, and the challenge to find a solution has been taken up by a group of four student engineers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, as their team design project. The idea for the project came from Siale Faitotonu a technician at the University.

A fleet of boats have been gifted to the Vava’u Blue Water School in Neiafu, for Tongan youth to learn how to sail. The Vava'u community is fundraising to ship the boats from New Zealand to Vava'u.

Seven countries including Tonga have ratified the PACER-Plus agreement which will come into effect 60 days after the eighth country ratifies it.