TONGA

A speech by senior US officials to commemorate a WWII Pacific battle comes amid tensions with China.

A new study has revealed that a record-breaking amount of water vapor entered Earth's atmosphere after a volcanic eruption in Tonga in January.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Tonga where she met with Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku and other officials including King Tupou VI. Her visit came just three days after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi held similar meetings in Tonga. “This is a clear sign of the Australian government’s strong commitment to strengthening our bilateral relations and engagement with our region,” the prime minister said. Wang had hoped to ink an ambitious multilateral deal with 10 South Pacific nations this week covering everything from security to fisheries. The diplomatic push by China, especially around Pacific security, has caused deep concern among some of the island nations as well as farther afield in Canberra and Washington.

The foreign ministers of Australia and China were both making their final stops Friday on what has become an island-hopping diplomatic duel in the South Pacific.

Pacific Islands China In this image taken from video, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi waves to indigenous dancers as he arrives in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Yi arrived in Vanuatu on Wednesday for talks as he continued his regional island-hopping tour two days after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP) (Uncredited)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — (AP) — China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Vanuatu on Wednesday for talks as he continued his regional island-hopping tour two days after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations. China and the Pacific countries haven't so far made the details of those deals public. In addition to Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu, Wang has visited the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Samoa.

Beijing's top diplomat is headed home without the comprehensive economic and security agreements he'd hoped for. But if the U.S. doesn't step up, he'll be back.

Virus Outbreak Solomon Islands FILE - Ships are docked offshore in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, Nov. 24, 2018. The capital Honiara has only one small hospital and authorities have already turned a sports building into a field hospital and a football stadium into a vaccination center, said Clement Manuri, secretary general of the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society. Like the Solomon Islands, all have limited health care resources, and there is concern that their remoteness may make helping them difficult. "As COVID takes off across the Pacific, it’s more important than ever that vaccines get in the arms of people who are unvaccinated.”In the Solomon Islands, authorities have been struggling with their vaccine rollout, particularly in hard-to-reach outlying islands. With the current outbreak, however, people are now rushing to be vaccinated, at times overwhelming the vaccination stations.

Virus Outbreak Solomon Islands FILE - Ships are docked offshore in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, Nov. 24, 2018. With the first community outbreak of the coronavirus in the Solomon Islands spreading rapidly through the largely-unvaccinated population, the Red Cross warned Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, that the Pacific Island nation's fragile health care system is at risk of becoming overwhelmed. The capital Honiara has only one small hospital and authorities have already turned a sports building into a field hospital and a football stadium into a vaccination center, said Clement Manuri, secretary general of the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society. Like the Solomon Islands, all have limited health care resources, and there is concern that their remoteness may make helping them difficult. "As COVID takes off across the Pacific, it’s more important than ever that vaccines get in the arms of people who are unvaccinated.”In the Solomon Islands, authorities have been struggling with their vaccine rollout, particularly in hard-to-reach outlying islands.

The first community outbreak of the coronavirus in the Solomon Islands is spreading rapidly through the largely unvaccinated population

The first community outbreak of the coronavirus in the Solomon Islands is spreading rapidly through the largely unvaccinated population.

Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more people had tested positive for the virus, nearly doubling Tonga's active cases for the second day in a row, local media reported.

Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in Tonga, and tests have confirmed that the particularly contagious omicron variant is behind the isolated Pacific island nation's first community outbreak since the start of the pandemic, officials said Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, it has been spreading and is now being reported in more areas, Piukala said. Five tests that had been sent to Australia for analysis confirmed it was the omicron variant of the virus, he said. Three people were confirmed killed in the eruption and tsunami, and several small settlements in outlying islands were wiped out. Tonga's vaccination program had already been doing well, but the current outbreak has led thousands of people to turn out for their first shots or boosters.

Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in Tonga, and tests have confirmed that the particularly contagious omicron variant is behind the isolated Pacific island nation’s first community outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

The tsunami severed the sole fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga to the rest of the world and most people remain without reliable connections. A top official in neighboring Fiji tweeted that a team from Musk's SpaceX company was in Fiji establishing a station that would help reconnect Tonga through SpaceX satellites. SpaceX runs a network of nearly 2,000 low-orbit satellites called Starlink, which provides internet service to remote places around the world. The bad news, he said, was the damage was extensive and his company didn't have enough cable aboard the ship to replace a mangled section of more than 80 kilometers (50 miles). Fonua said there was extra cable aboard the Reliance that was owned by other companies, and Tonga Cable was hoping to secure agreements with those companies to use it.

Tsunamis are a disaster upon a disaster upon a disaster. So why do we still know so little about them?

Where's Pita FILE PHOTO: Flag bearers Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua of Team Tonga lead their team during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. He did not participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies. >> Read more trending newsTaufatofua has been the flag bearer for Tonga in both the Summer and Winter Olympics since 2014. Today is the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games! American Samoa’s flag-bearer Nathan Crumpton took up the shirt-less Winter Olympic challenge.

Two wharf workers tested positive Tuesday February 1st. The Ministry of Health has been testing workers there amid international aid shipments after last month's volcanic eruption.

It is not clear how the virus was transmitted into Tonga, though the two people who contracted it worked at a port in the capital, Nuku’alofa.

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force, la loader is used to move aid supplies at the port at Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, after HMAS Adelaide carried in the disaster relief and humanitarian aid supplies. The volcanic eruption and tsunami last month, tainted drinking water, severed communications and left dozens homeless. Three people died in Tonga and two in Peru after the tsunami crossed the ocean. But the threat was underscored when dozens of sailors aboard the Australian aid ship HMAS Adelaide reported infections after an outbreak. News site Matangi Tonga reported that the positive test results came after officials tested 50 front-line workers at the port.

Tonga will enter a lockdown Wednesday evening after finding coronavirus infections in two port workers helping distribute aid arriving in the Pacific nation after a volcanic eruption and tsunami.

The volcanic eruption in Tonga generated pressure waves in the atmosphere that quickly spread around the world.

Kiribati and several other small Pacific nations were among the last on the planet to have avoided any virus outbreaks, thanks to their remote locations and strict border controls

City officials said more than 7,000 miles from the volcanic eruption near the island of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean Jan.15, Cape Canaveral’s weather stations picked up readings related to the eruption that day.

A wall of water 60 feet high could hit some coastal areas of Washington state.

More ships and planes are due to arrive in coming days bearing critical supplies for the island nation.

APTOPIX Peru Oil Spill Tonga A worker, dressed in a protective suit, cleans Conchitas Beach contaminated by an oil spill, in Ancon, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. The oil spill on the Peruvian coast was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. Vásquez said the United Nations will provide a team of experts to help Peru deal with the oil spill. People are barred for now from going to the 21 polluted beaches because of health concerns. Two women in Peru drowned after being swept away by strong waves following the Tonga eruption.

Peru has declared an environmental emergency after announcing that 21 beaches on the Pacific coast were contaminated by an oil spill at a refinery run by Spain-based Repsol, following surging waves caused by the eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga.

Fresh water, temporary shelter kits and other aid is finally reaching the Pacific nation after Saturday's underwater eruption.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening.

Because of waves from Saturday's eruption, an estimated 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled near Peru's main refinery on the coast in an area rich in marine biodiversity.

With the latest snowstorm to hit Western New York, crews are putting down large amounts of salt on the roads to melt the snow but all that salt can also seriously damage your car as well.

Though ships are already on the way to repair the cable, residual seismic activity will determine when the divers can go down.

Tonga Volcano Eruption FILE - This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga on Dec. 24, 2021. Three of Tonga's smaller islands suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials and the Red Cross said Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, as a wider picture begins to emerge of the damage caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation. Satellite images captured the spectacular eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a giant mushroom above the South Pacific. The volcano is located about 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa. “Water is definitely, 100 percent, the top priority at this point in time, along with shelter needs,” she said.

Tonga Volcano Eruption FILE - This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga on Dec. 24, 2021. Three of Tonga's smaller islands suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials and the Red Cross said Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, as a wider picture begins to emerge of the damage caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation. Satellite images captured the spectacular eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a giant mushroom above the South Pacific. The volcano is located about 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa. “Water is definitely, 100 percent, the top priority at this point in time, along with shelter needs,” she said.

Three of Tonga’s smaller islands have suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials and the Red Cross say, as a wider picture begins to emerge of the destruction caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation

The eruption of the undersea volcano near Tonga over the weekend was incredibly explosive but also relatively brief

Tonga's only undersea cable was severed in a volcanic eruption, severely crippling communications.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

APTOPIX Peru Oil Spill Tonga Oil pollutes Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, after high waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused an oil spill. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) (Martin Mejia)LIMA, Peru — (AP) — An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga prompted dozens of fishermen to protest Tuesday outside the South American country’s main oil refinery. Peru's environment minister, Rubén Ramírez, told reporters that authorities estimate 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled in the area rich in marine biodiversity. “There is a massacre of all the hydrobiological biodiversity,” said Roberto Espinoza, leader of the local fishermen. Repsol in a statement Sunday said the spill occurred “due to the violence of the waves.”The eruption caused waves that crossed the Pacific.

An underwater volcanic eruption has contaminated water, destroyed homes, and cut off communication in Tonga. The scale of damage is still unknown.

APTOPIX Peru Oil Spill Tonga Oil pollutes Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, after high waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused an oil spill. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) (Martin Mejia)LIMA, Peru — (AP) — An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga prompted dozens of fishermen to protest Tuesday outside the South American country’s main oil refinery. The oil spill in Peru, in an area rich in marine biodiversity, is the only known to have occurred in the entire Pacific basin after Saturday’s eruption. “There is a massacre of all the hydrobiological biodiversity,” said Roberto Espinoza, leader of the local fishermen. Repsol in a statement Sunday said the spill occurred “due to the violence of the waves.”The eruption caused waves that crossed the Pacific.

An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga has prompted dozens of fishermen to protest outside the South American country’s main oil refinery.

Satellite and aerial images show impact of eruption of underwater volcano near Tonga island chain.

People are being advised to remain indoors to escape the dangerous smog.

A tsunami hit Tonga on Saturday after an underwater volcano exploded, downing the island nation's communications. At least three people died.

"The ash is proving quite problematic, not just for water and sanitation... but in terms of access for aid from Australians and New Zealand and other flights," says the speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, Fatafehi Fakafanua, as he gives an update on the situation in the Pacific island following Saturday's volcanic eruption. Tonga has been virtually cut off from the rest of the world the weekend, when a volcano exploded on the island and deposited ash, gas and acid rain across a large area of the Pacific.

A volcano that exploded on the Pacific island nation of Tonga has almost disappeared from view, new images revealed Tuesday, with swathes of the island nation smothered in grey ash and dust or damaged by a tsunami. VIDEOGRAPHIC

The spikes in pressure were initially discovered by a NWS employee who “put two and two together” after the volcano erupted, Brian Leatherwood, a meteorologist at the NWS, said.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

An underwater volcano erupted near the Polynesian country of Tonga on Saturday, triggering a tsunami.

Wicked weather brings snow, ice, tornadoes to the Southeast.

Snow blankets Washington, DC as a major winter storm hits the eastern United States, knocking power out to an estimated 235,000 people and counting.

Neighbouring countries and international agencies are clambering to try to grasp the scale of the damage on Tonga

Mackenzie Salmon 'overreacts' to the biggest storylines in the AFC after wild-card weekend.

Roads are mostly clear throughout Georgia after wintry weather on Jan. 16, but with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight, melted snow will likely freeze over.

Here’s the latest for Sunday, January 16: Bronx community gathers to grieve fire victims; Novak Djokovic loses deportation appeal; Snow, ice blasts through South with powerful storm; Damage in New Zealand after Pacific eruption.

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Tonga’s government says the isolated South Pacific nation's main island will go into lockdown for a week after it reported its first case of the coronavirus.

The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

A think tank says China gave significantly less aid to Pacific island nations in recent years despite Beijing’s diplomatic efforts to increase its influence in the region.

It will nearly impossible for Pita Taufatofua to outlast his original claim to fame as “the shirtless flag bearer,” which made him a legend on social media.

The largest cluster of places without the coronavirus can be found in the scattered islands of the South Pacific. Here's a closer look:PACIFIC ISLANDS: The largest cluster of countries without the coronavirus is in the South Pacific. Much of the South Pacific is relatively poor and has basic health systems that would be ill-equipped to deal with major outbreaks. Not everywhere in the South Pacific has been spared, either. ___Associated Press reporters Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, and Daria Litvinova in Moscow contributed to this report.