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Vice President Kamala Harris says the United States will continue to pay more diplomatic attention to Pacific Island nations. Harris made the comment directly to regional leaders last week — giving a virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum while China competes for more influence in the Indo-Pacific. HPR’s Derrick Malama has more in the Pacific News Minute.
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Scientists have confirmed that the January eruption of the volcano in Tonga was the largest explosive eruption of the 21st century. They say it was equal to the biggest eruptions ever recorded. HPR’s Derrick Malama has more in the Pacific News Minute.
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Three months after the eruption, Tonga’s rebuilding is slowly progressing and the impact of the disaster has come into clearer focus. Some 3,000 people whose homes were destroyed or damaged initially sought shelter in community halls or evacuation centers. Eighty percent of Tonga's population was impacted in some way.
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk may help reconnect Tonga to the internet after a volcanic eruption and tsunami cut off communications last month. But other rescue efforts have brought a different kind of problem to the South Pacific nation. With the Pacific News Minute, HPR’s Derrick Malama reports.
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Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more people had tested positive for the COVID-19, nearly doubling Tonga's active cases for the second day in a row, local media reported.
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Two wharf workers tested positive Tuesday. The Ministry of Health has been testing workers there amid international aid shipments after last month's volcanic eruption.
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Many families in Tonga have stopped their children from playing outside as the country continues to deal with ash and the psychological fallout of the recent volcanic eruption and tsunami. HPR's Derrick Malama has more in the Pacific News Minute.
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The company announced Monday it will be contributing US$251,000 in goods and services toward disaster relief for the island nation – and has scheduled a special voyage departing Auckland, New Zealand this week.
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Since the pandemic began, Tonga has reported just a single case of COVID-19 and has avoided any outbreaks.
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The task of repairing the undersea communications cable that connects Tonga with the rest of the world is complicated. And it could take several weeks to fix. HPR’s Derrick Malama has more in the Pacific News Minute.