HONG KONG/TAIPEI, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Four U.S. warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the U.S. Navy called routine deployments on Tuesday amid Chinese anger over U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit the island.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi sits while signing the guest book as Malaysia’s Parliament Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun stands next to her, during their meeting at Malaysian Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 2, 2022. Malaysian Department of Information/Famer Roheni/Handout via REUTERS
The carrier USS Ronald Reagan had transited the South China Sea and was currently in the Philippines Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, a U.S. Navy official told o Reuters.
The Japan-based Reagan is operating with a guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam, and a destroyer, USS Higgins.
“While they are able to respond to any eventuality, these are normal, routine deployments,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
They would not comment on precise locations.
The official said the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was also in the area.
Pelosi, a long-time China critic, was expected to arrive in Taipei later on Tuesday, people briefed on the matter said, as the United States said it would not be intimidated by Chinese warnings over the visit. read more
Signs emerged of military activity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait ahead of Pelosi’s visit.
Chinese planes flew close to the median line dividing the waterway on Tuesday morning and several Chinese warships had remained close to the unofficial dividing line since Monday, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
China’s defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The source said the Chinese aircraft repeatedly conducted tactical moves of briefly “touching” the median line and circling back to the other side of the strait while Taiwanese aircraft were on standby nearby – a move they described as provocative.
The person said three other Chinese warships on Tuesday carried out drills to simulate attacks on carrier-borne aircraft in waters east of Taiwan. The ships had been tracked sailing through Japan’s southern islands at the weekend, the Japanese Defence Forces said.
Neither side’s aircraft normally cross the median line.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it would appropriately send forces in reaction to “enemy threats”. read more
The ministry had reinforced its combat alertness level from Tuesday morning to Thursday noon, the official Central News Agency reported, citing unidentified sources.
Since last week, the People’s Liberation Army has conducted various exercises, including live fire drills, in the South China, Yellow Sea and Bohai Seas.
Some regional military analysts say that increased deployments at a time of tension raise the risk of accidents, even if no side wants an actual conflict.
Reporting By Greg Torode and Yimou Lee in Taipei; additional reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Angus MacSwan
Two brothers who died in a devastating crash in California, United States have been named and pictured as their family pay tribute.
Atonio Makalio Taliauli, 25, and Deonzeo Talia’uli, 26, were passengers in a moving vehicle before it crashed on Marconi Avenue and Connie Drive.
Reports revealed that a vehicle lost control for still unknown reasons. Then, it crashed in Sacramento’s Ben Ali neighbourhood.
Sacramento media have yet to update their initial reports which said one person dead at the scene.
A relative of the deceased told Kaniva News one brother was pronounced dead at the scene and the other later died in hospital.
Paramedics transported two occupants of the vehicle to a hospital with critical injuries, reports said.
The incident remained under investigation.
Tributes have flown for the brothers and their family.
“Oh my God Losaline Leone we are deeply feeling the loss of your two sons”, a commenter on Facebook wrote in Tongan.
“Nio and Sio you both die here in Sacrament why both of were taken?
“Heaven gain two Angels this morning. May you both Rest In Peace Sio and Nio till we meet again. My condolence goes to the Leone and Taliauli Families of Lapaha”.
The first foreign travellers have arrived at Tonga’s Fua’amotu international airport, eager to reunite with family and loved ones after a 28-month Covid-19 travel ban.
Dressing visitors with Kahoa kakala at the Fua’amotu international airport. Photo/Tonga Tourism
The kingdom on Monday reopened its border to double-jabbed visitors, ending the restrictions imposed by former Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa in March 2020.
Tongan citizens who did not complete two vaccination shots have to stay at MIQs on arrival for 5 days or more and they also have to pay for it.
The flood of visitors landed last night was greeted by applause, and dressing of passengers with kahoa kakalas while acoustic band group performing Tongan songs, a solo dance and a kava ceremony.
“It’s good to be back,” said ‘Etu Palu, eager to see family again with his mother Finau Palu, who said it was “good to visit the motherland!”, reported AFP News.
Mele Laiseni told Kaniva News her mum Pua was one of the passengers arriving in Tonga from Auckland last night. Photo/Supplied
As Kaniva News reported last week, the number of incoming flights will be limited to two per week from New Zealand until August 28, and two per week from Fiji and one from Australia throughout August.
From August 29 flights from New Zealand will increase to three each week, and then six flights per week from the beginning of November.
Maritime border
Tonga’s maritime border remains closed.
This meant, yachts and super yachts may have to wait several more months before they can join the party.
“I’ve got 20 boats sitting in Tahiti that want to come to Tonga. Big boats, I’m not talking about little yachts, because they won’t let the yachts come back in here and I don’t know why,” David Hunt, owner of Super Yacht Services Tonga was quoted by AFP as saying.
Moala Mafi from the Ministry of Tourism reportedly said the government was “still undecided on yachts in Tongan waters”.
“We are still finalising the policy framework for the cruise ships,” he said. “We don’t forget them, but they are in the pipeline”.
Potenitila died in hospital on Wednesday last week, after spending sometimes with her newborn.
After her death, her husband ‘Isoa wrote on Facebook that what he wanted to “make Poteni proud” and said she was “a wonderful, loving and caring person and she has been our super hero for years”.
As Kaniva News reported last week, her family shared to Facebook a photo of Potenitila lying smilingly on a bed while her husband ‘Isoa Moimoi was standing by her bedside carrying their newborn in what appeared to be a room at Vaiola hospital.
The sharing of those photos did not take long before the family returned to social media but this time launching a blood A+ donation for Potenitila.
By Jake McKee, and is republished with permission.
New Zealand’s borders are now completely reopened to the world but any change to numbers arriving on the country’s shores is expected to start as a trickle.
Borders may be open, but recovery is still expected to be slow. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
The last of five Covid-19 border reopening phases happened at 11.59pm on Sunday – opening the maritime border, as well as applications for tourist, visitor and student visas from anywhere in the world.
Before the pandemic, international students and cruise ships were big money makers for New Zealand.
However, those income flows that largely dried up when the borders closed in early 2020 and the two sectors have been eager to welcome people back.
Auckland’s Macleans College hosted about 300 foreign students pre-pandemic.
Principal Steven Hargreaves is keen to build those numbers back up and would have liked to see applications opened months ago so students could start returning on Monday.
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do if we want to recapture what’s so important for New Zealand.”
Before the pandemic international students had brought in about $5 billion a year but that figure dropped to about an estimated $1.3 billion in 2021.
Hargreaves said some schools could have their work cut out if they had all but shut down their international programmes and let staff go.
It was more than just simply saying the students could come, but needing to recruit them, finding them a place to live and then moving onto admin processes, he said.
International students brought in big money to the economy. Photo: 123rf.com
Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O’Sullivan was excited but said his industry also had a wait on its hands.
The first cruise ship was set to arrive in Auckland on 12 August “and then there’ll be something of a hiatus, then, until mid-October when the season begins in earnest”, he said.
The industry would use that time to ensure it was ready, O’Sullivan said – citing there was “already some hesitation in some quarters as to how ready it will be.”
He was confident the industry still had a high economic value, pointing out that in the last season before the pandemic it brought in more than $500 million.
“It’s going to bring a lot to downtown Auckland, for example – restore the vibrancy that’s been lacking without the cruise ships coming into downtowns.”
Head of Immigration New Zealand’s Reconnecting New Zealand unit Simon Sanders said the border changes were a “significant milestone” but it was hard to predict how many people will come to this country as a result.
“I think it’s safe to say we’re not expecting the same level of demand we saw pre-Covid. That’s probably for a number of reasons,” he said.
“We know that China, who’s a larger visitor visa-required country, is still subject to a range of travel restrictions so we’re not expecting large demand from there, at least initially.”
Sanders said immigration would start processing visas immediately, with a commitment to processing “straightforward” visitor visas within 20 working days.
But he urged people who were planning visits next year to wait a little before they apply.
“For students, we are encouraging those who have offers of study to put in applications immediately and we’ll get those under way; and for those who may be looking to study in 2023, hold off for a couple of months so we can assure that those that need to arrive this year will be able to do so.”
Immigration had recruited 230 staff to process visas, replacing people from foreign offices that closed because of the pandemic.
Many of the victims are still on the sunken wreck of the Princess Ashika
Thirteen years after the last voyage of the MV Princess Ashika, the words of Sione Mafi Kavaliku, a Marine Officer in Tonga’s Ministry of Transport have not lost their power.
Kavaliku was responding to a question from the then Acting Director of Marine and Ports about his opinion of the doomed vessel.
According to an investigation into the disaster, she was fit for nothing but scrap.
The Princes Ashika capsized just before midnight on August 5, 2009, in moderate seas while sailing from Nuku’alofa to Ha’afeva, about 47 nautical miles north of the capital.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Princess Ashika made its findings clear: The ferry should never have been allowed to sail, she should never have been rushed into service and she should never have been bought in the first place.
On the anniversary of her sinking, which claimed 74 lives – including 13 children aged under 10 – the report raises an awkward question: If anybody could tell how bad the ship was, how could it have happened?
“The ship sailed on four voyages in Tonga before the accident,” the Royal Commission said.
“Before each of those voyages a number of people, who should have known that the vessel was unseaworthy, could have prevented the ship sailing: the acting director of Marine and Ports, who had the power to detain the ship, the Marine and Ports surveyors through their director, the master or chief engineer of the Princess Ashika, the managing director of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia and the board of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia (SPC).
“None did.”
Chain of failures
The Preliminary Report said that even after the rusting, leaking ship sailed, disaster might have been averted if the crew had acted promptly. That they didn’t was part of a chain of failures that led to the disaster.
Lord Sevele ‘O Vailahi. Photo/Youtube
However, the report also made it clear that even if the Princess Ashika had survived that night, she was in such poor condition that eventually she would have sunk.
The Tongan Royal Commission of Inquiry declared that the ferry was unseaworthy and in an appalling condition.
“It should never have been allowed to sail in Tonga under any conditions,” the Commission said.
Any suggestion to the contrary, including claims by John Jonesse (the CEO of Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Limited until he was suspended by the Board of Shipping Corporation on November 6, 2009) and former Minister of Transport Paul David Karalus that the vessel was in good condition or well maintained were “not only patently absurd, but dishonest.”
“The evidence as to the unseaworthiness and appalling state of the vessel is overwhelming and compelling.”
The Royal Commission described the ferry as being in a frightening and horrendous condition.
Built in Japan in the early 1970s, the Princess Ashika was only ever meant to sail on the calm waters of Japan’s inland sea. She was not designed to sail in open waters. Her bow and stern loading ramps were not watertight and her design meant she was vulnerable to waves and flooding.
Fiji service
After her service in Japan came to an end she was sold to Patterson Brothers in Fiji, which operated her between the islands. By then, however, she was already in such a state of disrepair that the Fiji Islands Maritime Safety Administration (FIMSA) imposed a series of restrictions on her operations that meant she could only be used in sheltered waters on a short route.
Her hull was full of holes, her decking and sides were rusted through and she was covered in a patchwork of concrete and welded patches. She was supposed to be regularly hauled out of the water and surveyed and in her last days in Fiji she was certified to keep working for only a few weeks.
Her owners wanted to get rid of her, but even if she was sold for scrap, the cost of taking her to somewhere she could be cut up would mean a loss. Better then, to sell her. And now here came a potential customer, anxious to buy a replacement for the SPC’s failing ferry, the MV Olovaha and, according to the damning Royal Commission Report, willing to ignore the rules, dismiss all the evidence and ignore the international rules governing shipping.
The Royal Commission cited a survey of the vessel made in Fiji about six months before its arrival in Tonga: “The vessel is now 36 years old and the condition it is now in if it is allowed to trade will cause a maritime disaster . . . The vessel is beyond repair and is no longer fit for sea services of any nature.”
Failed
The Royal Commission report said Tonga’s leaders had failed to do their duties properly in the rush to replace the Olovaha. The Princess Ashika was bought from the Patterson Brothers on May 8, 2009, for FJ$600,000.
Lord Dalgety of Scotland
The Commission said documentation used to obtain the Tongan provisional certificate of registration had been intentionally altered to hide the significant operating restrictions placed on the Princess Ashika by FIMSA. A number of other documents that were used to support the purchase contained forged or misrepresented signatures.
“Had those operating restrictions and the reasons for them been known to the Tonga Government, it is unlikely that the Government would have approved the purchase,” the Commission said.
The report said the Cabinet, the vessel’s operator, the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia and the Ministry of Transport all failed to conduct due diligence in the purchase of the vessel, ultimately resulting in the disaster.
During the hearings, Prime Minister Feleti Sevele told TV3 in New Zealand that the ship “was tested, it passed [and] therefore it was able to get the seaworthiness certificate plus the marine insurance cover. I don’t think it was the ship’s sea worthiness that was the cause.”
Defensive
The Commission said that when answering the inquiry’s questions the Prime Minister “was defensive in many of his responses and refused to accept the obvious.”
Lord Sikotalani, aka Ramsey Dalgety, who was secretary of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia blamed government for buying the vessel and said that he “just signed the checques.”
No recommendations were made for any criminal or civil responsibility charges.
Ultimately, the ferry’s captain, Viliami Makahokovalu Tuputupu, the SCP’s managing director, John Jonesse, the ferry’s first mate, Semisi Pomale, and the acting director of the Tongan marine and ports department, Viliami Tu’ipulotu were found guilty of the manslaughter by negligence of Vae Fetu’u Taufa, a 21-year-old mother. Ms Taufa was the sole Tongan passenger whose body was recovered.
Prime Minister Sevele did not stand for re-election in the 2010 elections. He was subsequently made Lord Sevele of Vailahi by King George Tupou V. In recent months he has been the subject of controversy over his appointment to Tonga’s National Reserve Bank.
In October 2017 Lord Sikotalani resigned as chief executive of the Tongan Electricity Commission after an inquiry was launched into unaccounted-for pension funds.
The number of deaths in New Zealand confirmed as attributable to Covid-19 has risen above the 1500 mark, as 4238 new community cases are reported today.
In today’s statement, the Ministry of Health said as at yesterday, there were 1502 deaths confirmed as attributable to the coronavirus, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor.
It said the average increase in deaths each day attributable to Covid-19 over the past week is now 19.
Another 23 deaths of people with Covid-19 were also reported today.
They included one person in their 30s, one in their 40s, one in their 60s, two in their 70s, 10 in their 80s and eight aged over 90. Eleven were women and 12 were men.
Four were from Auckland region, five were from Waikato, three were from Bay of Plenty, three were from Hawke’s Bay, two were from Wellington region, four were from Canterbury, one was from West Coast, one was from Southern.
The seven day rolling average of community cases is now at 7183, compared to 7405 yesterday and down from 8600 this time last week.
But the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has risen, with 806 hospitalisations reported today compared to 769 yesterday, with 12 people currently in ICU.
The average age of the people in hospital is 65.
There were 67 deaths with Covid-19 reported yesterday, although the Ministry of Health said the spike in numbers was because of a “recent data reconciliation process”. There were also 6232 new cases confirmed yesterday.
The Ministry said 226 of today’s new cases had recently travelled overseas.
There have now been more than 1.6 million – 1,603,545 – confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo fakapapau’i kuo fakalaka ‘a e kau mate ‘i he Koviti -19 ‘i he toko 5,000 pea ko e keisi fo’ou ‘i he komiunitī ‘e 4238 kuo lipooti ‘i he ‘aho ni. ‘I he fakamatala ‘o e ‘aho ni na’e pehē ai ‘e he Potungāue Mo’ui ‘o hangē ko ‘aneafi, na’e toko 1502 ‘a e kau mate na’e fakapapau’i ko e tu’unga ‘i he vailasi kolona, ‘o fakahangatonu pe fekau’aki. Na’e pehē ko e hiki hake ko ia ‘a e kau mate ‘i he ‘aho ‘i he Kōviti -19 ‘i he uike kuo ‘osi kuo a’u ‘eni ki he toko 19,. Ko e toe mate ‘eni ‘a e kakai ‘e toko 23 ‘i he Kōviti -19 na’e toe lipooti mai ‘i he ‘aho ni. ‘Oku kau ai ‘a e toko 1 lahi hake he ta’u 30, 1 lahi hake he ta’u 40, taha lahi hake he ta’u 60, 2 lahi hake he ta’u 70, 10 lahi hake he ta’u 80 pea toko 9 lahi hake he ta’u 90. Toko 11 fefine pea 12 tangata. Toko 4 mei ‘Aokalani, 5 mei Uaikato, 3 mei Bay of Plenty, 3 mei Hawkes Bay, 2 mei Uelingatoni, 4 mei Canterbury, 1 mei West Coast, pea 1 mei Southern. Ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e lau fakahili ‘aho 7 ‘o e keisi ‘i he komiunitī ‘oku toko 7183 ‘i he taimi ni, fakatatau ki he toko 7405 ‘aneafi, pea holo mei he 8600 mei he taimi peheni ‘i he uike kuo ‘osi. Ka ko e kau tākoto falemahaki ‘i he Kōviti-19 kuo toko lahi ange, ‘aki e toko 806 kuo lipooti ‘oku tākoto falemahaki fakatatau ki he toko 769 ‘aneafi, mo e toko 12 ‘i he loki tokanga’i makehe. Ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e ta’u ‘o e kakai ‘oku tākoto falemahaki ko e ta’u 65. Na’e toko 67 ‘a e kau mate ‘i he Kōviti na’e lipooti ‘aneafi, neonga ia na’e pehē ‘e he Potungāue Mo’ui ko e matuitui hake ‘a e toko lahina’e ‘uhinga ‘i he toe fakalelei ‘o e me’a ngāue. Na’e toe fakapapau’i foki mo e keisi fo’ou ‘e 6232 ‘aneafi. Na’e pehē ‘e he Potungāue ko e toko 226 ‘o e ngaahi keisi ‘o e ‘aho ni kuo nau tomi folau atu ki tu’apule’anga. Kuo a’u ‘eni ‘i he taimi ni ki he toko 1.6 miliona [1,603,545] ‘o e ngaahi keisi ‘o e Kōviti-19 /i Nu’usila.
The government says four people, all from the same household, are being recorded as the first community cases.
Up until now the country has not experienced a case of the virus in the community, while there have been just 30 cases recorded at the border.
Niue Hospital in Alofi, Niue. Photo: Supplied/ Dr Penny McAllum
The acting Premier and Minister of Health, Sauni Tongatule, says contact tracing began immediately after the cases were detected and all affected people are being contacted by Niue’s health officials.
Earlier this week Niue was able to announce that the number of workers in its Covid-19 teams had increased after assistance from a New Zealand medical team.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo tu’uta e Kōviti-19 ‘i he kakai ‘o Niuē. ‘Oku pehē mei he pule’anga ko e kakai ‘e toko 4, kātoa mei he fāmili pē ‘e taha, kuo lipooti ko e fuofua keisi ia ‘i he komiunitī. Na’e te’eki foki ke hoko ha keisi ia ki he kakai ‘i Niuē ka kuo lipooti ‘eni ha toko 30 kuo ‘i he kau’ā-fonua . ‘Oku pehē ‘e he tokoni palemia mo Minisitā mMo’ui Sauni Tongatul, ‘oku fai hono vakai’i lelei’i ‘aupito ‘i he vave taha hili hono ‘ilo ko ia ‘o e keisi pea kuo ‘osi fai e fetu’utaki mo e kakai kotoa ko ia ‘oku nau puke ‘e he kau ngāue ki he mo’ui lelei. Na’e tala foki mei Niuē kuo fakatokolahi ‘a e toko lahi ‘o e kau ngāue ‘a e timi Kōviti -19 hikli ia ha tokoni mei ha timi ngāue fakafaito’o mei Nu’usila. ‘Oku ‘alu hake ai ‘a e kau mate ‘i he Kōviti -19 ‘i he lipooti fakamuimui taha ki he kakai ‘e toko 2039. Ko e liliu ko ia ‘i he fakakātoa ‘o e kau mate ‘i he Kōviti-19 kuo talaki ki he kakai ‘oku ‘ikai tatau ia ki he fika ‘o e kau mate fo’ou kuo lipooti ‘i he ‘aho ni. Ko e ‘uhinga ‘eni he ko e kau mate ko ia ‘i he ‘aho ‘e 28 kuo ‘osi pea ‘osi sivi ‘o mahino ‘oku ‘ikai ha felāve’i ‘enau mate mo e Kōviti -19, ‘oku to’o kinautolu ia mei he fakakātoa. Ko e toko 1396 leva ‘o e kau mate kuo fakapapau’i ‘oku tu’unga pe felāva’i ‘enau mate mo e Kōviti – 19. Ko e ‘avalisi leva ‘o e lau fakahili ‘aho 7 ko ia ‘o e kau mate kuo fakapapau’i mai na’e felāve’i mo e Kōviti -19.ko e toko 17. Ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e lau fakahili’aho 7 ko ia ‘o e ngaahi keisi fo’ou ko e 8335, holo hifo ia mei he toko 9534 ‘o e uike kuo ‘osi. Ko e ngaahi keisi na’e ma’u ‘i he Tusite ‘i hono ngāue’aki ‘o e sivi RAT mo e PCR, ko ‘Aokalani ko e toko 823, Bay of Plenty ko e toko 396, Canterbury mo West Coast ko e toko 1302, Capital mo e Coast/Hutt ko e toko 1078, Counties Manukau ko e toko 923, Hawkes Bay ko e toko 332, Lakes ko e toko 224, MidCentral ko e toko 420, Nelson Marlborough ko e toko 247, Northland ko e 242, South Canterbury ko e toko 157, Southern ko e toko 767, Tairawhiti ko e toko 59, Talanaki ko e toko 247, Uaikato ko e toko 686, Wairarapa ko e toko 108, Uaitemata ko e toko 1052, mo Fanganui ko e toko 187. Ko e toko 6 ‘oku ‘ikai ‘ilo pe ko ‘enau puke mei fe’ia. Kuo tu’uta mo e keisi Kōviti -19 ‘e 430 ‘i he kau’āfonua ‘i he houa ‘e 24 kuo ‘osi. Kuo lipooti mai ko e ola ‘o e sivi PCR Ko e toko 3117 fakakātoa pea toko 17653 ‘i he sivi RAT, ‘i he houa ‘e 2 kuo hili.
Russia’s foreign ministry has slapped New Zealand journalists and officials with sanctions for supporting what it called the country’s “Russophobic agenda.”
The list includes New Zealand’s Military Secretary to the Minister of Defence Shane Arndell and the mayors of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, among other officials.
Journalists named include Whena Owen, Matthew Hooton and James Hollings.
The sanctions bar the targeted individuals from entering Russia indefinitely, the Russian ministry said.
“Taking into account that Wellington does not intend to abandon its anti-Russian course and continues to produce new restrictions (against Moscow), work on updating the ‘black list’ will continue,” the ministry added.
In April, Russia announced an earlier blacklist of politicians from New Zealand, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
