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Internet back at full strength in Tonga after 5 week cut by volcanic eruption

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tonga’s undersea fibre-optic cable was down for five weeks by a volcanic eruption but a full connection was restored to the main island of Tongatapu this afternoon February 22.

Tonga Communications Corporation. Photo/Kalino Lātū

For the first time in more than a month, many people were able to contact their families overseas, update their statuses and read the news online.

“Both T.C.C & Digicel is restoring fibre cable internet services”, reported Radio Nuku’alofa 88.6FM this afternoon.

“No doubt a lot of you here in Tongatapu & ‘Eua are experiencing fast Fiber-optic internet”.

Local resident Paulo Lātu said on his Facebook account this afternoon: “Thanks optic fibre internet. We can now see the world”.

Tonga’s 827km cable which connects the country to the outside world was severed after the huge volcanic eruption on January 15.

It followed with the government striking a deal to get satellite connectivity through a 2G wireless connection being established on the main island, using a satellite dish but the service was patchy, and internet services ran slowly.

It is understood the fibre connections to Vava’u and Ha’apai groups have yet to be fixed.

Hawaiki

The current Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku was at the centre of a controversial deal with internet provider Hawaiki when he was Minister of Environment and Communications.

Hon Hu’akavameiliku signed a TOP$50 million contract so that the company could install a second fibre internet cable.

Tonga paid TOP$6 million dollars so that the Hawaiki cable connecting New Zealand and Australia to Hawai’i and Los Angeles was connected to the Vava’u fibre cable in Tonga.

However, in 2019 the then Tonga Cable Ltd (TCL) Director Paula Piveni Piukala and former Minister of Trade and Economic Development Tu’i Uata were sent to Auckland to seek advice on the deal.

Hon. Uata said TCL had questioned whether the large sums being paid from taxpayers’ money were justified.

Piukala said at the time it “did not make sense” to pay such a large amount of money just in case the cable might be damaged in the future.

Tonga also had an agreement with French company Alcatel for the provision of a fibre optic cable system connecting Nuku’alofa and Vava’u with a branch to Ha’apai.

The World Bank has funded $50 million for Tonga’s high-speed internet cable which was launched in 2013.

Tonga asked the Bank to also fund a back up, or redundancy cable but the Bank said it was not financially viable.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on border reopening readiness

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking to media after a visit to Auckland Airport, ahead of the border reopening.

Watch live: Here

The border reopening plan‘s first stage – allowing vaccinated New Zealanders and certain other eligible travellers to arrive from Australia without entering managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) – begins at 11.59pm this Sunday, 27 February.

The second step – opening with the same criteria for travel from the rest of the world as well as working-holiday visas and skilled workers earning 1.5x the median wage – is set for two weeks later, on 13 March.

Ardern has this afternoon been touring Auckland Airport, and been briefed on readiness for the change.

She yesterday gave further assurances that restrictions within New Zealand would begin easing “well beyond” the Omicron outbreak’s peak, some three to six weeks away.

The government laid out the rules for self-isolating travellers last week, and criteria for allowing people to leave MIQ early were loosened.

Under the government’s plan, unvaccinated travellers would still be required to go into MIQ and some facilities will continue to house those unable to isolate at home, but the Defence Force would no longer secure the facilities.

Ardern has also signalled the government may no longer require self-isolation for vaccinated travellers in the “not too distant” future.

Covid-19 update: 2846 community cases today, 143 people in hospital

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

In a statement, the ministry said one of the people in hospital was in intensive care or a high dependency unit.

The average age of the current hospitalisations is 56.

Of the new cases today, 36 were in Northland, 1802 in Auckland, 285 in Waikato, 86 in Bay of Plenty, 19 in Lakes, 25 in Hawke’s Bay, 25 in MidCentral, 19 in Whanganui, 26 in Taranaki, 17 in Tairāwhiti, two in Wairarapa, 84 in Capital and Coast, 25 in Hutt Valley, 77 in Nelson Marlborough, 105 in Canterbury, four in South Canterbury and 206 in the Southern DHB.

There were also 15 new cases at the border.

On vaccinations, 471 first doses were administered yesterday, 981 second doses, 66 third primary doses, 1273 paediatric doses, and 27,770 booster doses.

“With Omicron spreading rapidly in New Zealand, it is important everyone who is eligible gets a booster dose, which greatly reduces your chances of getting severely ill and requiring hospital care if you test positive for Covid-19,” the ministry said.

On testing, it said there were 24,351 tests processed in the last 24 hours.

The ministry said it continued to stress the importance of the right people being tested for the right reasons.

“Over the last week, a significant number of concerned people who don’t need a test are going to get a test – those are people who don’t have any Covid-19 symptoms and are not a contact of a case.

“People should only get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms, have been identified as a close contact of a case, or have been asked to get tested by a health official.”

Today’s announcement coincides with news that two Auckland hospitals have called off large numbers of planned operations as nursing numbers drop and Covid-19 cases rise.

The decision was made at a high-level meeting yesterday, with the situation expected to continue for four weeks, RNZ reported.

Hundreds of people will miss out on operations or procedures at Greenlane Hospital and Auckland City Hospital.

Yesterday the ministry reported 2365 new community cases, two Covid-19 related deaths and 116 people in hospital with one person in intensive care or a high dependency unit.

On Sunday, New Zealand’s daily Covid-19 numbers surpassed the 2000 mark for the first time, with 2522 new community cases reported.

Government announces $140m new funding for Māori and Pacific Omicron response

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The $140 million of new funding was announced by government ministers at Ngā Whare Waatea in South Auckland on Tuesday morning.

The funding is on top of that announced last week for support to those self-isolating with Covid-19, or as close contacts.

“We know Omicron is likely to disproportionately affect Māori and Pasifika communities and the government is committed to making sure vulnerable whānau received the support and care they deserve,” Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare said in a statement announcing the funding.

For years, Māori and Pacific health providers have operated in their communities on limited resource, especially when compared to the rest of the health system.

That was brought into stark relief in the Delta outbreak, where providers were thrust into the spotlight as Māori and Pacific became fast infected, and the vaccination rollout in those communities initially struggled.

“We saw that in action when Māori vaccination rates increased from 69 percent to 90 percent for first dose in just 3.5 months,” Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson said in the same statement.

A $120m tranche of funding announced last year was criticised, with providers having to go through an application process.

At a Waitangi Tribunal hearing into the Covid-19 response for Māori in December, providers criticised it for in some instances, being cumbersome, bureaucratic and slow to arrive.

This time the money would go direct to 160 Māori and Pacific health providers as well as Whānau Ora services, Jackson said.

“I want to encourage innovative Pacific models of care with a focus on the immediate Omicron response. I want to communicate key public health messages in culturally appropriate ways,” Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said.

Henare said the funding would help providers scale up their response in their communities, which mainstream services often struggle to reach or understand.

Outrage in Fiji as rapist plays rugby while serving sentence

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

There has been widespread condemnation of convicted rapist and Fiji rugby sevens star Amenoni Nasilasila’s inclusion at a local tournament last weekend.

Amenoni Nasilasila in action for Fiji on the World Sevens Series

Nasilasila was reportedly seen training with the Namosi rugby teams in Suva in July 2021, despite only serving less than three months in prison.

Fijian human rights advocate Shamima Ali called for the “immediate withdrawal” of Nasilasila from the Wardens team, saying it was “beyond belief” that he was allowed to represent the government department.

She said she was appalled at the inclusion of the convicted rapist in the side competing in the Super 7s series at Nadi’s Prince Charles Park.

“We demand his immediate withdrawal from the team and totally condemn Nasilasila’s inclusion,” Ali said.

“He is a convicted rapist and it is beyond belief that the Fiji Corrections Service has allowed him to play in the Wardens side – he is not a warden, he is an inmate,” she said.No caption

Shamima Ali Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Ali also demanded answers as to why Nasilasila was allowed to play when he was convicted in a court of law.

“This is sending out a terrible message to rapists and would-be rapists,” she said.

“Rape is a heinous crime and once a person is convicted, they need to serve out their sentence – not be allowed to play rugby at their leisure.

“We demand an answer from the Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service and the courts as to how this was made possible.

“The government has a robust plan for eliminating violence against women and a National Action Plan under development – this kind of incident actually negates all the good work done by the State and by NGOs in this area.”

Govt slams Nasilasila’s participation: ‘Continuous disregard of the law’

Fiji’s Ministry for Women has also condemned Nasilasila’s participation at the rugby tournament.

Minister Rosy Akbar said Nasilasila was not a warden but someone who was serving time in prison for rape.

“It is shocking that the Fiji Corrections Service team have even considered his participation,” Akbar said in a statement posted on the Fijian Government’s official Facebook page.

“This is a continuous disregard of the law and in fact a mockery of the justice system in this country.

“Rape is a very serious crime and such privileges given to persons convicted of such a heinous crime are just not on. This has to stop. It sends the wrong message to the community.”Rosy Akbar.

Minister Rosy Akbar. Photo: Fiji Govt

Akbar said Nasilasila remained a convicted person and was still serving a sentence.

“The ministry calls for the Commissioner of Fiji Corrections Service to immediately intervene and remove Nasilasila from any further involvement in rugby until he has completely served out his sentence.”

The Fiji Corrections Service has been approached for comment.

Bid for appeal against conviction

Last September, Nasilasila appealed against his conviction and filed a bail pending appeal application which was also refused by Acting Resident Judge, Justice Chandana Prematilaka.

Nasilasila had appealed on a number of grounds including that the judge erred in law by overturning the unanimous not guilty decisions of the assessors, the grounds to how his case was handled, and the caution interview with police in 2018.

Justice Prematilaka highlighted that Nasilasila’s disapprovals and grounds were due to the ineptitude of his trial counsel and “therefore it is not necessary to consider the other two factors under section 17(3).”

“Section 17 states that the Court of Appeal shall not entertain any appeal made under the provisions of this part unless the appellant has fulfilled all the conditions of appeal as prescribed by the rules of court.”

Covid-19: Death rate among unvaccinated 17 times higher than among vaxxed, Fiji Govt warns

By
Kaniva Staff
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Dr James Wong/ Fiji Gov’t via RNZ

Fiji’s Government warns unvaccinated people in the vaccine-eligible population are 17 times more likely to die if they contract Covid-19 than those that are vaccinated.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said this strongly indicates that many of the unvaccinated deaths were preventable.

He’s urging Fijians to get vaccinated against Covid-19 including the booster shot amid a third wave which began last November.

“I strongly urge anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated now because Covid-19 is here to stay, and Omicron will not be the last variant,” Dr Fong said.

“And if you are vaccinated, but know someone who isn’t, please also encourage them to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.”

The vaccine rollout for children aged 12 to 17 is also underway with 43,241 of them already had both doses.

Meanwhile, Fijians who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 are still being refused entry to a number of public spaces.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said this includes houses of worship, sporting venues and high-risk businesses.

“Those who are in charge of these venues, businesses and houses of worship must ensure that they check the vaccine status of all those who enter their premises,” Waqainabete said.

As of 18 February 2022, 93.1 percent of Fiji’s adult population are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

More than 800 deaths attributable to Covid-19 have been recorded in Fiji.

Police in riot gear, protester drives car into police

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

One person has been arrested after driving a car into police officers at the anti-mandate protest at Parliament this morning.

Another look at those police bollards credit: RNZ

Hundreds of police armed with riot shields have stationed themselves around the protesters, in an attempt to reduce the perimeter of the protest.

Some used shields to protect themselves from thrown objects, they say.

They say three officers required medical attention after being sprayed with an “unknown substance”.

People are pushing against the police on the intersection of Molesworth and Hill Street.

A man on a loud speaker is asking the crowd to calm down and a woman can be heard yelling that there are children there.

Pacific workers fear new Australian visa threatens jobs with influx of Asian visa holders

By
Kaniva Staff
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Are Pacific Islanders working in Australia in danger of losing their jobs to Asian workers?

Photo/Bridge Walker

That’s the question that is troubling Islanders working under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme as more details emerge of the new Australian Agriculture visa.

President of the Pacific Islands Council of Queensland, Ema Vueti,  has already raised questions about what action needs to be taken in response to the news.

Some Pacific Islanders are concerned that Australia is planning to shift its interests in employing Pacific Islanders in their farms to Asian workers.

They told Kaniva News one of the reasons for the shift was because Asian workers were reluctant to complain if they encountered problems in the workplace. In contrast, Pacific islanders complained if  they came across any problems.

According to a report by Stephen Howes, Director of the Development Policy Centre and a Professor of Economics at the Crawford School at the Australian National University in Canberra, the new Australian Agriculture visa will compete the PALM scheme.

“If the new visa is recruiting workers to do the same jobs as PALM workers from the Pacific, under the same terms and conditions, and there is no shortage of workers from the Pacific, why are we introducing a new visa for Asian workers, thereby undermining the Pacific Step-up?” Profesor Howes asked.

He also warned that Pacific workers faced direct competition from Indonesia, which was entitled to send  4264 backpackers to Australia every year under a Work and Holiday visa that allowed the holder to work in Australia for up to three years. No Pacific country has a backpacker visa.

Professor Howes said the Pacific might ask why Indonesia should also be able to compete with Pacific workers.

He said figures released  by the Australian government suggested between 8000 and 16,000 Asian workers could be admitted by 2023-24.

“The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) has been going since 2007. It took a decade for it to reach 8000 visas. With the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS), the combined PALM has now reached 20,000 but 8000 to 16,000 spots going to Asia is going to make a big difference to the PALM latecomers, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands,” Professor Howes said.

“They may well continue to be crowded out from meaningful participation in the PALM scheme.”

“The government’s latest fact sheet says that there are 55,000 Pacific islanders ready to come to Australia under the PALM visa. Why then are we sourcing 8-16,000 from Asia?”

He said it was clear that Australia was negotiating with Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia.

Indonesia could not afford to antagonise the Pacific. Much of the Pacific, in particular Papua New Guinea and other Melanesian countries, regarded West Papua as occupied territory.

“While Indonesia has a massive population, and will no doubt be grateful for any job-creation opportunities that come its way, it will also have to ask whether a couple of thousand visas are worth risking a diplomatic dispute with the Pacific,” he said.

Pacific concerns

The Australian Agriculture visa was originally expected to be announced in 2018.

The ABC reported at the time that Pacific Island officials and leaders were aghast at the prospect of a new agriculture visa.

They feared that Pacific worker programmes would be ultimately destroyed  if Australia welcomed thousands more workers from far more populous nations.

They were angry that the Australian Government was apparently on the brink of making an announcement on a new visa without bothering to consult them.

Health of leaders should not be a state secret – Rabuka

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

The health situation of the country’s leaders should not be a state secret, said former Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

He said the Government’s silence over Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s condition is deafening.Sitiveni Rabuka and Frank Bainimarama.

Sitiveni Rabuka and Frank Bainimarama. Photo: AFP / RNZ Pacific

On 4 February, Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told a media conference that Bainimarama needed “time to recuperate” after undergoing heart surgery in Melbourne early last month.

There has been no further update from the government and Sayed-Khaiyum has rejected rumours that Bainimarama’s health has deteriorated after his medical procedure.

Rabuka said all speculation about Bainimarama “must be laid squarely at the feet of Sayed-Khaiyum for his misconceived policy of trying to stay silent”.

The Government, Rabuka added, was paid by the Fijian people and therefore answerable to the people.

Rabuka also questioned why Sayed-Khaiyum, who is also Fiji’s Attorney-General, had not disclosed details about his own medical check-up in Singapore recently.

In a democracy, regular updates were released when a prime minister was ill and required hospital treatment, Rabuka said.

National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad agreed.

Fijians have a right to know what’s happened to their leader, Prasad said.

“We have the right to ask questions. In any decent democracy – if the prime minister is going abroad, the honourable thing for the government to do is to inform the people.

“If he’s not around and people are asking questions, then it’s incumbent upon the government to say where he is and why he’s not seen around,” the NFP leader said.

Sayed-Khaiyum was approached for comment.The last time Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was seen in public - at a funeral on 5 January.

The last time Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was seen in public – at a funeral on 5 January. Photo: Facebook / Fijian Affairs Board

Strong 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Blenheim

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Blenheim was recorded about 4.06 pm by GeoNet.5.6 earthquake near Blenheim

Photo: Twitter / GeoNet

It hit about 30km west of Seddon, and at a depth of 30km.

“A shallow M5.6 earthquake near Blenheim caused a decent shake just now, mostly felt by people in the upper South Island and lower North Island. The shaking was strong in intensity, and we have received more than 15,000 felt reports,” GeoNet said on Twitter.

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