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☆ The Two-Decade Fight for Two Letters on the Internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jacob Judah | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The South Pacific island of Niue is one the most remote places in the world. The advent of the internet promised, in a small way, to make Niue and its 2,000 or so residents more connected to the rest of the world. In the late 1990s, an American businessman offered to hook up the island to the internet. All he wanted in exchange was the right to control the .nu suffix that Niue was assigned for its web addresses. “Nu” means now in Swedish, Danish and Dutch, and thousands of Scandinavians registered websites with that suffix, creating a steady business for Niue’s business partner, Bill Semich.

Persons: Bill Semich Locations: Niue, Tonga, American Samoa, American, Tuvalu, Pacific

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters arrives at a news conference after he attended an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, March 22, 2019. The role of deputy prime minister, a key sticking point in the discussions, will be split between the populist NZ First party leader Winston Peters and ACT party leader David Seymour, the group announced in a statement. National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis will be finance minister and Peters will be foreign minister, the parties said. The coalition plans to repeal a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration and a ban on the sale of cigarettes to future generations introduced by the previous Labour government, according to coalition documents. "Foreign affairs does matter to this country.... all relationships do matter to this country," Peters said in a joint news conference in the capital Wellington after the announcement.

Persons: Winston Peters, Murad Sezer, David Seymour, Nicola Willis, Peters, Christopher Luxon, Luxon, ” Luxon, Jacinda, Helen Clark, Lucy Craymer, Praveen Menon, Diane Craft Organizations: Zealand's, of Islamic Cooperation, REUTERS, ACT NZ, National Party, NZ First, ACT, Party, Reserve, New Zealand, Bank of New, Labour, “, New Zealanders, Police, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, WELLINGTON, Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, Niue

Pacific islands leaders gathered Monday for the start of a two-day Washington summit. As part of the summit, the U.S. is formally establishing diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific islands nations. The administration pledged the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change. The leaders will also meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, Antony Blinken, Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi, Mark Brown, Brown, ” Brown, John Kerry, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kerry, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Monday, Pacific Islands Forum, South Pacific, Niue Premier, Cook Islands, U.S ., U.S, Corporation, NFL, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Australian Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Cook Islands, Niue, Cook, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Baltimore, Pacific, Federated States, The U.S

Ahead of a White House welcome for the leaders, Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. The White House said this year it would focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing. In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, an official said. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization."

Persons: Joe Biden, Walter E, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Manasseh Sogavare, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Washington Convention Center, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific, NFL, White, U.S ., Niue, Sunday, Coast Guard, Sunday's National Football League, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Cook Islands, Niue, The U.S, Papua New Guinea, U.S, Asia, Cook, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall, Sydney

☆ Biden Hosts Pacific Islands, With a Rising China in Mind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Michael Crowley | More About Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Mr. Biden also announced that he was working with Congress to invest $40 million in infrastructure spending for the islands, and he said that the United States would establish diplomatic relations for the first time with the Cook Islands and Niue. But they are two of many recent moves the Biden administration has made to strengthen America’s presence in a region east and northeast of Australia. Over the past year, the United States has opened embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and plans to open one early next year in Vanuatu. When Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken landed in Fiji in February 2022, it was the first visit there by an American secretary of state in 36 years. Those steps are in no small part chess moves in response to growing Chinese influence in the region, which became particularly vivid last year when the Solomon Islands surprised U.S. officials by signing a sweeping security pact with Beijing.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Solomon Locations: United States, Cook Islands, Niue, Australia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, American, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Beijing

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce the opening of new U.S. embassies on Cook Islands and Niue on Monday as the Democratic administration aims to demonstrate to Pacific Island leaders that it remains committed to increasing American presence in the region. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions in the South Pacific comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for the two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in the region. They also will meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change. Kerry and USAID administrator Samantha Power will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Manasseh Sogavare, Meltek Sato Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Forum, White, Baltimore Ravens, Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, Pacific, State Department, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Solomon Islands, General Assembly, The U.S, Australian Locations: Cook Islands, Niue, South, Washington, Baltimore Harbor, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kerry, Federated States, The U.S, Solomon, New York, China, Papua, Guinea, The

☆ Biden to host Pacific Island leaders in U.S. charm offensive against China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 46th Annual Gala in Washington, U.S. September 21, 2023. President Joe Biden will host a second summit with Pacific Island leaders this week, part of a U.S. charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard. During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific Islands, promise new money for infrastructure — including improving Internet connectivity via undersea cables — and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. That plan was scrapped when a U.S. debt-ceiling crisis forced Biden to cut short an Asia trip. The leaders will also attend Sunday's football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Congressional Hispanic Caucus, NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The tiny Pacific island nation of Niue has come up with a novel plan to protect its vast and pristine territorial waters — it will get sponsors to pay. “Niue is just one island in the middle of the big blue ocean,” Tagelagi said. It's one of the smallest countries in the world, dwarfed by an ocean territory 1,200 times larger than its land mass. Under the plan, the sponsorship money — called Ocean Conservation Commitments — will be administered by a charitable trust. Simon Thrush, a professor of marine science at New Zealand's University of Auckland who was not involved in the plan, said it sounded positive.

Persons: Dalton Tagelagi, Tagelagi, ” Tagelagi, Niueans, we've, —, Lyna Lam, Chris Larsen, Maël, ” Imirizaldu, Simon Thrush, ” Thrush, I'd Organizations: Niue's, Associated Press, Agriculture Organization, Conservation International, Blue Nature Alliance, New Zealand's University of Auckland Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Niue, New York, U.S

☆ When Fiji Beats Australia, and It Almost Isn’t an Upset
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Victor Mather | More About Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fiji, population 900,000, defeated Australia, population 25 million, at the Rugby World Cup in St. Etienne, France, on Sunday. Fiji had not defeated Australia, a two-time winner of the event, since 1954. Fiji and other tiny Pacific islands consistently punch above their weight in rugby, unlike just about any other international sports competition. In its opening World Cup game it came agonizingly close to beating another traditional power, Wales. The Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti and the Solomon Islands also field men’s teams in international competition.

Organizations: Rugby, Fiji, England, Chile Locations: Fiji, Australia, St, Etienne, France, Wales, Georgia, Portugal, Samoa, Tonga, Ireland, Cook, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti, Solomon

☆ Tsunami warnings issued after 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Tonga region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - The government of Tonga issued a tsunami warning on Friday after an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck in the sea around 207 km (128 miles) from the capital, and warned residents to move inland to higher ground. A tsunami advisory was also issued for American Samoa, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake are possible within 300 km of the epicentre along the coasts of Niue and Tonga, it said. Tonga's meteorological service warned residents to move inland. "An urgent tsunami advisory is now in force for all of Tonga due to a strong earthquake being felt in the Kingdom tonight.

☆ Biden hosts first Pacific Island country summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden on Thursday will host leaders attending the first Pacific Island summit this week as part of the administration's effort to increase U.S. engagement and investments in the region. Biden will also host a dinner with the leaders, many of whom are making their first visits to the White House, a senior administration official said. The summit and strategy comes as the U.S. seeks to counter China's growing military and economic influence in the region. The summit began Wednesday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcoming Pacific island leaders at the State Department. The official referenced several “daunting challenges, including climate change, Covid recovery, overfishing, education, jobs and unexploded ordnances from World War II.

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