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☆ Kate’s cancer revelation throws royal family into fresh turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Yet again, the royal family could face some difficult questions about what they chose to reveal to the public, and when. Kin Cheung/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Kate Middleton, seen here at age 3, was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, England. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Kate and Prince William pose for photographers during an event to mark their engagement in 2010. Hannah McKay/Reuters From left, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wave to a crowd outside Windsor Castle ahead of the Queen's funeral in 2022. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images Kate attends the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London in November 2023.

Persons: Catherine , Princess, Wales, ”, Kate, “ KATE, Prince William, Kate –, Queen Camilla, King Charles III’s, Catherine , Princess of, Kelly Holmes, Kelly Holmes Trust —, Kin Cheung, Kate Middleton, Middleton, Pippa, Michael, Clarence House, Stephen Lock, Shutterstock Prince William, Richard Heathcote, William, Princess Diana, Ben Stansall, Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, Kirsty Wigglesworth, John Stillwell, Charles Dharapak, Queen Elizabeth II, Stefan Wermuth, Elizabeth II, Arthur Edwards, Harry Potter, Chris Jackson, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Dominic Lipinski, Prince Louis, Charlotte, Aaron Chown, Oli Scarff, Queen, Hannah McKay, Meghan, Duchess of, Emilio Morenatti, Paul Grover, King Charles III, Yui Mok, Reuters Kate, Turlough Mor, Seamus, Karwai Tang, Choo Kyung, Max Mumby, Henry Nicholls, David Cliff, Diana, of, Rishi Sunak, “, Princess, Princess of Wales, CNN Kate, Easter, Prince William –, Gupta, George, Louis, Prince, Kate’s Organizations: London CNN, Times, Sun, Kelly Holmes Trust, Getty, University of St, English rugby, Nations, Italy, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Queen, Mary's, Trench, Culture Yard, Royal Air Force, Reuters, Hall, Horse Guards, Irish Guards, National Service of, Images Police, London Clinic, Getty Images, Press Association, Britain, Mary’s, British, CNN, CNN’s Royal Locations: British, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Bath, England, Reading, Jerash, Jordan, Blenheim, Oxfordshire, Andrews, Scotland, AFP, Westminster, London, Buckingham, South Pacific, Tuvalu, St, St . Austell, Kingston , Jamaica, Caribbean, Duchess of Sussex, Windsor, South Korea, Kensington, Wales, Lindo, London’s St, of Wales, Princess

☆ 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

☆ Pacific Islands Need to Boost Digital Security to Join Undersea Cable, Says US Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Pacific Islands nations that want to connect to U.S.-funded undersea cables will need to secure their digital ecosystems to guard against data risks from China, a senior U.S. State Department official said. The United States pledged last year to jointly fund two undersea cables, to be built by Google, connecting the U.S. territory of Guam with hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia, and further branching out across remote Pacific Islands. The proposed intra-Pacific cable project has offered to branch out to Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna and the Federated States of Micronesia. China and the U.S. are jostling for influence in the Pacific Islands with competing offers for infrastructure. The Solomon Islands, which struck a security pact with Beijing, is rolling out a Chinese-funded mobile network built by Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Nathaniel Fick, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Pacific, U.S . State Department, United, Google, Futuna, Federated, The U.S . Department of, Washington, Sydney, Huawei, Telstra, Microsoft, U.S Locations: U.S, China, Guam, Fiji, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, The, Solomon, Beijing, Australia, Asia, Pacific

☆ Tuvalu: Climate-threatened Pacific nation holds election closely watched by China and Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Voting began on Friday in the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu in a national election that is being closely watched by China, Taiwan, the United States and its ally Australia, amid a tussle for influence in the region. Most of Tuvalu is forecast to be flooded by high tides by 2100, says the United Nations Development Programme, which is working with Tuvalu to bolster its coastline. Tuvalu is one of three remaining Pacific allies of Taiwan, after Nauru cut ties this month and switched to Beijing, which pledged more development support. The new government should decide whether Taiwan or China can best respond to Tuvalu’s development needs, he said. Prime Minister Kausea Natano has told Taiwan he continues to support ties, Taiwan said.

Persons: “, ”, Seve Paeniu, Kausea Natano, Enele Sopoaga, Natano, Simon Kofe, Sopoaga, Kofe Organizations: CNN, United Nations Development, Washington, Tuvalu’s Finance, Reuters, Australia Locations: Tuvalu, China, Taiwan, United States, Australia, Funafuti, Pacific, Nauru, Beijing, Nukulaelae, Kofe, United Nations, Canberra

☆ Climate Threatened Tuvalu Holds Election Watched by Taiwan, China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) -Voting began on Friday in the tiny Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu in a national election that is being closely watched by China, Taiwan, the US and its ally Australia, amid a tussle for influence in the region. Most of Tuvalu is forecast to be flooded by high tides by 2100, says the United Nations Development Programme, which is working with Tuvalu to bolster its coastline. Taiwan on Thursday said China was trying to influence the Tuvalu election and "seize our diplomatic allies". The new government should decide whether Taiwan or China can best respond to Tuvalu's development needs, he said. Prime Minister Kausea Natano has told Taiwan he continues to support ties, Taiwan said.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Seve Paeniu, Kausea Natano, Enele Sopoaga, Natano, Simon Kofe, Sopoaga, Kofe, Kirsty Needham, Ben Blanchard, Michael Perry Organizations: United Nations Development, Washington, Tuvalu's Finance, Reuters, Australia Locations: Tuvalu, China, Taiwan, Australia, Funafuti, Pacific, United States, Nauru, Beijing, Nukulaelae, Kofe, United Nations, Canberra, Sydney, Taipei

☆ Climate change has forced millions to flee their homes — and Asia is 'not prepared'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Chelsea Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fida Hussain | Afp | Getty ImagesAs the number of climate disasters increase, more people are being forced to flee their homes, especially in Asia. South Asia most at riskIn the region, South Asia is likely to have the most people displaced by climate change due to the density of its populations and its vulnerability to the effects of climate change, he added. According to the World Economic Forum, 10% to 18% of South Asia's GDP is at risk due to climate disasters. Some have nothing to return to, Oberoi explained, as climate change may have hurt their crop production at home. While we are talking and discussing and quibbling, the millions of climate migrants are the forgotten casualties of climate change.

Persons: Fida Hussain, Vinod Thomas, Thomas, Vinod Thomas ISEAS, Yusof Ishak, Tamara Wood, Pia Oberoi, Oberoi, Wood Organizations: Afp, Getty, ISEAS, Yusof, Institute, Economic, Kaldor, International Refugee, CNBC, OECD Locations: Pakistan, Asia, Philippines, China, South Asia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, South, America, Europe, Australia, Tuvalu, Southeast Asia, UNHCR

☆ Are the COP climate summits working? These countries are going to the courts, instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“It is a recipe for permanent climate chaos and suffering.”Yet the UN climate summit, known as COP, is tedious. Even fierce climate advocates who agree COP should be more ambitious still believe the summit is a powerful and worthwhile endeavor. “There is a lot of questioning whether this process will deliver or not,” Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of international climate nonprofit World Resources Institute, told CNN. In this June 2017 photo, President Donald Trump after announcing his intention to abandon the Paris Agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. Doug Mills/The New York Times/ReduxStill, former and current US negotiators say climate diplomacy has helped keep the world’s temperature from reaching truly alarming highs.

Persons: António Guterres, ” Guterres, Paris, Payam Akhavan, ” Akhavan, ” Ani Dasgupta, ’ COP’s, ”, Sue Biniaz, John Kerry, Frances F, Denny, Biniaz, ” Biniaz, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Jonathan Pershing, William, Flora Hewlett, Pershing, ” Pershing, “, Todd Stern, Jens Astrup, Stern, “ It’s, ” Stern, it’s, It’s, Margaretha Wewerinke, Singh, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Peter Dejong, Hailey Campbell, ’ ”, Campbell Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Law, United, Resources Institute, Yale University, The New York Times, “, ”, White, New York Times, Kerry, Bella Center, Getty, US, Republicans, International Court of Justice Locations: Paris, Small, States, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Antigua, Barbuda, Dubai, COP28, United States, New Haven , Connecticut, Rose, Washington , DC, Copenhagen, AFP, Europe, Mississippi, Philippines, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Hawaii, Honolulu

SYDNEY/BEIJING Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia scored a significant win for influence in the Pacific Islands region with a trump card that China, seeking to expand security ties, doesn't have: the opportunity of resettlement. "It is something China can't do," said Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith. "China can turn up and offer more infrastructure money... they can't turn up and offer this kind of resettlement relationship. Australia also will be able to block any policing deal between China and Tuvalu - as well as any telecommunications, energy or port deal - under its treaty. "Cooperation in the Pacific region tends to focus on non-traditional security, including maintenance of public security and infrastructure to deal with climate change," he added.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Graeme Smith, Richard Marles, Peter Dean, Smith, Wang Yiwei, Kirsty Needham, Martin Pollard, Miral Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Australian National University Pacific, Pacific Islanders, Defence, United States Studies Centre, Albanese's, Pacific Games, State, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Renmin University, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Australia, China, Tuvalu, Washington, Beijing, Rarotonga, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Kiribati, U.S, United States, Pacific

☆ Your world in 10 minutes: Pleas for Gaza newborns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli forces are pushing to enter Gaza’s main al-Shifa hospital, where medics said patients including newborn babies were dying for lack of fuel. Pope Francis makes the rare move of dismissing a conservative US bishop. And how climate change has thrust the tiny Pacific Islands nation of Tuvalu into the spotlight – and a big diplomatic deal with Australia. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Further ReadingIsraeli tank at gate of main Gaza hospital; medics plead for fuel to save babiesAustralia signs security, migration pact with Pacific's TuvaluIn very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop StricklandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope, Strickland Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Biden, SpaceX, Thomson, Reading, Pacific's Locations: Gaza’s, Tuvalu, Australia, Mars, Gaza, Pacific's Tuvalu

☆ Australia foreign minister touts Tuvalu security, migration pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations.

Persons: Penny Wong, Eduardo Munoz, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Australia's, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ No, 11,200 Climate Refugees Aren’t Heading to Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Natasha Frost | More About Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu once comprised 11 islands. For decades, Tuvalu’s leaders have warned about the effects of the world’s emissions on this tiny place. “It’s a matter of disappearing from the surface of this earth,” Kausea Natano, the prime minister, said in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. And so when Mr. Natano and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia announced a bipartisan agreement this week between their nations that would help Tuvalu mitigate the effects of climate change, many anticipated a wholesale offer of climate-based asylum for Tuvalu’s approximately 11,200 citizens. At least in the short term, the truth is rather less dramatic.

Persons: “, Kausea Natano, Natano, Anthony Albanese Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, Australia, Pacific, Forum Locations: Tuvalu, Tuvalu’s, Cook, Australia

☆ Australia Foreign Minister Touts Tuvalu Security, Migration Pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations. Albanese has called the pact Australia's most significant agreement with a Pacific Island nation, giving "a guarantee that upon a request from Tuvalu for any military assistance based upon security issues, Australia will be there."

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ Australia offers refuge to Pacific island nation threatened by rising sea levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tuvalu's Department of Foreign Affairs describes climate change as "one of the most existential security risks currently threatening" the country. Australia and the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu are to forge closer ties thanks to a new agreement covering areas including security, migration and climate change. The Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union, a bilateral treaty, sees Australia pledging to create "a special mobility pathway" that will enable Tuvaluans to go to Australia to work, study and live. To start with, the number of Tuvaluans eligible to go to Australia will be capped at 280 a year. "With a population of just over 11,000 people, Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change, especially rising sea levels, and is trying to preserve its culture, traditions and land," the Australian government said in a statement.

Persons: Tuvaluans Organizations: Tuvalu's Department of Foreign Affairs, Tuvalu Falepili Locations: Funafuti, Tuvalu, Australia, South Pacific, Tuvalu Falepili Union

☆ Australia signs security, migration pact with Pacific's Tuvalu
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A man riding a motorbike is seen reflected in a puddle of water in Funafuti, Tuvalu, August 13, 2019. Under the treaty announced by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations. An Australian government official said this requirement covered any defence, police, port, telecommunications, energy or cyber security arrangements by Tuvalu. Although Australia has defence agreements with other Pacific Islands nations, in a region where China recently struck a security pact with Solomon Islands and is seeking to expand its policing ties and infrastructure projects, the Tuvalu treaty goes much further in positioning Australia as its primary security partner. Australia sees deeper economic and social integration with the Pacific Islands as a way to ensure the security of the region, a government official said.

Persons: Mick Tsikasvia, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Natano, " Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Lewis Jackson, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing, Lincoln, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Australia's, Tuvalu, Pacific, Tuvalu Falepili, Australia, Canberra, Thomson Locations: Funafuti, Tuvalu, Australia, Taiwan, Beijing, Cook, China, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Washington, Sydney

☆ Australia to Offer Climate Refuge to All Residents of Tuvalu - Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will on Friday announce the country will offer climate asylum to all residents of Tuvalu, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing sources. Tuvalu, a collection of nine low-lying islands in the Pacific, is one of the world's most at-risk countries from climate change. All 11,200 residents of the country will be offered refuge in Australia, SMH reported. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher Cushing)

Persons: Anthony Albanese, SMH, Alasdair Pal, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia, Sydney Morning Herald Locations: Tuvalu, Australia, Sydney

☆ Exclusive: Google to run internet cables to Pacific islands in Australia-US deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) will run undersea cables powering internet access to at least eight far-flung Pacific Ocean nations under a joint U.S.-Australian deal set to be announced on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official. The deal will expand an existing commercial project by Google in the region to the nations of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Set to be announced during an official White House visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the previously unreported deal involves contributions from both governments. Google is currently working on a fiber-optic cable that links Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China, with the Philippines and the United States. As part of the Pacific islands project, the United States will work with the countries on cybersecurity resilience, helping them back up key information to global cloud networks, according to the official.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, White, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Google, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Australian, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, U.S, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor, Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Canberra, Washington, China, United States, Taiwan, Philippines

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun told Reuters he planned to sign the COFA deal with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Adding in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 2 p.m. local time (0000 GMT Tuesday). Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Reuters, The, Marshall, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S . Congress, . State Department, U.S, U.S . Postal Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, Marshall, Pacific, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Kwajalein

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun said he signed the agreement with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Ading in Honolulu, Hawaii, at a ceremony also attended by Marshallese President David Kabua. Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack Ading, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Marshall, Reuters, The, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S, Congress, . State Department, U.S . Postal Service, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Marshall, Kwajalein

☆ US backs Pacific undersea internet cable amid China competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Workers install the 2Africa undersea cable on the beach in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, February 7, 2023. The Central Pacific Cable would connect American Samoa with Guam - two U.S. territories - and extend to up to 12 more Pacific islands, according to a document showing the cable route. Undersea internet cables typically take at least 3-5 years to be developed and installed. Tonga was cut off from global telecommunication networks for a month last year after a volcanic eruption and tsunami severed its only undersea cable. Washington intervened two years ago to block a Chinese company from building another subsea internet cable in the Pacific islands, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Rogan Ward, Paul McCann, John Hibbard, APTelecom, Hibbard, McCann, Joe Biden, Biden, Solomon, Joe Brock, Kirsty Needham Organizations: REUTERS, Pacific, Reuters, Central Pacific Cable, Futuna, Federated, World Bank, U.S . Trade, Development Agency, U.S, East Micronesia Cable, Thomson Locations: Amanzimtoti, South Africa, China, SINGAPORE, United States, American Samoa, Guam, U.S, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Tonga, Beijing, Japan, Sydney

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

China, the world's biggest fossil fuel consumer, is among those signalling that it intends to keep using them for decades. By inserting "unabated" before fossil fuels, the pledge targeted only fuels burned without emissions-capturing technology. "We cannot use it to green-light fossil fuel expansion," the countries said in a joint statement. We can't say we want to avoid 1.5 C ... and not say anything about phasing out fossil fuels," Cox said. The Alliance of Small Island States, whose members face climate-fuelled storms and land loss to rising seas, wants a fossil fuel phase-out and an end to the $7 trillion governments spend annually on subsidising fossil fuels.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, General Antonio Guterres, Sultan Al Jaber, John Kerry, Teresa Ribera, Eamon Ryan, Ryan, Peter Cox, Cox, Fatih Birol, Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Emelia Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, United Nations General Assembly, United Arab Emirates, United, European Union, Reuters, Ireland's, American Petroleum Institute, University of Exeter, International Energy Agency, Rockefeller Foundation, Organization of, Petroleum, Small, States, United Nations, D.C, Thomson Locations: New York, New York City , New York, U.S, Dubai, China, United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, France, Kenya, Chile, Colombia, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Japan, Union, Washington, Brussels

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

[1/2] United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. The summit will feature speeches from leaders who are responding to his call to "accelerate" global climate action, including Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Pakistan, South Africa and Tuvalu. Guterres said one of the aims was to spur action from countries and companies whose climate plans were not in line with the global climate target. U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry will attend the summit but will not deliver a speech, a spokesperson said. China's mission to the United Nations and UAE did not immediately respond for comment.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Brendan McDermid, General Antonio Guterres, Guterres, John Kerry, Selwin Hart, I'm, Valerie Volcovici, Stephen Coates Organizations: United Nations, General Assembly, REUTERS, Companies Allianz, UNITED, Ambition, United Arab Emirates, European Union, Allianz, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, California ., Reuters, UN, Assembly, UAE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, South Africa, Tuvalu, London, California, California . U.S, Paris

"The move from fossil fuels to renewables is happening – but we are decades behind," Guterres said at the start of the one-day summit. "We must make up time lost to foot-dragging, arm-twisting and the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil fuels." Those not invited to speak were the world's two top polluters - the United States and China – though U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry was in the audience. "This climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis," he said, drawing applause from the heads of state and others in the room. "Climate change is a top priority for my administration," Thavisin told the gathering, his country having recently created a climate change ministry.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Mike Segar, Guterres, John Kerry, China's U.N, William Ruto, Ruto, Gavin Newsom, Srettha Thavisin, Thavisin, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, COP28, Mia Mottley, Ursula von der Leyen, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Howard Goller Organizations: United Nations, General Assembly, REUTERS, Companies Allianz, General, United Arab Emirates, Thailand's, FINANCE, Security Council, Allianz, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Fund, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, COP28, Dubai, Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, South Africa, Tuvalu, United States, China, California, UAE, Barbados, Ukraine

The tribunal will issue an advisory opinion, which is not legally binding, but offers an authoritative statement on legal matters that could guide countries as they craft climate protection law. The prime ministers, representing the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), will argue that countries have an obligation to protect the marine environment under the UN convention on the Law of the Sea, including from greenhouse gas emissions. Low-lying island states like Tuvalu and Vanuatu are also at risk of becoming submerged by water by the end of the century due to slow-onset climate impacts. Small island nations have also sought legal clarity on nations' climate obligations in other courts. Vanuatu led a campaign to ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on countries' obligations to address climate change.

Persons: Kausea Natano, Gaston Browne of, Tuvalu's Natano, Valerie Volcovici, Diane Craft Organizations: International Tribunal, International, UN, Court of Justice, Assembly, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Tuvalu, Gaston Browne of Antigua, Barbuda, Small, States, Vanuatu

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