The King Island brown thornbill is one of the most likely Australian species to become extinct in the near future, according to a 2018 paper predicting which birds and mammals are at imminent risk of such an event. At present, just approximately 200 of the birds are thought to exist, living in scattered remnant areas of wet eucalypt forests on the island of their namesake, just south of Tasmania. The extent of any genetic diversity in the current population is unknown. Although in 2019 the Australian government pledged to prevent extinctions as part of its Threatened Species Action Plan, the rate of global extinctions is currently 1,000 times the background rate. The Australian eastern quoll was declared extinct due to climate change in 2016, and a recent study from the Australian National University suggested that scientists’ focus on very endangered birds that are difficult to observe, and which often occur in wild and rugged terrain, means that many other Australian species are on the brink of extinction.
The US is set to sign agreements with Pacific island nations Palau and Micronesia, with hopes to do so with the Marshall Islands in the coming weeks. The new Compact of Free Association (COFA) accords are part of the US’ efforts to counter China’s influence in the Pacific. The US originally reached the COFAs with the three island states in the 1980s granting strategic access to the Pacific while, in return, Washington provided economic assistance and took on the responsibility of their defence. China has increased business in many Pacific island nations and is looking to expand its influence in the region.
Foreign brands are setting up strongholds in Hainan, an island province in southern China, as the country aims to turn the area into a free port by 2025. This plan has attracted the attention of an increasing number of international firms.
Students create macramé art while learning through ArtsSmarts P.E.I. program
CBC
23-05-21 10:00
Students from the East Wiltshire School in Cornwall, P.E.I have learned the art of macramé as part of an ArtsSmarts P.E.I project. With lessons from macramé artist Kaitlin Lawrence, the students' final creations were exhibited in Charlottetown's Confederation Centre, alongside 84 other pieces. The unique and multicultural aspect of the art form taught students basic knotting techniques, and they were encouraged to use them creatively and independently. The project was curated by home economics teacher Jody MacDonald who said the project also helped students appreciate art and how it can be produced with relatively basic and inexpensive materials.
Don't have the mobility or space for a garden? Here are some tips.
CBC
23-05-21 09:00
Community gardens across Prince Edward Island, Canada, are helping those with limited mobility, apartment dwellers, and those short of money to get healthily outdoors and grow produce. Leah Collett, the garden manager at the Legacy Garden, which has more than 200 community plots, says there are roadways to enable people to drive to their plots if necessary and raised beds are available for those unable to crouch. Anne Keuper, the co-owner of Island Pride Garden, suggests planting climbing beans in teepee-shaped frames and buying big pots or planters. She also recommends ensuring six hours of sun is able to reach the plants.
Susan Hart, aged 74, who had been reported missing on the Greek island of Telendos earlier this month, has been found dead in a remote area. The British grandmother had gone missing on 30 April while staying on the island with her husband Edward. According to her family, Mrs Hart had planned to read while her husband went rock climbing. She was last seen taking a ferry from Kalymnos to Telendos. The family spent more than two weeks on the under-two-square-mile island in their search for the missing woman. Greek authorities have yet to determine the cause of death.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have arrived in Papua New Guinea ahead of meetings with 14 Pacific Island leaders. They will discuss trade, climate change, and regional security. Blinken is expected to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement between the US and Papua New Guinea, as well as hold a Pacific Island leaders meeting in the afternoon. The US and its allies are increasingly concerned over China's intentions in a region covering vital sea lanes. China has recently signed a security pact with Solomon Islands.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Pacific Island leaders in Papua New Guinea to discuss trade, climate change, and regional security. Modi will hold a bilateral meeting before hosting a summit with 14 Pacific Island leaders. Blinken is expected to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Papua New Guinea and hold a Pacific Island leaders meeting. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Australia's Pacific Minister Pat Conroy will also join the meetings. The increased presence of the US and its allies in the region comes amid concern over China's intentions in the Pacific, following Beijing's recent signing of a security pact with Solomon Islands.
US and Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific
CNN
23-05-22 04:00
The US and Papua New Guinea are set to sign a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement. While the specifics are unknown, this new agreement is expected to expand US access to military facilities in Papua New Guinea, boosting Washington's presence in the South Pacific as China also jostles for influence in the region. Beijing has become a significant player in Papua New Guinea's economy as both an investor and consumer of its natural resources. The US had planned to include Papua New Guinea in US President Joe Biden's recent Asia visit but he scrapped the visit earlier this month.
The US has signed a security pact with Papua New Guinea (PNG) that will allow the two countries to work more closely together amid growing concern about heightened Chinese influence in the Pacific. The pact for defence co-operation was signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the PNG government, which argued that internal security and border issues required stepping up sovereignty. The new agreement is predicted to improve security co-operation, enhance the capacity of PNG's defence force and increase regional stability. Last year, Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, causing alarm throughout the Pacific.
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, has stated that a diplomatic pact reached with Papua New Guinea on its defense capabilities was established to aid its military's training with the US. Blinken met with 14 Pacific island leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who supported the region’s priorities of health, development and climate change. The US seeks to prevent Pacific island nations from forming security links with China amid ongoing tensions over Taiwan and after Beijing signed a security pact with Solomon Islands. Climate change and rising sea levels are these island states' most pressing concern.
