Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, (Tongan for "south"), is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. It lies about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii, south of Samoa and east of Fiji.

The islands are also known as the Friendly Islands, the name given by Captain Cook because of the friendly reception he received. He happened to come along just at the inasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tui Tonga. About 30 years later, however, it was told to William Mariner that in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill and Cook, but had not arrived in doing so as they had been unable to agree how to do it. Nowadays it is believed that this was a lie. When Cook came, Tonga was still prospering in peace; when Mariner was there it had plunged into a cruel civil war. It is likely that what was told to Mariner was an excuse, a way to reduce the shame the Tongans felt about their own, current behaviour then.

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Christian Science Monitor | World

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NPR Topics: World

In Georgia, Cheney Blasts Russian Actions
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:44:00 -0400
Vice President Dick Cheney was in Georgia Thursday signaling Washington's support for the former Soviet republic. In a statement, he decried what he called Russia's "illegitimate" attempt to redraw Georgia's borders by force.
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Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:10:00 -0400
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Libya comes after years of gradually easing sanctions on the country. She will be the first secretary of state to visit Libya since 1953, and experts tout the country's transformation as a foreign policy success story.

NYT > World

Cheney Backs NATO Membership for Georgia
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:54:55 -0000
Vice President Dick Cheney was in Georgia, where his words of support placed him on a direct collision course with Russia’s leaders.
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China Concedes Building Flaws in Quake
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:48:38 -0000
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World business news - CNNMoney.com

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FRONTLINE/World - Reports | PBS

China: Kung Fu English
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0500
Xinjiang province in remote western China is best known for the Taklamakan desert and the struggle for autonomy among the region's Muslim Uighur people. It's also considered a provincial backwater looked down upon by the Western influenced provinces in the east. Xinjiang native Jake Yong set out to change that perception by teaching himself -- and others -- to speak English.
The Arrest of Radovan Karadzic
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0500
Hasan Nuhanovic lost his father and brother at Srebrenica. FRONTLINE/World spoke to him from Sarajevo about the capture this week of the man who ordered the massacre.
Burma: After the Storm
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0500
Capturing recent, dramatic footage inside Burma, our correspondent shares his video diary and talks about the mood among dissidents there.

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