Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 - 245 km NW of Tobelo, Indonesia
US Secretary of State: We don't know if the Russian president made a decision to invade Ukraine
Earthquake of magnitude 5.0 - 27 km E of Wewak, Papua New Guinea
Earthquake of magnitude 5.0 - 54 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands
Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 - Batan Islands region, Philippines
Earthquake of magnitude 4.9 - 109 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Friday to discuss the "increasingly acute threat of possible further Russian aggression," according to a State Department readout
Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 - 73 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan
Earthquake of magnitude 4.9 - 14 km S of Maitum, Philippines
Earthquake of magnitude 4.7 - 203 km ESE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands
Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 - 56 km NNE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea
Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 - 52 km E of Wewak, Papua New Guinea
Earthquake of magnitude 4.9 - 73 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Quad's cooperation on the region's COVID response was "most critical", with cyber and maritime security, infrastructure, climate action and disaster relief - especially after the recent Tonga volcanic eruption - also in focus
Asked by reporters if confrontation with China in the Indo-Pacific was inevitable, Blinken replied "nothing is inevitable". "Having said that, I think we share concerns that in recent years China has been acting more aggressively at home and more aggressively in the region
Foreign ministers of the so-called Quad, the informal grouping of the four countries, vowed to work on humanitarian relief, terrorism, cyber and maritime security and global supply chain challenges
In a meeting among its foreign ministers, US, Australia, Japan and India on Friday pledged to deepen cooperation to ensure the Indo-Pacific region was free from "coercion", a thinly-veiled swipe at China's growing economic and military expansion
2 year agoOn the question to @SecBlinken what changed for the US to issue its new Ukraine security alert & whether they will put @USEmbassyKyiv on ordered departure. He said the US continues "to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation" and "an invasion could begin at any time."
Blinken says Russian invasion of Ukraine could come 'any time', including during Olympics
Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 - 47 km E of Wewak, Papua New Guinea
"Russia's ongoing threat to Ukraine & the support some countries have expressed for Moscow's dangerous actions is just the latest example of how these rules are being challenged and it underscores why we have to stand together to defend them," @SecBlinken says alongside the Quad
.@SecBlinken, speaking alongside Australian PM Morrison & Quad counterparts, says he does not believe confrontation with China in Indo-Pacific is inevitable but notes "China has been acting more repressively at home and more aggressively in the region & indeed potentially beyond"
Earthquake of magnitude 4.9 - 176 km S of Merizo Village, Guam
Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 - 69 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan
2 year agoNew Zealand police clashed with Covid protesters at parliament. 120 demonstrators arrested
Lithuania's top diplomat called on the world to stand up to China and Russia's alleged human rights violations during a visit to Australia, while acknowledging there would be a 'cost' to taking such actions.
2 year agoNew Zealand police clash with anti-vaccine protesters at parliament, over 120 arrested Police say it could take days to break up a Covid-linked protest inspired by 'siege of Ottawa' on parliament grounds in Wellington
Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 - 86 km SW of Pagar Alam, Indonesia
Earthquake of magnitude 5.0 - 40 km E of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea
Secretary Blinken says Russia's ongoing build-up of forces near Ukraine "remains front and center" as he travels for meetings in Australia, Fiji & Hawaii. He tells us ERT Melbourne he'll remain in contact with foreign counterparts & DC throughout his trip
