World Tour - Volcano blankets Tonga with ash

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour, with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Tonga volcano rattles island nation—We start today in the South Pacific.

AUDIO: [Sound of plane preparing to take off]

Military surveillance planes from Australia and New Zealand flew over the island nation of Tonga on Tuesday. An underwater volcano erupted just off its coast over the weekend, showering the area with rocks and ash.

The surveillance flights found significant infrastructure damage on the archipelago’s main island, Tongatapu. Smaller, outlying islands also suffered widespread property damage.

The Speaker of the Tongan legislative assembly said thick ash now covers much of the islands.

FAKAFANUA: The ash is proving quite problematic, not just for water and sanitation because Tongans collect water from the roofs of the households, but in terms of access for aid from Australia and New Zealand and other flights. They need to clear the runway.

The eruption also severed the one underwater fiber-optic cable that connects the island nation to the rest of the world, further delaying damage reports. Ships carrying aid from Australia and New Zealand will take three to five days to arrive.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the eruption caused the equivalent of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake. Waves traveled as far as California and Peru, where they are blamed for causing an oil spill. A sonic boom caused by the eruption could be heard as far away as Alaska.

Indonesia approves new capital—Next to Southeast Asia.

AUDIO: [Man speaking Indonesian]

Indonesia’s parliament has approved a plan to move the country’s capital from Jakarta to the jungle-covered island of Borneo.

President Joko Widodo said the new capital would be a “smart metropolis” and a center for innovation. Conceptual drawings show futuristic-looking buildings flanked by plenty of green space. Widodo said the goal was for workers and residents to be able to bike and walk everywhere.

The new capital will cover more than 200 square miles. The city will be called Nusantara, which means archipelago. Construction was supposed to begin in 2020 but the pandemic delayed those plans.

France adopts vaccine passport—Next to Europe.

AUDIO: [Sound of man speaking French, clapping]

France’s national assembly approved a controversial vaccine passport on Sunday. Under the new law, vaccines will be required to enter all restaurants, sports arenas, and other venues.

AUDIO: [Man speaking French]

More than 91 percent of people in France are vaccinated, but hundreds still rallied near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday to protest the new restrictions.

The country already had a health pass system, but before Sunday’s vote, a negative COVID test or proof of recovery met the requirement.

French President Emmanuel Macron hopes the new restrictions will limit the spread of the omicron variant and prevent the need for a nationwide lockdown. That could further cripple the country’s economy and hinder his chances of reelection in April.

Djokovic deported from Australia—And finally, we end today in Serbia.

AUDIO: [People cheering, chanting]

Supporters of tennis star Novak Djokovic welcomed him home Monday after his deportation from Australia.

The No. 1 men's tennis player left the country just hours before the Australian Open began after the immigration minister revoked his visa. Djokovic is not vaccinated against COVID-19, a requirement for entering Australia. He initially got an exemption because he tested positive for the virus in December.

But Australian border officials detained him when he arrived earlier this month. They said recovering from the virus did not qualify him for an exemption.

The 10-day legal battle over his visa finally ended Sunday when the government ordered him to leave on public interest grounds.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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