Results for Pacific Islands

The MS Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, docked at Vuna Wharf in Nuku'alofa today, bringing over 2900 passengers and crew, the biggest cruise liner to have visited Tonga this year.

Stuart Perry from New Zealand is the first General Manager of the newly established Tonga Tourism Authority.

Tonga’s third solar farm is being constructed at Vaini on Tongatapu, at a cost of $14 million (USD) under Japanese aid funding. The project will introduce a special micro-grid system to coordinate electricity generated from a variety of renewable sources in the future.

Tonga is China’s close friend and trustworthy partner in the Pacific islands region, the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr Huang Huaguang said on January 28, and announced the Chinese government's cash offer of $600,000 (USD) to assist relief efforts in Ha’apai.

Now upgraded to Category 2 storm in Tonga, Tropical Cyclone Ian is moving towards Tonga’s northernmost island, Niuafo‘ou. On its current track, TC Ian may bring damaging gale force winds to Niuafo‘ou in the next 12 to 24 hours, and is expected to turn and move to the southeast over Tonga during the next three days.

The Tonga team has won nine medals at the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games that ended last week in Newcastle, Australia. The eight athletes are expected tp return to Tonga early Tuesday morning, Dcember 10. A celebratory march will be held in Nuku'alofa, organised by a Special Olympics Committee leaving from the Tonga Red Cross Offices on Hala Taufa'ahau at 9:00am. A program will be held at the Digicel Christmas Tree Square at 10:00am.

A new report states that Tonga is the fourth most over-weight country in the world, and that Non-Communicable Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and diabetes are a leading cause of adult death, while data showed that 36 percent of Tongan boys and 54 percent of Tongan girls were over-weight or obese. Death rates in the most productive age groups are three times higher than in Australia and New Zealand

The Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA has become a new partner to the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility PRIF, the Asian Development Bank ADB announced today, 26 November.

Tatafu Moeaki the CEO of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning completed a one-week program as the fourth New Zealand Prime Minister’s Fellow.