Results for Tonga

The roll out of second doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12 – 17 year olds will start in schools tomorrow, Dr ‘Ofa Tukia from the Ministry of Health confirmed today.

Tonga’s Health State of Emergency has been renewed for another month to prevent the spread of COVID-19, starting from 8:00pm on 22 November until 8:00pm 20 December.

Siu 'i Vahanoa Tu’ipulotu (49) was sentenced to two and a half-years imprisonment for serious housebreaking and robbery at a store in Ma'ufanga, where he punched the complainant several times, before stealing goods. The judge said that the accused's own alcoholic self-destruction was becoming more dangerous not only to himself and his family, but also to the community because he was repeatedly demonstrating dark, violent behaviour.

A soroban team from the Tongatapu eastern district (Vahe Hahake) schools won the Tonga National Soroban competition on November 16, at the 'Atele Indoor Stadium. “With soroban, the power of concentration will be strengthened,” said the Japanese Ambassador.

Tonga elected an all-male parliament today, with nine new faces coming into 17 People's Representative seats. No women were returned or elected. The Prime Minister, Hon. Rev. Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa retained his Tongatapu 10 constituency. Eight Cabinet Ministers, including two Nobles serving as Ministers, were returned. Preliminary results were announced by the Supervisor of Elections Pita Vuki on national radio (TBC) just before 11:00pm Thursday. Tonga has a midnight curfew under its Health Emergency, so after a few minutes of tooting car horns and a handful of fireworks on the Touliki seafront, let off by jubilant supporters of successful candidates, most people went home. UPDATED.

Polling opened at 9:00am this morning, at 200 polling stations throughout Tonga, in the General Election held every four years. It's a fine day for voting and in the capital, traffic is lively. After polls close at 4:00pm the preliminary running results will be announced by the Election Commission and by around 8:00-10:00pm tonight we'll know the leading candidates. Election Supervisor, Pita Vuki, hopes that more voters than ever will turnout today and reverse a trend of growing voter disaffection that saw the last turnout drop to about half of registered electors. By Mary Lyn Fonua.

The prices for petrol, diesel and kerosene will increase starting on November 18. Due to a high price increase this month of between .21 and .25 seniti per litre, the Tonga Competent Authority advised the public to wisely manage its petrol consumption.

Tevita 'Osaiasi Matangi was sentenced to nine-months imprisonment for possession of 1.22 grams of methamphetamine, found with him inside a taxi at Longolongo. This was fully suspended.

$50,000 worth of cash grants are available for community projects around Tonga under Digicel's One Tonga Kiai initiative, and a Christmas grand prize of $30,000 is also up for grabs, announced Digicel Tonga today.