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Wednesday 15 December 2021 10:11am
Johannesburg, South Africa : New York Times reporting: An early study of coronavirus test results in South Africa suggests that, so far, patients infected with the omicron variant may be hospitalized less often than patients infected with earlier versions of the virus. The study — which was released Tuesday and is based on only three weeks of data — also shows that vaccines are not as effective against the variant, which poses a higher risk of breakthrough infections. Booster shots increased the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy against infection. -
Tuesday 14 December 2021 7:17pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Two People's Representatives have been nominated for Tonga's Prime Minister Designate. Their names will be announced tomorrow during a meeting at 10:00am on Wednesday, December 15, when elected representatives to the Tonga Legislative Assembly will choose one of them as the new leader.1 comment
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Tuesday 14 December 2021 6:49pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Around 7,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, donated by the Japanese Government via COVAX, arrived in Tonga this afternoon, Tuesday. “I hope today’s vaccines could help accelerate the on-going inoculation and that we could make the Kingdom well prepared before it comes,” said HE Mr Kensaku Munenaga. However, we cannot, we should not keep closing our border forever, he said. “Only with a change of the policy, Tongans who have been stuck outside of the Kingdom can meet their families here in Tonga.” -
Tuesday 14 December 2021 6:39pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Sorry folks, in Tonga there will be no extra days off this holiday season to commemorate Christmas Day and New Year's Day because the two public holidays fall on weekends, and must be observed on those days. -
Tuesday 14 December 2021 6:00pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A new investment fund to support COVID-19 recovery in the Pacific was announced by the New Zealand government on December 13. New Zealand is committing $17 million to the fund which is expected to attract an additional $40 million in private investment, and will offer both flexible capital and a technical assistance facility to accelerate investments across the Pacific region. Premium content -
Tuesday 14 December 2021 1:21pm
Wellington, New Zealand : New York Times reporting: New Zealand unveiled a plan Thursday to eventually ban all sales of cigarettes in the country, a decades-long effort unique in the world to prevent young people from taking up smoking. The proposal, expected to become law next year, would raise the smoking age year by year until it covers the entire population -
Monday 13 December 2021 9:25pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's critical shortage of sand for construction purposes has motivated a local man to find an alternative source of fine aggregate. Viliami Lolohea is currently building a small house at Fangaloto, trialling bricks made with imported Ferronickel slag. Last Friday, 10 December, King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u visited the building site to view the foundations of what will be the first house to be constructed locally with cement and slag Premium content -
Monday 13 December 2021 6:55pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Lord Ma’afu (66) passed away early Sunday morning, December 12 at Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand. The Prime Minister’s Office said today that details of the funeral program will be announced in due course. Premium content -
Monday 13 December 2021 12:44pm
Nouméa, New Caledonia : New York Times reporting: New Caledonia will not mark the new year by becoming the world’s newest country. In a referendum held Sunday, voters rejected independence overwhelmingly, with 96% electing to stay part of France, according to provisional results released Sunday by the French High Commission in New Caledonia. The vote on the Pacific island territory comes as France’s president has prioritized shoring up the country’s international profile, seeing its military as a bulwark against China. A large portion of the Kanak pro-independence bloc boycotted Sunday’s vote. -
Friday 10 December 2021 8:18pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Those in Tonga aged 18 and above are urged to get inoculated before the current stock of AstraZeneca vaccines expire on 13 December. Pfizer vaccines for 12-17 year olds currently in the country will expire on December 20. Premium content -
Friday 10 December 2021 8:05pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : COVID-19 is the worst crisis for children worldwide that UNICEF has seen in its 75-year history, according to the agency’s report released on December 9. Premium content -
Friday 10 December 2021 7:37am
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Two men are in police custody after arrests related to breaking into churches and theft of Tongan mats, tapa and decorations. Premium content -
Thursday 9 December 2021 10:10pm
Auckland, New Zealand : A total of 24 people have been charged as a result of a six-month joint investigation by the NZ Police’s National Organised Crime Group and NZ Customs investigating vulnerabilities at the New Zealand border. In August, five people were arrested, after a container sent from Tonga was found to contain 30kgs of methamphetamine at the Auckland Port. Premium content -
Thursday 9 December 2021 5:06pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Repatriation flights to Tonga from Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji (for stranded passengers), and possibly Samoa have been confirmed tentatively for January 18 next year, MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma'u told Matangi Tonga this afternoon. A repatriation flight from New Zealand that was scheduled for January 11 has been delayed and confirmed tentatively for January 20. Premium content -
Wednesday 8 December 2021 10:59pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Before nominations for Tonga's next Prime Minister close on Tuesday next week, the People's Representatives are busy aligning themselves around two members who are competing to form the new government. By Pesi Fonua. Premium content -
Wednesday 8 December 2021 7:00pm
Suva, Fiji : A project which aims to identify and monitor marine invasive species and protect local marine environments in the Pacific Islands, was inaugurated on November 24, in collaboration with the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. -
Wednesday 8 December 2021 6:28pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Ko e hoha’a ‘a e motu’a ni he ko e mui’aki eni ke tau talanoa ki ha Palemia mo ‘e ne fili ha’ane Kapineti. Ko e kaveinga ‘oku totonu ke ‘uluaki mahino ko e kakano ‘o e fatongia ko e Palemia. Pe ko hono fakalea ‘e toe mahino angee, koeha koa ‘a e ngaue ‘a e Palemia. Pea tau toki ‘alu ki hono kumi ‘o e tokotaha ‘oku tau pehee ‘e fe’unga mo e ngaue koia. Ko e nofo ‘a e tokanga ‘i he pehee ko e palemia ko e taki ia ‘o e pule’anga ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha ‘uhinga ia ke fili ‘aki ha taha ki he lakanga koia. - 'Inoke Fotu Hu'akau. -
Wednesday 8 December 2021 6:26pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : ‘Okusitino Penisimani Tatafu (49) is the man who was arrested in Neiafu, when Police seized 254.72 grams of cocaine on November 14. He remains in police custody, until January 2022. Premium content -
Tuesday 7 December 2021 11:12pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Two men were convicted of murder, after repeatedly beating a father and seasonal worker, Fanaafi Misifani, on the head with metal pipes, at Holonga on 5 October 2019. A third man was convicted of manslaughter. The accused all aged in their 20s, will be sentenced on 17 December 2021. Premium content -
Friday 3 December 2021 6:08pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Dux of Tonga College was awarded to 'Eliki Laume (17) at the prize giving ceremony for the boys secondary school today, at Fungamanamo’ui, Ha’ateiho. Premium content
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