The stoppage of Tongan watermelon exports to New Zealand and kava exports to Australia is having a drastic impact on the Tongan economy, Lord Tu'i'afitu told the Tongan Parliament this week. Desperate growers are now trying to sell thousands of export quality watermelons along Tonga roadsides for only a few pa'anga each. Quality control was lost when Tonga's expert agricultural advisers left the country, and with a continuing border closure it will take a long time to replace them. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Results for New Zealand
Thursday 22 October 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Monday 19 October 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Agreement will come into force on 13 December after the Cook Islands became the eighth signatory state to ratify it to be able to come into effect.
Friday 16 October 2020
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New York Times: New Zealand’s popular prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is expected to return to power in this week’s general election, with polls giving her Labour Party a comfortable double-digit lead over the more conservative National Party. Here’s how the campaign has played out, and what to watch for as the results come in Saturday. By Damien Cave.
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Wednesday 14 October 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
To date, all Pacific nations have abolished the death penalty entirely except for two, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. The World Day against the Death Penalty was jointly marked by the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions on October 9 in Nuku'alofa.
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Tuesday 6 October 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A total of 141 seasonal workers will be repatriated to Tonga from Christchurch, New Zealand, on a chartered flight on Friday, 9 October, confirmed MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma'u last night.
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Monday 31 August 2020
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Bay of Islands, New Zealand
A fleet of boats have been gifted to the Vava’u Blue Water School in Neiafu, for Tongan youth to learn how to sail. The Vava'u community is fundraising to ship the boats from New Zealand to Vava'u.
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Monday 31 August 2020
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Wellington, New Zealand
Five more Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoys have been deployed to provide ongoing tsunami monitoring and detection information for New Zealand and Pacific countries, including Tonga.
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Thursday 27 August 2020
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Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand is increasing its chances of securing access to a CoViD-19 vaccine when it becomes available, after announcing millions of dollars to support domestic and international vaccine efforts. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also ensuring Pacific Island countries are supported.
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Monday 10 August 2020
Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand and the Cook Islands are moving closer to the establishment of a travel bubble, to recommence quarantine-free travel between the two countries before the end of the year, and as soon as it can be safely achieved.
Tuesday 4 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s second repatriation flight arrived this afternoon with 150 passengers coming from New Zealand. One very happy family was waiting beside the road at Fua'amotu village near the airport, to welcome home one of the passengers, a 70-year-old father and grandfather, whom they hoped could see them as the quarantine buses left the airport.
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Tuesday 4 August 2020
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Auckland, New Zealand
The New Zealand Pacific Business Council will hold a free webinar tomorrow, Wednesday 5 August, to hear from a diverse range of speakers who will provide their views on the prioritisation of a Pacific Bubble.
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Friday 31 July 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A second repatriation flight from New Zealand will bring 150 passengers from New Zealand on Tuesday, August 4. Half of the passengers are expected to be seasonal workers.
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Friday 10 July 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A new Tongan bilingual drama web series, 'Brutal Lives' will be released online on The Coconet TV on August 5.
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Tuesday 7 July 2020
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Auckland, New Zealand
Air New Zealand has put a hold on new bookings on international services into New Zealand following a request from the New Zealand Government.
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Thursday 18 June 2020
Wellington, New Zealand
A massive joint effort between New Zealand Government agencies, employers, and the Vanuatu Government is underway to repatriate over 1000 Vanuatu nationals stranded in New Zealand, NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark said today.
Thursday 18 June 2020
Auckland, New Zealand
A plan to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s growing Pacific population was launched by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa on 13 June.
Wednesday 17 June 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The 50 passengers to board the first repatriation flight from Auckland to Tonga will probably be selected next week, confirmed MEIDECC CEO, Paula Ma’u today, 17 June. “If that goes well, it depends on health and their analysis on whether we will increase the number and even the flights.” Otherwise at that rate, with about 7,000 Tongans overseas who want to return to Tonga, it might take years to repatriate everyone and quarantine will be costly. By Eleanor Gee.
Friday 8 May 2020
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Suva, Fiji
A Pacific tourism report on the CoViD-19 impact and recovery in the region projected NZD$3.1 billion losses if there were no tourists visiting seven Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, over a 12-month period.
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Friday 17 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Additional solar generation and battery storage systems are to be designed and delivered to Vava’u and ‘Eua by mid 2021, assuming there are no long term restrictions due to the CoViD-19 pandemic.
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Tuesday 14 April 2020
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Auckland, New Zealand
Samoa, Tonga and Fiji are currently not permitting international flights, but if these restrictions end, Air New Zealand is likely to operate one return service per week from Auckland, the airline stated today.
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