Results for Pacific Islands

The proportion of women in business leadership has mostly remained steady since 2021, in Tonga, where men still hold over four out of every five board director positions, and the number of boards with no women directors at all has increased, from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2024, according to a new report published by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).

Two young Tongan researchers in Auckland have teamed up to take on two major health issues facing Pacific and Māori people - rheumatic fever and gout. Postdoctoral research fellows Dr. Siobhan Tu’akoi and Dr. Samuela 'Ofanoa launched their research projects this year in South Auckland communities, funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Alcatel's cable ship CS Lodbrog is set to arrive in Tonga on Tuesday, 6 August, after a delay in Fiji for over a week, due to an issue with its right hand propeller.

Tonga’s National Football team, the Tu’ulalupe, is set to compete at the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (Oceania), at Western Samoa in September. A squad of 32 players is announced.

New Zealand–born Tongan tenor, Manase Latu was named as one of five top finalists for the 2024 Lexus Song Quest, Aotearoa - New Zealands’s premier opera singing competition. The finalists were announced last night, 28 July, following two semi-final concerts on 27-28 July, at St Andrew’s on The Terrace in Wellington.

Team Tonga joined the grand opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Friday, 26 July, and were onboard one of the 85 boats carrying 6,800 athletes 6km along the River Seine towards the Eiffel Tower. Flagbearers were swimmer, Alan Uhi, and boxer, Fe'ofa'aki 'Epenisa. Alan and Fe'ofa'aki completed their competitions during the weekend, while Noelani Day and Maleselo Fukofuka will have their heats on 3 August.

Tongan swimmer Noelani Day (21), a two-time Olympian, is set to compete in the women’s 50m freestyle heat at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games. “Representing your nation is one of the greatest things that you can do, so for me, it's a really big blessing," said Noelani, who hails from Holonga, Tongatapu, and trains in California.

Nikolai Foliaki will captain the ‘Ikale Tahi in this Friday’s match against the Queensland Reds at Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku’alofa (26 July). Ben Tameifuna, who captained the previous two games, will not be playing. Meanwhile, Manutala’aho Huni-Po’ese will captain the Tonga Women's rugby team.

‘Oku ‘i Tonga ni ai ‘a e ongo timi tangata mo fefine ‘a e Reds ‘a Kuinisilani ke va’inga mo e ‘Ikale Tahi mo e Lofa ‘i he Falaite ko ‘eni. ‘Oku lele uike kakato mo e ngaahi polokalama fakamalohisino mo e fakataha mo e ngaahi komiunitī ‘o kau ai mo e ngaahi ako ke fakataukei e faiako sipoti’, kakai fefine ‘i he sipoti,’ mo e ‘a’ahi ki he ngaahi ako’anga. ‘Oku ngaue fakataha ‘a e ‘Akapulu ‘Iunioni ‘a Tonga, ‘Akapulu ‘a ‘Aositelelia, timi Reds ‘a Kuinisilani mo e Polokalama Sipoti PacificAus – ko e polokalama sipoti ‘a e Pule’anga ‘Aositelelia ki hono fakalakalaka ‘a e sipoti ‘i he Pasifiki – ke ‘omi ‘a e ngaahi tesi ‘akapulu fakahisitolia ni ki Tonga ni. - HE Brek Batley, High Commissioner of Australia to Tonga.