Results for Pacific Islands

Carmel Jean Sepuloni (46), an MP of Tongan descent, is New Zealand's new deputy prime minister designate. She stands alongside the new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins who will be officially sworn in on Wednesday.

Tonga Police arrested a 33-year-old man from Tatakamotonga on Tuesday, 10 January 2023, for possession and supply of illicit drugs, after intercepting the suspect on a public road between Holonga and Pelehake.

Tonga’s first National University will open on 27 January, the Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni announced yesterday, January 11. Tonga needs to urgently increase its training opportunities to replace many skilled Tongans who have left to work overseas, the first press conference for 2023 at St George Building, was told.

Father of two, Lionati Fotofili (44) went missing while fishing at the Ōpihi River mouth in New Zealand last week. Tongan-born Lionati was the pastor of Timaru’s Church of Tonga.

Twenty four Pasifika in New Zealand have been recognised in the country's New Year's honours, among 183 recipients named yesterday. They are drawn from the arts and media, business, health, education, sport, voluntary work, science and technology. A Tongan, Sefita Hao’uli, was named as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Tongan and Pacific communities.

Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka (74), was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Fiji this afternoon, after narrowly winning a secret ballot in parliament, getting 28 votes to the incumbent Frank Bainimarama's 27.

So far, in December, 126 marriages have been registered by the Registrar General's Office in Nuku'alofa, during the most popular month for couples to tie the knot, before government closes for the Christmas holidays, tomorrow, 22 December.

Aquaculture equipment from Japan, including diving computers, underwater cameras and tally counters, was handed over to the Ministry of Fisheries to assist the fisheries sector in its recovery, after the natural disasters in Tonga on 15 January.

Eight Non-Resident Ambassadors in Tonga presented their credentials to King Tupou VI, at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa, during Diplomatic Week 5-9 December. It was the first in-person diplomatic ceremonies since the border opened after the COVID-19 pandemic.