Results for Pacific Islands

A 22 year-old Tongan USP student, Sione Tufui, was killed in an alleged brawl outside a Suva nightclub last Friday night.

Visiting Tonga, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key this morning pledged around $2 million assistance to upgrade Tonga’s Teufaiva Stadium for the 2019 Pacific Games. New Zealand has also committed another $5 million towards the reconstruction of schools in Ha’apai that were destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Ian.

Putting fresh products onto supermarket shelves in other countries is a major challenge and a lot of things have to come together before Pacific Islands growers can successfully get a particular product over the market access line, said Annalize Struwig, visiting the PHAMA program in Tonga.

The price of petroleum for Tonga for April-May has dropped by a few seniti, effective from 16 April 2014, according to the Tonga Competent Authority.

A major earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Chile this afternoon has generated a significant tsunami for Chile, with tsunami warnings issued for the Pacific coasts of South America, including Easter Island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii has now determined that no tsunami threat exists for other coastal areas although some may experience small sea level changes. For all areas covered by this center the tsunami warning and watch are now cancelled (6:00pm Tonga time).

New Zealand immigration is encouraging Tongan citizens who wish to immigrate to New Zealand, to register in a ballot next month so that they will be considered for a grant of residence.

A Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Finland was opened by Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala at the Loumaile Building, Nuku'alofa this morning, 5 March.

An important review of Tonga's trade policy by the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 11-13, found that the Pacific island nation faces a backlog of reforms that are required to modernize and streamline its legal and regulatory frameworks for economic development. Tonga's imports continue to outstrip its exports by a factor of at least 10:1 annually and over 50% of its imports are for fuel and food.

The Sea Mercy charity – a floating health care service that routinely visits remote islands throughout the Pacific will visit Tonga’s Ha’apai Group to offer medical support earlier than usual this year.