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.
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Results for Pacific Islands
Wednesday 5 March 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Friday 21 February 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The MS Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, docked at Vuna Wharf in Nuku'alofa today, bringing over 2900 passengers and crew, the biggest cruise liner to have visited Tonga this year.

Sunday 16 February 2014
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Geneva, Switzerland
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.

Thursday 6 February 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Stuart Perry from New Zealand is the first General Manager of the newly established Tonga Tourism Authority.

Tuesday 4 February 2014
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Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
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.

Tuesday 4 February 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s third solar farm is being constructed at Vaini on Tongatapu, at a cost of $14 million (USD) under Japanese aid funding. The project will introduce a special micro-grid system to coordinate electricity generated from a variety of renewable sources in the future.

Friday 31 January 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Vanilla promises to be a major source of revenue for Vava'u growers and their families, who are being encouraged to recover neglected plantations and plant new vines.

Wednesday 29 January 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga is China’s close friend and trustworthy partner in the Pacific islands region, the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr Huang Huaguang said on January 28, and announced the Chinese government's cash offer of $600,000 (USD) to assist relief efforts in Ha’apai.

Friday 17 January 2014
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Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Ha‘apai tourism faciliities suffered an estimated $1.6 million pa‘anga damage in Cyclone Ian but there have been no reports of any injured visitors, Tonga's Ministry of Commerce, Tourism & Labour reported today.

Wednesday 8 January 2014
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Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Now upgraded to Category 2 storm in Tonga, Tropical Cyclone Ian is moving towards Tonga’s northernmost island, Niuafo‘ou. On its current track, TC Ian may bring damaging gale force winds to Niuafo‘ou in the next 12 to 24 hours, and is expected to turn and move to the southeast over Tonga during the next three days.

Monday 6 January 2014
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
UPDATE: A tropical cyclone alert and strong wind warning remains in force for Vava‘u and Ha‘apai as a tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Ian Category 1, located halfway between Vava‘u, Tonga, and Lifuka, Fiji, this morning. Tonga's Fua’amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre issued a third Tropical Cyclone Advisory at 4:30pm today, January 6, 2014 as Cyclone Ian slowly moves closer to Tonga.

Monday 9 December 2013
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Newcastle, Australia
The Tonga team has won nine medals at the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games that ended last week in Newcastle, Australia. The eight athletes are expected tp return to Tonga early Tuesday morning, Dcember 10. A celebratory march will be held in Nuku'alofa, organised by a Special Olympics Committee leaving from the Tonga Red Cross Offices on Hala Taufa'ahau at 9:00am. A program will be held at the Digicel Christmas Tree Square at 10:00am.

Tuesday 3 December 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The rescheduling of Tonga's T$119 million loan from China for the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa has not been decided, according to Xu Zhiguang, the first Secretary of the Chinese Embassy, Nuku'alofa this afternoon, December 3.

Thursday 28 November 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A new report states that Tonga is the fourth most over-weight country in the world, and that Non-Communicable Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and diabetes are a leading cause of adult death, while data showed that 36 percent of Tongan boys and 54 percent of Tongan girls were over-weight or obese. Death rates in the most productive age groups are three times higher than in Australia and New Zealand

Thursday 28 November 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The World Bank has announced that it has setup a US$5 million support operation to aid Tonga’s recovering economy.

Tuesday 26 November 2013
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Sydney, Australia
The Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA has become a new partner to the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility PRIF, the Asian Development Bank ADB announced today, 26 November.

Wednesday 20 November 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s former Attorney General John Cauchi accepted that the Government of Tonga had created circumstances that forced him to resign, which was the basis of his evidence in chief given at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa, on Wednesday November 20.

Friday 25 October 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tatafu Moeaki the CEO of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning completed a one-week program as the fourth New Zealand Prime Minister’s Fellow.

Friday 25 October 2013
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Seoul, South Korea
A more targeted and mutually accountable Regional Partnership that clearly sets out the specific areas of the Republic of Korea's assistance was agreed upon during a 2nd Korea-Pacific Islands Senior Officials Meeting held in Seoul this week.

Tuesday 22 October 2013
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Sky TV will broadcast the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympic Games to 14 Pacific Island countries including New Zealand and Tonga.
