Results for Tonga

Twenty-five chaplains from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea attended a week-long forum, at the Devonport Naval Base and RNZAF Base Auckland, Whenuapai, from 10-14 June.

A draft budget of $899.2 million for the year 2024/25 was announced by the Government of Tonga, stating that it is the first balanced budget proposed by government to parliament since 2019/20. There will be no new domestic tax proposed for FY 2024/25. Civil Servants will receive a 5% Cost of Living allowance in July, in addition to the 5% COLA effective in January this year.

Two road deaths in two car accidents on Tongatapu last week, are the first road deaths reported in Tonga for 2024. A passenger died when a car crashed at Malapo, and a driver died when his van crashed into a pole at Tatakamotonga.

A five-day workshop for Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) members, was held last week 3-7 June, aimed to boost fisheries officials negotiations skills. Key guest speakers included Professor David Freestone, Professor Martin Tsamenyi and the Director and Professor of Law at ANCORS, Professor Stuart Kaye, and others.

University of Canterbury master’s student Tamara Stratton is transforming her academic research into practical solutions to enhance drinking water quality in Tonga. Stratton's project involves developing and testing bio-sand filters with coral sand from Tonga to determine their effectiveness and practicality.

Fredrick Palefau was jailed for five years for armed robbery using a small axe and serious assault, with the intent to rob a 36-year-old female manager at a Fast Food restaurant at Fasi, in August last year.

A travelling exhibition of the prints of Japanese contemporary painters opened at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nuku’alofa today and will be free for the public to view until 25 June.

Ma’ake Kali will be re-tried at the Magistrates Court for the theft of an engine valued at $7,000, from a boat anchored on the shore of Tatakamotonga, in a successful appeal by the Crown to the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa, after the accused had been earlier acquitted by a magistrate.

Ko e fakakoloa kiate au 'eku hoko mai ko e Talafekau Lahi hono 19 'a 'Aositelelia ki he Pule'anga Faka-Tu'i 'o Tonga. Ko e monu’ia lahi ‘eku ‘i heni, pea ‘oku ou ‘amanaki pe ‘e toe malohi ange hotau va fakakaungame’a ke tau tu’u fakataha ‘o ngaue’i ha lelei ma’a Tonga fakalukufua. 'Oku matu'aki mahu'inga 'aupito 'a e fakaakeake faka'ekonomiká ki hotau ongo fonuá, 'oku ou 'ilo 'oku kei tofanga pe tokolahi 'i he feinga fakaakeake meí he ngaahi fakatamaki fakaenatula ne toki 'osí. Ko e makatu'unga 'o e poupou 'a 'Aositelelia ki Tongá ko e langa e tupulaki faka'ekonomiká mo fakalelei'i e ngaahi faingamālié ngaue. - Brek Batley.