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A new date is to be set for the joint trial of the Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism Hon ‘Akosita Lavulavu and husband ‘Etuate, at the Supreme Court.

Tonga’s Official Foreign Reserve held by the National Reserve Bank was $457.5 million at the end of March, equivalent to 6.8 months of imports.

Humpback Whales have been coming to Tonga since the distant past, they were almost wiped out during the hunting years. Numbers are climbing back. But for how long can we maintain the fragile balance of tourist and whale? Vava’u cannot sustain more boats out on the water. In these times with CoVid-19 and an unsure future for the tourism industry, it is very hard to have any hope or faith in commitment from government for a sustainable industry and conservation of the whales, when they are seen as an avenue for more revenue.- Kirsty Bowe

The Tongan Navy bid farewell to the VOEA Pangai navy patrol boat on 23 April after almost 30 years of service, operating within Tonga and internationally.

The resistance of the late Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva to the ideas of formalizing his party and establishing a succession plan, has led to a falling apart of the Paati Temokalati ‘Otumotu Anga‘ofa (PATOA), and the closing of a chapter in Tonga's Democratic Reform process. By Pesi Fonua.

Most activities have been re-opened so why are bars and kava clubs still restricted? The answer can’t be to ensure that we adhere to social distancing – instead it must be an attempt to regulate the social activities to make sure we stay away from alcohol and kava, an unstated goal of the police and health ministries for years. It might be time to consider the positive side of these businesses as they provide a more healthy outlet for people than drinking in the streets or cars and they pay wages that help keep the economy going. - Dean Bishoprick

A man who boarded an Air New Zealand flight at Fua’amotu International Airport yesterday, 23 April, was removed due to a New Zealand Immigration travel ban “technicality”, and ended up in quarantine at the Fua'amotu Taliai Camp instead, where he will have to stay for 14 days.

Overseas remittances are predicted to fall by 13 percent in the East Asia and Pacific region this year affecting countries such as Tonga, due to the economic crisis caused by CoViD-19, according to the World Bank. Migrant remittances to Tonga in 2019 made up 37.6 percent as a share of GDP.

DeepGreen Metals Inc., a Canadian-based seafloor mining developer, has taken over the Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd, and expanded its footprint of mining for Polymetallic nodules in the central Pacific. They are planning to extract cobalt and other battery metals from the seafloor.