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White Faka-Sepitema this morning saw hundreds of women members of the Church of Tonga and the Free Wesleyan Church gathering in Nuku'alofa for their annual roll call. Photos by Linny Folau.

Twenty four licenses have been issued to whale watching operators for the 2012 season, a growing industry for tourism in Tonga, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Labour.

Tonga'a Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano today in launching the government's new Social Benefits Scheme for the Elderly, handed out the first envelope containing $65 pa'anga to be paid out monthly to each person who is over 75-years old in Tonga. Photos by Linny Folau.

In committing just over TOP$1 million pa'anga from the Government of Japan to fund community projects including the upgrade of water supply systems in four villages in Tongatapu and the construction of new classrooms for Vava'u Side School, the Ambassador of Japan to Tonga urged the recipients "to manage the facilities and equipment properly so they can last as long as our long-standing friendship."

As the harvesting season for sea cucumbers draws to a close on September 30, a total of 10 licenses have been issued to local operators for export.

A week-long celebration of Tongan arts and culture will be launched on Monday 24 September at the Mangere Arts Centre - Nga Tohu o Uenuku, in New Zealand. The Matala festival will feature dance, theatre, poetry, music with traditional and contemporary faikava, and bring together Tongan artists and members of the Tongan community.

Tonga's Attorney General, Neil Adsett, said that a Parliamentary Select Committee that investigated the use of a multi million loan from China for the restructuring of Nuku'alofa had done a good job, but its report had no real finding of any person taking money they should not have had, or using money for themselves or against the interest of Tonga. But the Attorney General's freely expressed opinion has upset the Select Committee's chairman, 'Akilisi Pohiva.

Tongan soldiers serving with security forces at Camp Bastion military compound in Afghanistan are safe today, after there was a complex attack by heavily armed insurgents on an area of the camp on Friday night, in which two U.S. Marines were killed and several more wounded.

Tonga's Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano farewelled Tonga's fifth contingent to Afghanistan at Fua'amotu International Airport this afternoon, September 14.