Tonga’s Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku (Siaosi Sovaleni) has resigned this morning, at the end of an emotional speech to parliament, ahead of a Motion for a vote of no Confidence that was expected to be tabled in parliament today. “I think Tonga has been through a lot, don’t need to put them through another vote and all that, so I might as well just resign and provide some kind of support moving forward,” he told Matangi Tonga.
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Monday 9 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Sunday 8 December 2024
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Honiara. Solomon Islands
The Tonga Men’s and Women’s teams are both through to the Quarter Finals of the 2024 Oceania Rugby Sevens, after the first day of exciting competition at the at the National Stadium in Honiara, Solomon Islands, yesterday, Saturday 7 December.

Sunday 8 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga Police have launched a homicide investigation after a young man was found dead on the road in Hahake last week. The victim was confirmed to be a 21-year-old male from Nakolo, who police said was run over by a vehicle, and had major injuries suspected to have happened prior to the road incident.

Friday 6 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The prices for petrol, kerosene, and diesel increased on Tuesday, 3 December, and will remain until the next price adjustment in the new year. The retail price of petrol for Tongatapu will increase by 10 seniti/litre ($3.15 to $3.25), kerosene by 5 seniti/litre ($2.35 to $2.40), while diesel remains unchanged ($3.15).

Friday 6 December 2024
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Suva, Fiji
The University of the South Pacific has named a Tongan, Mr Siosiua Tuitalukua Tupou Utoikamanu, as the new Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council for a three-year term, starting from 27 November 2024.

Friday 6 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When Tupouto’a College on Nomuka Island, Ha’apai, named their 2024 Dux, Kuinita Halafatai Faitangane (17), she graduated in the local church with an armful of trophies - after topping her seven subjects. Academic studies are a challenge at her college, which was devastated by the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai tsunamis in January 2022 and has yet to be rebuilt. Classes for the last three years have been held in fraying tents - when the weather permits.

Thursday 5 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Chief of the Defence Staff, Brigadier Lord Fielakepa was rewarded as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, Military Division, Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms. Sam Mostyn AC, on 20 November, at the Government House in Canberra, Australia.

Thursday 5 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Over 200 people in Tonga received essential eye care services from a team professional volunteers from New Zealand who worked in Nuku'alofa from 30 September to 4 October. The 'EyesForGood' team was made up of optometry and vision science teaching fellows and a researcher from the University of Auckland, with a clinician at the New Zealand Prosthetic Eye Service.

Thursday 5 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Imports of raw poultry meat have been restricted by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) to prevent the bird flu, a type of avian influenza that has spread across areas in three countries, the US, Australia, and New Zealand, that are Tonga's main source of chicken, turkey, and duck meat imports. Individual passengers from USA, Australia and New Zealand may not bring in raw poultry meat, although cooked poultry is allowed.

Wednesday 4 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Over 200 students graduated, in the presence of King Tupou VI, at the first graduation ceremony to be held by the Tonga National University (TNU) today, 4 December 2024. More students will graduate on Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday 4 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 5G network service to improve the services of the Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) was launched today by the Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku at the TCC head office, in Fasi-moe-afi, Nuku'alofa, .

Wednesday 4 December 2024
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Suva, Fiji
Tonga and other Pacific states have signed an MOU to apply amendments to the Treaty on Fisheries between Pacific Island States and the United States. This 2024 amendments to the US Tuna Treaty provides for access arrangements to the fisheries zones of the Pacific Islands Parties over a period of five years.

Wednesday 4 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Fire destroyed a home at Ma’ufanga on Salote Rd, at lunchtime today, Wednesday, 4 December. The blaze was reported to the Tonga Fire and Emergency Services at 12:35 PM and firefighters with three fire trucks responded to the report at 12:38 pm.

Tuesday 3 December 2024
Auckland, New Zealand
Tongan bowler, Milika Nathan was named the Women’s Singles World Champion at the World Bowls Champion of Champions held in New Zealand on Saturday, 30 November 2024. Representing Tonga, she defeated the defending World Champion, Anne Nunes of the USA.
Tuesday 3 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Luseane Fatafehi (33) is serving one year imprisonment for false accounting and theft of $56,779 from her employer, the Heilala Vanilla Company. The judge said the theft had led to a number of financial hardships and had seen local vanilla farmers out of pocket, the Heilala Vanilla business suffering economic woes and had caused damage within the community at large.

Tuesday 3 December 2024
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Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Joe Mataele, a Leading Marine Technician (LMT) who grew up in Kolomotu'a Tongatapu, was named the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) 2024 Sailor of the Year. He is a son of the late Joe Tu'ilatai Mataele and Aiona Saluni Mataele, and has family ties to Fo'ui and Kolomotu'a, Tongatapu; Leimatu'a, Vava'u; and Koulo, Ha'apai.

Monday 2 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Harris Satini (49) was found guilty on three counts including possession of 0.55 grams of methamphetamine and 2.85 grams of cannabis seized at his residence in Vaini. He was arrested after he breached his curfew.

Monday 2 December 2024
Brisbane, Australia
'Unaloto Va'inga from Navutoka was one of the first Tongan women to work in meat processing through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme – now she’s paving the way for more women to sign up and succeed.
Monday 2 December 2024
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Port Vila, Vanuatu
Today, December 2, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin hearings from an unprecedented 110 nations and international nongovernmental organizations. The ICJ case will consider international legal consequences faced by States for climate change harms. The first State to present will be Vanuatu, the Pacific Island nation that initiated the request for the advisory opinion from the ICJ, along with the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Monday 2 December 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Manly Palu (25), a drunk driver who injured a family in a collision, had his three years prison sentence reduced by one year, in a successful appeal against the sentence recently. The Court of Appeal in Nuku'alofa reduced his sentence to two years imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended on conditions.
