Thirty talented athletes make the Penina Pasifika squad for the 2025 season, as announced by Oceania Rugby. This year’s squad features strong representation from both Samoa and Tonga, with 17 Samoan and 13 Tongan players selected. The Tongan contingent includes six locally based athletes, four of whom have previously represented the national Lofa women’s team.
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Wednesday 12 February 2025
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Auckland, New Zealand
Treasured bowling balls belonging to the world champion bowler, Milika Nathan, have gone missing and the New Zealand school teacher of Tongan descent, says they are pretty important to her high-level performance.

Wednesday 12 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Legal experts from New Zealand are in Tonga for a two-and-a-half-day workshop, providing local lawyers with skills and tips in the art of cross-examination. The workshop opens today, 12 February, until Friday.

Tuesday 11 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Talifolau Letisi received a suspended sentence for being in charge of motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa.

Tuesday 11 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, the head judge of the 2025 Miss Pacific Islands Pageant was stopped at the Honiara Airport, in the Solomon Islands, amid controversy over the Miss Pacific Islands final result on the crowning night.

Monday 10 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Miss Tonga, Racheal Guttenbeil, placed first runner-up in the Miss Pacific Islands pageant, on Saturday at Friendship Hall, in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Racheal won the “People’s Choice Award”, with over 130K online votes and the "Best Traditional Attire category". This year the new Miss Pacific Islands is Miss Samoa, Litara Ieremia-Allan.

Saturday 8 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's new Cabinet has revoked two previous government decisions: the privatisation of the Lupepau'u Aiport in Vava'u and a decision that allowed board members of public enterprises to automatically extend their terms this year, even after the end date, 15 March 2025.

Friday 7 February 2025
Canberra, Australia
Although the Trump administration is now attempting to walk back some of the most obviously murderous aspects of its aid freeze, its ramifications remain: the damage already done, the effects on work still covered by the freeze, the apparent demise of USAID, the sheer capriciousness of the decision. While impacts on other parts of the world have dominated the headlines, the decision is going to be felt in the Pacific too. The region is the world’s most aid-dependent. - Terence Wood.
Friday 7 February 2025
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Honiara, Solomon Islands
Eight contestants for the Miss Pacific Islands 2025 crown, completed the first judging category, a pre-pageant interview on 6 February, in Solomon Islands. The crowning will be held on Saturday 8 February, in Honiara.

Friday 7 February 2025
Melbourne, Australia
Donald Trump has wasted no time clarifying what “America First” – the dominant idea driving his election campaign – means in practice. So far, it means a 90-day freeze on most foreign aid spending, as well as the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate agreement. Of all the decisions made by Trump thus far, the most catastrophic are likely to be those related to climate change, including pushing for more oil and gas production. None of this will make America great again. On the contrary, Trump’s return to the White House has given a giant boost to China’s claims to world leadership. - Peter Singer
Thursday 6 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
In Tonga, there are at least four cases of stage 3-4 cervical cancer every year. In these stages, patients cannot be treated..."they will die," said Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist, Dr. Ma’ake Tupou. The Ministry of Health is conducting a campaign to protect women from cervical cancer with the HPV vaccine.

Thursday 6 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seven people were found guilty for various charges including possession of 1.62 grams of methamphetamine, 8.27 grams of cannabis as well as arms and ammunition without a license seized during a police operation at a tax allotment in Vaini.

Thursday 6 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Kisina Neiufi (33) is serving four and a half years imprisonment for possession of 3.51 grams of methamphetamine, seized with $2,800 cash in Vaotu’u. This included the activation of a one year suspended sentence for previous drug offending, he breached.

Wednesday 5 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Falakiko Uatahausi (40) was jailed for six months for possession of 1.33 grams of methamphetamine, seized on him at the Tonga Institute of Higher Education in Pahu, where he was working as a security guard.

Wednesday 5 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Salesi Fa’aoa (34) is serving two years in prison for receiving stolen property, valued at around $43,750, from the burglary of a warehouse belonging to a construction and road repair associated business in Tofoa.

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 38-year-old male suspect from Sopu has been arrested and charged with housebreaking and arson of a residence in Longolongo, following an incident on Sunday, 2 February 2025.

Tuesday 4 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The first Vice Chancellor for the Tonga National University (TNU), Dr Giulio Masasso Tu’ikolongahau Pāunga, was appointed by the council in Nuku’alofa, recently.

Tuesday 4 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The retail prices of petrol and kerosene for Tongatapu will remain unchanged, $3.25 per litre for petrol and $2.45 for kerosene, while the retail prices of diesel will increase by 5 seniti per litre, $3.25 per litre, stated the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.

Tuesday 4 February 2025
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A Tropical Disturbance "TD05F" was located about 1700km west of Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu at 7:00am this morning, Tuesday 4 February,
2025. “The system does not pose a threat to Tonga in the next 24 to 48 hours”, reports Tonga Meteorological Services.
Tuesday 4 February 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
An initiative implemented by the previous government was to offer free education for form 3, 4, and 5 students in government secondary schools this year, was cancelled by the new Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. 'Uhilamoelangi Fasi.
