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The SPBD Annual Business Women of the Year Awards, held on June 2, 2023, at the St. Andrew School Hall, celebrated the remarkable achievements of female entrepreneurs in SPBD Tonga. The event recognized four outstanding women as Winners of the Awards from different regions in Tonga: Mrs Pelenaise Folau (Tongatapu), Mrs Siosi Ma’u (Vava’u), Mrs Mina Taufalele (Ha'apai), and Mrs Kilisita Loni ('Eua). Other awards to SPBD women entrepreneurs, acknowledged their accomplishments in various categories.

Educator, Meleane Pau'uvale, was named as an Honorary Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the King Charles III Birthday and Coronation Honours 2023. She is being recognised for providing essential services to the Tongan community and education.

A young kiteboarder, JJ Rice (17), who grew up in Ha'apai, represented Tonga at the Pascucci Formula Kite Gran Prix 2023 in Italy last weekend and achieved a personal best, placing 17th out of 31 racers. JJ is in Europe pursuing a qualification for Tonga in next year's Olympics.

A barrister of Tongan-Irish descent, Tania Margaret Sharkey, has been appointed a District Court Judge in New Zealand.

Following the opening of the 2022-2023 session of the Tonga Legislative Assemby on 1 June 2023, members of parliament are still waiting for the release of the 2021-2022 Annual Reports of seven government Ministries and entities. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The Tongatapu Royal Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism & Trade Show 2023 (RAFTT) will be held tomorrow, Saturday, 10 June. The Chinese agriculture experts team, the Chinese companies in Tonga and some other Chinese businessmen will display their products at the Show. This will be a good opportunity to see some of the outcomes of the fruitful cooperation between China and Tonga in agriculture, fisheries and trade, and to think and plan how we can expand the mutually beneficial cooperation to more fields for common development. - By H.E. Cao Xiaolin, Chinese Ambassador to Tonga

The Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific division at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Reehana Rifat Raza, made an inaugural visit to Tonga this week, after taking up her position on 20 May 2022.  She said that the two-day visit, underscored IFAD's commitment to expanding its engagements with its portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region, with Tonga, Fiji and Kiribati being a focal point of interest.

World Ocean Day 2023 was marked by an exhibition hosted by the Department of Environment in Nuku'alofa, today, 9 June. The Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku said It is a day to recognise that “every individual has the power to make a difference in the protection of our oceans”.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s largest security conference, has wrapped up its 2023 meeting in Singapore. The context for this year’s summit was not propitious: Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine grinds on, while Chinese President Xi Jinping continues his uncompromising approach to global affairs. If one thing was obvious during the two days of defense diplomacy, it is that the Sino-American competition is far from being managed effectively. A robust bilateral dialogue is almost non-existent at the ministerial level, with military-to-military contact even more limited. Concluding the conference, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen once again warned about US-China tensions, a more militarized Indo-Pacific, and the risk of conflict. By Richard Maude