Results for People

A headstone was unveiled on Jonah Lomu’s grave in Auckland today at the Manukau Memorial Gardens. Lomu passed away on 18 November 2015, less than month after he witnessed New Zealand win the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

A new modern domestic wharf and terminal named Taufa’ahau Tupou IV Wharf was commissioned by King Tupou VI this morning, Friday, June 1. Funded with over $60 million pa’anga by the Government of Japan - its biggest grant aid to Tonga to date - the new wharf is expected to significantly boost domestic cargo volumes and passenger traffic.

A container of relief packages and food items for families in Tongatapu and ‘Eua who were affected by Cyclone Gita in February were handed over by Sela Tukia from the Tonga Consul General Office, San Francisco, USA to representatives of the residents of Siesia and Popua in eastern Nuku’alofa yesterday 29 May.

A Tongan chemist and researcher, Taitusi Taufa has been honoured by Victoria University in New Zealand for the exceptional quality of his doctoral research that explored properties of marine life in Tonga. He isolated several new natural products with unique and interesting anti-cancer properties

A Tongan-American scholar Angelina Finau (22) of Los Angeles, has been selected by the United States Government’s prestigious Fulbright Student Program.

A Hawaiian fireknife performer of Tongan descent, Hale Motuapuaka, was declared the winner of the 2018 World Fireknife Championships on 12 May Saturday at the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii. The 18-year-old received a prize of $7,500 (USD).

A former Minister of Health Dr Sione Tapa (94) was laid to rest at Takaunove cemetery today, May 14 after passing away last week.

The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has paved the way for the blessing of same sex relationships - but Anglican churches in Polynesia will all opt out - the Anglican Synod said in a statement today.

There are signs of improvement in the protection of Pacific seasonal workers from exploitation and neglect in Australia, said the President of the Pacific Australia Seasonal Workers Association (PASWA) in Sydney, Falepaini Maile. Six Tongans were among 14 Pacific Islander seasonal workers who have died from ill health since the working programme started in 2012. By Finau Fonua