Surprise! Pita Taufatofua was not carrying Tonga’s flag at the Closing Ceremony of Rio 2016 this afternoon, instead he made a brief appearance on stage, oiled up and ready to party, much to the delight of his fans. The media were looking out for him. Here’s what some had to say:
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Monday 22 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Friday 19 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
HM King Tupou VI in Privy Council has upheld a Land Court’s judgment made last year declaring Tupou Tongaliuaki Filo’aulo Aleamotu’a (25) as the lawful successor of the hereditary title Fielakepa, after dismissing an appeal made by his uncle Rt Hon Lord Fielakepa to the Privy Council of Tonga on January 15 this year.
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Thursday 18 August 2016
Sydney, Australia
Tongan-Australian teenager and Muslim convert Alo-Bridget Namoa (19) was denied bail by a Sydney court over terrorism charges on Monday August 5. Australian news media reported bizarre behaviour exhibited by Alo-Bridget in court, reporting that she was laughing and pulling faces during proceedings. She is formally charged with possessing an item connected to a terrorist act and recklessly collecting documents connected to a terrorist act.
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Wednesday 17 August 2016
1 comment
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A foul-mouthed rant on social media by Tongan Olympic Team member Amini Fonua over the last week has spun out of control with the athlete at Rio baring his buttocks for a shared photograph.
Tuesday 16 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Waving national flags in support of Tonga's Team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Tongan supporters and sponsors organised a colourful float parade through central Nuku’alofa today, Tuesday 16 August - complete with dark, muscular men with oiled bodies. Photos by Linny Folau and Peter Poulsen.
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Sunday 14 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A popular New York based news media company 'The Daily Beast' has apologized for publishing an article accused of promoting an anti-gay sentiment. The article which was published on The Daily Beast website last week has been removed after receiving a public backlash. In the article, the straight writer Nico Hines used a gay dating site (Grindr) to hook up with three men staying in the Olympic village. The men were not named but according to Hines one of the men came from a “notoriously homophobic country”.
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Friday 12 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
“Good on Fiji! It’s something they’ve worked on - they have planned for and deliberately and methodically worked their way up to being our Olympic Gold medalists, so it’s not totally surprising to me,” said the Pacific Islands first Olympic medalist, Paea Wolfgramm today. "Fiji have done it the right way they’ve concentrated on building the sport up in their country," he told Matangi Tonga.
Friday 12 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The bodies of four Tongan seasonal workers who were killed in a horrific car crash near Tauranga in New Zealand earlier this month arrived at Fua'amotu International Airport this morning, Friday August 12.
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Wednesday 10 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Rain has not dampened celebrations in Nuku'alofa from August 8-14 to commemorate the Centennial of the establishment of the Tonga Nuku’alofa Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attended by thousands of visiting church members from abroad and locally from Tonga - the world's "most-Mormon country". Photos by Linny Folau.
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Wednesday 10 August 2016
1 comment
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazilians have fallen in love with Pita Taufatofua ever since he made his entrance bare chested and glistening with oil at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony as Tonga’s flag bearer last Friday night (Brazilian time). His fans are so smitten with the good looking 32 year old that a facebook page set up in Rio inviting Brazilians to travel to Tonga after the Olympics in support of Pita has gained over 22k followers, the majority women.
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Saturday 6 August 2016
1 comment
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Olympic flag bearer Pita Taufatofua became an instant internet sensation when he walked into the Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics today [noon-4:00pm Tonga time] dressed like a Tongan dancer glistening with oil. Pita's attracted a lot of attention for Tonga and also for his sport Taekwondo. After this he's sure to win some modelling contracts as the hottest man today in a town that's known for its appreciation of the body beautiful. Here's what Twitter and the news media are talking about:
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Tuesday 2 August 2016
Christchurch, New Zealand
A 46-year-old Tongan pastor in New Zealand was ordered by a Christchurch court to pay a total of $1018 in reparations to a Christchurch man for a road rage incident that occurred in January this year.
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Tuesday 2 August 2016
Kumamoto, Japan
A special event held in Japan on July 13 was co-hosted by the Tongan community of Kyushu and Tonga’s Ambassador to Japan HE Tania Tupou along with a Japanese women's group, helping around 200 people whose homes were damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.
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Friday 29 July 2016
Salt Lake City-Utah, USA
A pregnant 30 year-old US-Tongan woman and mother of six, ‘Ofa Kinikini, died after the vehicle she was traveling in was hit by a train in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday July 25. ‘Ofa's baby was saved in an emergency C-section, a daughter who is now in critical condition, according to local reports.
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Thursday 28 July 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A Tonga Secondary Schools Brass Band Music Festival held in Tongatapu and Vava'u last week, is a joint initiative by Tonga Police and secondary school principals that brings youth together in a strategy to prevent and reduce crimes like school fights.
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Wednesday 27 July 2016
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland raised tenor Filipe Manu won second place at New Zealand’s prestigious opera singing competition, the 2016 Lexus Song Quest, last Saturday July 23. The 25 year-old came second to a fellow Aucklander, baritone Benson Wilson who won the competition and the $20,000 prize.
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Monday 25 July 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The King’s Matapule Motu'apuaka was laid to rest at Fakaulunafa Cemetery on Saturday, 23 July attended by King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u. Photos by Caroline Manu Moli.
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Friday 22 July 2016
California, USA
A 46-year-old Tongan man living in California was among 112 people (100 men, 12 women) arrested in an operation by United States law enforcement last week. According to the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E), the four-day operation was targeting “convicted criminal aliens” and that “the arrested were immigrants who were involved in gang activity or had three or more misdemeanor convictions or a conviction for a ‘significant’ misdemeanor'.”
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Wednesday 20 July 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Coming home to her roots, American-Tongan singing star Dinah Jane Hansen (19) took up paddling an outrigger canoe today, July 20, with the Tu’i Tonga Mafua and Tu’avivi Teams of the Nuku’alofa Outrigger Canoe Club at Faua Wharf in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa. Dinah is visiting Tonga for the first time with her mother Milika.
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Wednesday 20 July 2016
Auckland, New Zealand
A Tongan dance artist, Tuiahai Tu'i'afitu, is the first international recipient of the Pacific Dance Artist in Residence 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, who will get the chance to work with local schools, teach dance and deliver public workshops over a four week period from mid August to mid September.
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