Results for People

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.

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.

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'.”

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.

Obituary. Elizabeth Bott Spillius, a distinguished psychoanalyst and anthropologist who, through a chance friendship with Queen Sālote, made a valuable contribution to studies of Tongan society, has died in London on July 4 at the age of 92 years, after an illness.

The outgoing Miss Heilala 2015 Brittne Fuimaono, perched on the open roof of a vehicle, led a colourful Miss Heilala Parade on Saturday July 9.The parade ended at Ma'ufanga, where the two Miss Heilala joined each other to ride in a convertible for final waves and photos, bringing the week-long event to its conclusion. Photos by Peter Poulsen.

A show of fantastic creative island fashion wowed a full house at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall last night, during the final judging events of the Miss Heilala 2016 Pageant, before the crowning takes place tonight, Friday 8 July.

The Salvation Army marked 30 years of service in Tonga with celebrations held under a theme ‘Arise, March, Shine!’, from July 1-4 in Nuku’alofa, attended by the Salvation Army's international leader from London, General André Cox and his wife Silvia, the World President for Women’s Ministries.

The sky's the limit for Tongans, especially these three Virgin flight crew who found themselves working together on a Virgin Australia flight bound for Tonga from Auckland recently.