Results for People

Plus-size model, Veronica Pome’e, of Tongan descent from California, USA, is making her name as the first Polynesian model to appear in the famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, to be published next month.

HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway said Tonga and Norway could tackle common global issues such as climate change through multilateral cooperation. “These are some of the major issues of our time and it's obvious we need to tackle them in a better way than we have,” he told Matangi Tonga. By Linny Folau

King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau‘u were welcomed by New Zealand's Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy at Government House in Wellington yesterday, during a short visit to New Zealand.

King Tupou VI, acting on three public petitions, has opened urgent investigations into alleged mal-administration by government, and called for urgent adequate funding of the Anti Corruption Commission. The King has referred three petitions to the Ombudsman, and one also to the Commissioner of Police for investigation and possible prosecution of any breaches of Criminal law.

In a moving gesture of solidarity, a congregation from the Pulela’a Tongan Methodist church, gathered in prayer outside the Imam Reza Mosque in Auckland on Sunday to offer its condolences to the victims of the Christchurch mosques shootings. The congregation paid tribute with flowers, hymns and tears.

A young Tongan-American actress, dancer, and singer, Visesia Fakatoufifita (11) is reaping the benefits of her hard work having landed her first major role as Annie in ‘Annie’ at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington, at the end of last year, and cast as Cassie in the Village Theatre’s “The Passage” in Issaquah, Washington last month.

Tongan parents, and family members who never though they would be able to understand what goes on in the minds of their autistic loved ones, were given hope after watching a documentary on autism last night, 21 February, organised by the Embassy of Japan and the Autism Foundation of Tonga, at the Tanoa Hotel. By Eleanor Gee.

Tui’one Pulotu, a well-known Hawaii-based Tongan canoe builder and woodcarver and a Living Treasures of Hawaii award recipient, is currently in Tonga to display his work in the Tanoa Hotel’s new art gallery in Nuku'alofa. By Eleanor Gee.

Project Runway NZ fashion designer, Peni Moala, who was born in Tonga and now based in Queenstown, New Zealand, is busy working on his fashion collection with the aim to take his brand BENi, global.