Results for Tongans Overseas

A successful Tongan Language Week concluded in New Zealand on 10 September with many events held throughout the country. The opening in Wellington on 4 September was a Po Lotu involving 15 churches singing Tongan songs of praise.

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”.

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.

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 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.

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.

An Auckland barrister, Mina Wharepouri, of Tongan descent, will be sworn in tomorrow as Acting District Court Judge, and will be based in Manukau, New Zealand.

A Tongan citizen living in New Zealand, Tavake Mokofisi (33) has been fined $350 and sentenced to 150 hours community work by a New Zealand court for performing a home surgery on his pet dog in an attempt to neuter it without anaesthetic. The dog is reportedly in good condition and is under the care of an animal protection agency.

Acclaimed opera singer and former NFL player Ta’u Pupu’a performed a benefit concert for the Kilohana United Methodist Church in Honolulu on Saturday May 21. The Kiliohana United Methodist Church is known for its humanitarian work in Hawaii and has a strong Tongan following among its congregation.