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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Results for Tongans Overseas
Sunday 14 August 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Tuesday 2 August 2016
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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
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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
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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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Wednesday 27 July 2016
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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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Friday 22 July 2016
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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
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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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Tuesday 19 July 2016
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Christchurch, New Zealand
Family, friends, fans and teammates of a promising young Tongan rugby player Uto Enosi Tu'ipulotu are in mourning after the 19 year-old passed away from cancer last week July 14 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Uto was selected for the New Zealand Area schools rugby team, and was awarded Under 18 player of the year by his rugby club, Ellesmere.
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Tuesday 5 July 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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.
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Wednesday 8 June 2016
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Perth, Australia
Mixed Martial Arts fighter and actor Soa Palelei (38) has revealed his life long bout with depression ahead of the release of his book 'Face Your Fears'. Known as the “the Hulk” for his imposing 6'4" immaculate frame, Soa is also known for his charity. Last year, he captured news headlines after he raised $120,000 for children at a Western Australian hospital but was barred from meeting the children because of the hospital’s opposition to cage fighting.
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Tuesday 31 May 2016
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Auckland, New Zealand
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.
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Saturday 28 May 2016
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Timaru, New Zealand
The Tongan community in the city of Timaru in New Zealand celebrated the official inauguration of the Tongan Society South Canterbury (TSSC) on May 27. The organisation will offer support to Tongans living in South Canterbury, a rural region home to over 55,000 residents.
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Thursday 26 May 2016
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Hamilton, 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.
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Thursday 26 May 2016
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Tasmania, Australia
A Tongan woman living in Tasmania, Lopa Naufahu, is fundraising to pay $6,865 for her husband’s Australian visa application. Neil Naufahu, who lives and works in Tonga as an electrician, is restricted from entering Australia while Lopa, a permanent resident, lives in Hobart with their Australian-born five year-old son Josiah.
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Wednesday 25 May 2016
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Honolulu, Hawai'i
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.
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Friday 20 May 2016
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Sacramento-California, USA
Sacramento county resident Kali Kanongata’a (36) has captured international media attention after he video-recorded his partner giving birth to their son and live streamed it on Facebook. The video has since gone viral and has attracted over 273,000 views on Facebook. The video is not graphic as Kali films the upper body of his wife throughout the delivery.
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Tuesday 10 May 2016
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Noumea, New Caledonia
Dr ‘Ofa Keitu‘u of Tonga, has been appointed as Director of the Statistics for Development Division at the Pacific Community (SPC) based in Noumea, New Caledonia, taking effect on 1 July 2016.
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Thursday 28 April 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
New Zealand born actor Joe Naufahu made his acting debut for the popular HBO TV series, Game of Thrones. Naufahu featured in the first episode of season 6 of the series which was played last week. He acts as “Khal Moro” a ruthless warlord of a warrior tribe known as the “Dothraki”.
Thursday 21 April 2016
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Wales, UK
Former Mate Ma’a Tonga winger Mateaki Mafi (43) was a prize winner at the 2016 Crufts dog show in Birmingham, England, according to local news media. One of his dogs a Neapolitan Mastiff won the best of breed award in the “working dogs” category. His dog is named “Freddo Dei Mastini Della Rupe”.
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Thursday 21 April 2016
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Dunedin, New Zealand
A combined student body of Tongan Teritiary Students' Associations in New Zealand is holding its first leadership programme this weekend with the sponsorship of the University of Otago, Dunedin. “I think this is a great opportunity to empower the future leaders of our Tongan community,” said student president Mary Jane Kivalu.
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