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Tuesday 22 October 2024 12:44pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The master of an inter-island ferry, the MV Ko e Kelesi Pe, Tevita ‘Ilangana, received a suspended sentence for proceeding to sea improperly when he permitted the vessel to sail with 141 passengers (in excess of the permitted 90 passengers) from Ha’apai to Tongatapu in 2023. The judge said that overloading his ship in this way put the passengers at risk and life could have been lost. “This is a serious matter.”
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Tuesday 22 October 2024 10:24am
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A captain of Tonga's inter-island domestic ferry, the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa, was found guilty of proceeding to sea improperly by taking excess passengers on the vessel and serving on the vessel knowing his Certificate of Competency had expired. Premium content -
Monday 21 October 2024 7:15pm
Alofi, Niue : The Government of Niue marked 50 years of self-governance on 19 October 2024, celebrating its sovereignty and achievements, since gaining its independence in 1974. Premium content -
Monday 21 October 2024 7:11pm
London, UK : A new fellowship programme for Small Island Developing States was launched by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) this week in Samoa. The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme is supported by King Charles III. Premium content -
Monday 21 October 2024 1:03pm
Wellington, New Zealand : A research led by the University of Otago, Wellington has found that Tongan-led solutions are needed to overcome barriers to bowel cancer screening, for Tongans living in New Zealand. The bowel screening age was lowered to start at 50 years old for Pacific peoples, which lead researcher Dr. Viliami Puloka, from the University’s Department of Public Health, said is an essential step in increasing the accessibility of the programme. Premium content -
Monday 21 October 2024 11:32am
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku and three Cabinet Ministers will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa this week. Premium content -
Saturday 19 October 2024 10:18pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Severe flooding in Nuku’alofa inundated roads this morning after overnight storms, with gale force winds and exceptional rainfall, toppled trees and brought down power lines on Tongatapu. Forecasters warned that a second line of squally weather would pass over southern Tonga tonight, bringing more rainfall. In less than 24 hours today, Saturday, 'Eua and Fua'amotu recorded more than twice their average monthly rainfall for the whole month of October. -
Friday 18 October 2024 9:28pm
Manila, Philippines : Ahead of the seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala led the launch of a new report tracking progress in the Region on the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. The Regional Director also gave a preview of the expected outcomes of the Regional Committee meeting that will take place in Manila, Philippines, on 21-25 October. Premium content -
Friday 18 October 2024 8:49pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u visited the USA from 27 September to 10 October, the Palace Office in Nuku’alofa reported today. The royal visit was welcomed at the General Conference Seventh-day Adventist Headquarters in Silver Springs, Maryland, the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., and the Loma Linda University Health in the city of Loma Linda in San Bernardino County, California. Premium content -
Thursday 17 October 2024 10:18pm
Auckland, New Zealand : South Auckland actor and musician JP Foliaki, winner of New Zealand's Celebrity Treasure Island television show for 2024, said that he called on his Tongan values to come through 18 days of the tough contest. The 30-year-old competed against 17 other New Zealand celebrities on location in the Coromandel, North Island, to claim the $100,000 prize for his chosen charity, Childfund, in Wednesday’s final. Premium content -
Thursday 17 October 2024 8:02pm
Lautoka, Fiji : The narrative of the Forum at the apex of Pacific regionalism is becoming more commonly used, particularly with increased geopolitical competition and the flurry of partner engagement with Pacific states. While it is important to reinforce the power of the region as one political bloc, it comes off as self-serving. Pacific islanders generally do not think in these terms. Our communal values are much stronger. Rather, it is Pacific people who are at the apex of Pacific regionalism. It is the Pacific people as a collective who remind us why we are pursuing regionalism in the first place. By Sione Tekiteki. -
Thursday 17 October 2024 7:05pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Paula Fifita (20) was sentenced to two years imprisonment fully suspended for two counts of theft that included two motor cars, with the second offence committed while on bail for the first car theft. The judge said that the root cause of the offending was the misuse of alcohol. Premium content -
Wednesday 16 October 2024 11:04pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Christmas and New Year Vacation period for the Public Service for 2024/2025 will be observed from 8:30am Monday 23 December 2024 and end at 4:30pm Friday 3 January 2025, the Prime Minister's Office announced today. Premium content -
Wednesday 16 October 2024 10:47pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A new World Bank report "Tonga Poverty and Equity Assessment" was launched today, in Nuku’alofa. The report found that poverty in Tonga has declined between 2015 and 2021, and people's livelihoods improved. Remittances played a significant role in alleviating and reducing poverty but that "relying on, solely, remittances is a risky approach,". Premium content -
Wednesday 16 October 2024 4:54pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A gale warning for Tongatapu and ‘Eua was issued by Tonga Meteorological Services this afternoon, 16 October 2024, following a heavy rain and flash flood advisory issued earlier today for southern Tonga. -
Tuesday 15 October 2024 9:32pm
Suva, Fiji : Growth across the Pacific has fallen to 3.6 percent in 2024, down from 5.8 percent in 2023 as the post-pandemic rebound fades, the World Bank reported today, at the launch of its latest ‘Pacific Economic Update’, calling for a major boost in investment to address the region's slowing economic growth. Premium content -
Tuesday 15 October 2024 9:20pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A Blue Pacific Youth Initiative Week was launched by the US Peace Corps with a welcome Kava Ceremony for Blue Pacific Youth Champions at Niu Lodge in Popua, today, 15 October 2024. Premium content -
Tuesday 15 October 2024 9:00pm
Niuafo'ou, Tonga : The community living on the remote island of Niuafo'ou, in Tonga's far north, can now access a 24-hour power supply, through a new solar mini-grid that was commissioned by Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala on Friday, 11 October, under the Tonga Renewable Energy Project (TREP).1 comment Premium content -
Tuesday 15 October 2024 1:18pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A reported case of alleged human trafficking was discovered by Tonga's Technical Working Group (TWG) for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) last Monday, 7 October. The suspected trafficker was arrested and held in Police custody. Premium content -
Monday 14 October 2024 7:03pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga is expecting one to two cyclones with a moderate to high chance (>50%) of at least one severe tropical cyclone occurring, reports Tonga Met today, in its updated outlook for the 2024-2025 Tropical Cyclone Season. Based on the current modelling, the occurrence of tropical cyclones in Tonga is more likely to be from January to March with most events occurring in February.
