Paris closed out the 2024 Summer Olympics with a spectacular and star-studded closing ceremony at the Stade de France on Sunday, as it handed over the hosting duties to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. The ceremony marked the end of two and a half weeks of extraordinary sports and emotion, showcasing Paris’ unique ability to blend grandiose cityscapes with Olympic glory. The event featured a dramatic entrance by Hollywood star Tom Cruise, who descended from the stadium’s roof to the iconic “Mission: Impossible” theme. After thrilling the crowd, Cruise took the Olympic flag from gymnast Simone Biles and sped…
Author: Newsdesk
In a speech marking International Youth Day 2024, Lord Fakafanua, Speaker of Parliament, celebrated the youth of Tonga while highlighting the significance of digital skills for sustainable development. The commemoration took place during the first Youth ICT Symposium at the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, organised by the Tonga Women in ICT (TWICT). This year’s International Youth Day theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” highlights the transformative power of digital technologies. Lord Fakafanua emphasised the role of these technologies in enhancing various sectors such as education, healthcare, transportation, and communication, asserting that they are essential tools…
Improving Tonga’s capacity for disaster risk reduction, environmental conservation, and sustainable development were key takeaways for Tonga’s Ministry of Lands, Survey, Planning, and Natural Resources (MLSPNR) delegation at the Fourteenth Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) held last week at the UN Headquarters in New York. Tonga’s delegation, led by Taniela Kula, CEO of the MLSPNR engaged in discussions toward increased resilience and sustainability, issues important for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Ministry said in a statement that the key outcomes for Tonga from this Session included improved geospatial capabilities through…
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku and Japan’s Ambassador to Tonga, Mr. Inagaki Hisao, signed an agreement today for Japan’s Non-Project Grant Assistance (NPGA) to provide firefighting trucks and equipment to Tonga. The ceremony took place at the Prime Minister’s Office. The US$1.9 million grant, which will provide two pumper trucks, two water tanker trucks, and three pick up trucks is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Tonga’s disaster response capabilities, particularly following the 2022 Hunga-Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Police, Fire & Emergency Services said that this assistance would improve the Tonga Fire and…
Dr. Viliami Manu, CEO of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, announced that this year’s Royal Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism and Trade Show (RAFTT) will be held exclusively on Tongatapu Island, deviating from previous years when it was also hosted in the outer islands. This year’s event, scheduled for Saturday, August 24, at the Atele grounds, is particularly special as it aims to welcome the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum arriving in Tonga for the 53rd Forum leaders meeting. Dr. Manu outlined three main award categories for the RAFTT Show. The first category will recognise farmers with the largest…
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach defended the organisation’s gender eligibility rules on Friday, stating there is no “scientifically solid” method to definitively distinguish between men and women. His comments come amid ongoing controversy over the inclusion of two boxers, Algerian Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting, in the women’s boxing championship, despite claims that they might be biologically male. Bach responded to questions about whether the IOC would reconsider its guidelines in light of disputes over the boxers’ eligibility. He noted that while the IOC is open to examining new methods as current scientific tools, including chromosome testing,…
A pro-life, pro-family group, Citizen Go, faced controversy in Paris when their bus displaying the message “STOP ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS” led to the arrest of six team members. The arrests occurred amid heightened tensions during the Paris Summer Olympics, where Christian symbols and messages were reportedly mocked. Citizen Go shared on X that their members were detained overnight after their bus, bearing the anti-mockery message, was stopped by authorities. The group criticised the French legal response, stating that spreading their message was within legal bounds and describing the actions of the prosecutor as an overreach. The controversy intensified with the…
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) marked its 45th anniversary last Friday 9th August, celebrating decades of regional cooperation in sustainable tuna fisheries management across the Pacific. The anniversary is celebrated under the theme “Our People, Our Fisheries, Our Future: Celebrating 45 Years of Cooperation.” FFA Director General Dr. Manu Tupou-Roosen highlighted the agency’s achievements, reflecting on the visionary decision of Pacific Forum leaders to establish the FFA. “Today is a special day for the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency,” Dr. Tupou-Roosen said. “On this day, 45 years ago, our founding instrument – the FFA Convention – entered into…
The UK is grappling with a severe housing crisis, as over 150,000 children are currently living in temporary accommodations, according to official statistics released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on Thursday. The figures reveal that 151,630 children were residing in hostels or bed-and-breakfasts as of March, highlighting the acute nature of the crisis. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner described the situation as a “national scandal” and called for urgent action to address the record levels of homelessness. The number of homeless children has increased by 15% since March 2023 and now exceeds the populations of cities…
A major criminal network in China is under investigation for stealing over 4,000 corpses from crematoriums and medical facilities to extract bones for dental grafts. This decade-long conspiracy involved selling bodies intended for cremation to Sichuan Hengpu Technology Co. and Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co., leading to profits estimated at $53 million between 2015 and 2023, according to the South China Morning Post. Prominent criminal attorney Yi Shenghua revealed the case on social media on August 8, igniting widespread public outrage. Authorities in Taiyuan, Shanxi province’s capital, are examining claims that the stolen bones were used for allogeneic bone transplants. Shanxi…