Today marks the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and the 39th anniversary of the Treaty of Rarotonga opening for signatures in 1985, as the world and region remember the horrors of nuclear weapons and stand in solidarity, there is still work to be done. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has stated that Japan’s discharge of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean does not breach the Rarotonga Treaty which established a Nuclear-Free Zone in the South Pacific. Civil Society groups who have been calling for Japan to stop the dumping in the Pacific Ocean,…
Author: Newsdesk
The U.S. Embassy in Tonga has announced that the Consul will be in Tongatapu from September 10-13, 2024, to provide consular services for U.S. citizens in Tonga and non-immigrant visa interviews at the U.S. Embassy in Nuku’alofa, located on the 4th floor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Tonga building. This will be the third consular visit to Tonga this year, with another scheduled for November 20-21. During the visit, the Consul will accept applications for American Citizen Services, including reports of birth abroad and U.S. passport applications, as well as provide notary services. Applicants are advised not to make…
Tonga has the backing of Pacific economic ministers to host the regional community resilience financing facility. The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) was endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders to make it easier for Pacific Island nations to access climate financing for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and early disaster response projects. “The Pacific Resilience Facility is our own,” PIF secretary general Baron Waqa told media following the 2024 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting held in Suva. “This PRF will provide funds that we can easily access when I say we, [I mean the] most vulnerable people in in the world,…
Award winning Tongan film director Vea Mafileo is one of five finalists selected for this year’s New Zealand’s Best short film competition. Guest selector Gerard Johnstone made the selection after 95 films were submitted for consideration. The shortlist was cut down to 12 and then to five. Vea who directed her 2019 award winning documentary My Father’s Kingdom is nominated for her short film Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue. The story is about a young speech therapist who lied about her language skills and her ability to speak Tongan. She must find ways to communicate when she is assigned to an elderly…
The mountain of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) is an imposing challenge for the Kingdom of Tonga. Statistics show that the main island of Tongatapu has accumulated more than 30,000 ELVs over the years – and with more cars being imported on an annual basis, this number is quickly multiplying, with consequences on the environment. “If we don’t dispose these vehicles properly, the consequences on our environment and future generations are dire,” lamented Mr Saimone Vuki. “We can’t ignore this.” The good news is that through the work of Mr Vuki, of the Tonga Recyclers Association (TRA) and their partners,…
A new climate change research hub has been launched at the University of the South Pacific (USP). The USP is the region’s premier higher education institution, jointly owned by 12 Pacific islands countries. The university’s vice-chancellor and president, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, said “climate change is more than the greatest challenge of our time” and the new Centre for Sustainable Futures “will strengthen USP’s core role as a traditional university”. The new centre was officially launched on 5 August with initial funding from Aotearoa New Zealand International Climate Finance Strategy. The hub – expected to be operational in the coming months…
As Hurricane Debby struck Florida with heavy rains and flooding, over $1 million worth of cocaine was washed ashore. Samuel Briggs II, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for the U.S. Border Patrol in Miami, announced on social media that 25 packages of cocaine, weighing approximately 70 pounds, were discovered on a beach in the Florida Keys. “A Good Samaritan discovered the drugs and contacted authorities. U.S. Border Patrol seized the drugs, which have a street value of over $1 million dollars,” Briggs shared in his post on X. Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida on Monday, bringing dangerously high winds, torrential…
As sea levels rise, the tiny Pacific nation has tussled between leaving for an undeveloped estate in Fiji or scrapping for climate finance to save its land with coastal defences. CNA explores its struggle in the last of a three-part series on how Pacific island-nations are fighting climate change, and the lessons they offer. There is an old name for the Pacific nation of Kiribati, one that embodies a deep understanding of the world.For generations, the indigenous seafarers across a vast expanse of the ocean knew their homeland as Tungaru.The tunga, explained Ms Pelenise Alofa, a longtime climate activist in…
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced over the weekend that Starlink internet services are now operational in 102 countries, including Tonga. Although the government has not yet released an official statement since it banned Starlink then changed its mind a few weeks back, this is perhaps the best news yet for internet users in Vavaú and Ha’apai who are experiencing limited internet connectivity since the submarine cable cut at the end of June. The CS Lodbrog cable ship is expected to check and fix the broken submarine cable this week but Starlink’s quick move to restore its own service in Tonga…
Vicky Hau has been appointed as the new manager of the Māngere Town Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. The announcement was made via Māngere’s official Facebook page, which expressed excitement over Hau’s appointment. The post highlighted Hau’s pride in her Tongan heritage and her deep roots in New Zealand, where she was born and raised. “Here’s some exciting news: Vicky Hau is now the Māngere Town Centre manager”, the post read. Hau previously served on the Māngere Housing Community Reference Group, advocating for locals with Kāinga Ora. In a Radio New Zealand interview, Hau expressed concern over the impact of…