The Talitha Project, in partnership with the Australian Government and Australian organisations, is helping adolescent girls build economic skills to contribute to a stronger economy and society. The Tonga Young Women’s Economic Resilience (TYWER) project is part of this initiative, supported by the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). TYWER is being piloted in three locations: two communities on the main island of Tongatapu and St Joseph’s Community College in Ha’apai. Launched by Bishop Soane Patita Paini Cardinal Mafi, each school will have a Sewing Hub. Fifteen students (13 girls and 2 boys) are learning financial literacy, including how to set…
Author: Newsdesk
With six weeks remaining until the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting, the government is in a hurry to finish preparations for the event, scheduled for 26 – 30 August. Prime Minister Sovaleni told the media last week that the Tonga High School indoor stadium, which is still under construction, will be the centre for the meeting. The government aims to complete both the venue and accommodation for delegates by early August. Prefab houses, made from containers, are being built at multiple locations: 16 on Vaha’akolo Road, 30 on Kausela Road, and over 30 at Sopu, all within the Nuku’alofa…
Arne Falekaono Jensen made history when he became the first and youngest athlete from Tonga to compete in archery at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. His journey was fraught with challenges, including recovering from a severe car accident. “I had three months to shoot the minimum qualifying score and I got my score on the literal last qualifying day,” Jensen recalled. “There was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.” Jensen and his teammate, Lusi Tatafu, became the first Tongan archers to shoot the MQS, making their Olympic debut a memorable milestone. Jensen, who wore a traditional Tongan…
The Primanavia Fiji won a gold medal and also the Folklore and Indigenous Music with Choreography category in at the World Choir Games in New Zealand last night. Primanavia consists of the Pasifika Prima Voce and ManaVia which merged to represent Fiji at the World Choir Games 2024 in Auckland. Their choir was led by Sunia Soko at the 13th World Choir Games. World Choir Games 2024 ends on the 20th of this month. Source: Fiji Village
Former President Donald Trump was injured in what the FBI has classified as an attempted assassination during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening. The incident has intensified concerns about political violence in the deeply polarised U.S. election season. The rally, held just north of Pittsburgh, was abruptly interrupted when Trump reached for his right ear and ducked behind the lectern after the first of several shots rang out, causing chaos among attendees. A voice yelled, “Get down, get down, get down!” as more shots followed, sending the crowd into panic. Trump, bleeding from his ear, was quickly escorted…
X (formerly Twitter) is facing persecution by the European Union because it rejected Brussels’ demand to secretly censor opinions on the platform, its owner Elon Musk has revealed. The EU announced on Friday that it considered X in violation of its Digital Services Act (DSA) and intended to levy massive fines against the company unless it changed its practices. “The European Commission offered X an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us,” Musk wrote in response. “The other platforms accepted that deal. X did not.” “We look forward to a very public…
Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and his delegation have initiated discussions with Governor General Pan Gongsheng of the People’s Bank of China to establish a Port Vila branch as a clearing bank for Chinese currency. This move aims to reduce the high costs of imported goods from China, often priced in U.S. dollars. Hilaire Bule, Government Public Relations Officer, highlighted the challenges posed by the strong and fluctuating U.S. dollar, which inflates prices in Vanuatu. “Trading directly with China using Chinese currency could alleviate these costs,” Bule explained. Governor General Pan expressed interest in the proposal, affirming that officials from the…
Australia’s popular TV shows, from “Lego Masters” to “Home and Away,” will soon be available to Indo-Pacific audiences as part of a federal government initiative to strengthen regional ties. The Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy will fund local media and enhance Australian outlets’ coverage of regional affairs. The government has pledged $40.5 million over five years to the ABC for creating new content and improving digital engagement in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. A further $28.4 million will go to PacificAus TV to support regional media and increase access to Australian TV programs. “Media plays a crucial role in elevating…
Italy recorded an emphatic 36-14 victory over Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday. The win cements Italy in the top ten of the World Rankings following last week’s defeat to the Samoans. Flyhalf Paolo Garbisi added a 14-point haul including one of Italy’s five tries to the two scored by Tonga. The result got Italy, who beat Wales and Scotland in the Six Nations, back to winning ways after crashing to a 25-33 defeat to Samoa the week before. Wing Jacopo Trulla opened Italy’s scoring when he finished off a passing move to grab the first try in the 18th minute.…
During the Regional Workshop on Skills Development held last week in Apia, Samoa, Dr. Opeti Pulotu, CEO of the Tonga National Qualifications Authority Board, stressed the importance of aligning qualifications with both local and global demands. “By harmonising our qualifications frameworks with both national and international skill demands, we can ensure that our workforce is exceptionally equipped for local opportunities while remaining highly competitive on the global stage,” Dr. Pulotu said. The workshop brought together over 40 participants, including officials from qualifications, trade, and labour mobility sectors, and private sector representatives from the 10 PACER Plus countries. The workshop aimed…