The Tongatapu Royal Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism and Trade Show (RAFTT) kicked off on Saturday 10 June what is proving to be the greatest exhibition of products and services that are fundamental to the economic and social well-being of the island kingdom. Despite the wet and muddy grounds at the Manamo’ui Showgrounds from wet weather in previous days, beautiful sunny weather was able to help make Saturday’s exhibition a successful one. Because of the restrictions from Covid 19 and natural disasters, this years RAFTT is the first in three years. His Majesty King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were present to…
Author: Newsdesk
Chinese community displays products at the Royal Agricultural Show The Tongatapu Royal Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism & Trade Show 2023 (RAFTT) will be held on Saturday, 10 June. The Chinese agriculture experts team, the Chinese companies in Tonga and some other Chinese businessmen will display their products at the Show. This will be a good opportunity to see some of the outcomes of the fruitful cooperation between China and Tonga in agriculture, fisheries and trade, and to think and plan how we can expand the mutually beneficial cooperation to more fields for common development. Common development is one of the goals…
Ko e ‘Eiki ‘Epikopō ‘o Tonga mo Niueé, Katinali Mafi, ‘oku kei ‘i Loma pē pea na‘e faka‘atā ia ‘e he toketaá mei he Falemahaki Gemelli Specialist Hospital ‘i he Monite kuo hilí, ‘aho 5 ‘o Sune 2023. Ko hono faka‘atā ‘eni ki he ‘api nofo‘anga ‘o e Kautaha Pātele ‘o e Mafutotapu Sēsū mo Malia ‘i Loma pē ó fakakakato kiai e fanga kií ngaue fakafaitoó óku toe, kae toki foki mai ki Tongani. Ko e Kautaha Pātele Mafutotapu Sēsū mo Malia ‘oku ‘i ai pe foki mo honau ‘api faifekau ‘i Tongá ni pea ‘oku tu‘u ia ‘i…
The Ministry of Internal Affairs Youth Development Division in Tonga and the Pacific Community (SPC) launched a three-year pilot project last Friday aimed at providing 40 young people in Tonga with a second chance at education and training. The project, called the Pacific Youth Engagement, Empowerment, and Economic Pathways (PYEEEP), is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Aid Programme (MFAT). It aims to empower young Pacific Islanders who are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET) and improve their social and economic well-being. The pilot project is currently being implemented in Tonga and the…
“I’m turning 40 this year in July and I’ve been a nurse for 21 years. I always loved the Science and Maths subjects back in high school. I didn’t see myself as a nurse or doctor but I did know at the time that I’ll end up somewhere in a hospital. In 2000 when I was in USP, I had a grandparent—my maternal grandmother’s sister—who worked in Niua and she got burned. When she was brought from Niua, there was no one at the time to stay with her at the hospital’s surgical ward. All the families were busy. My…
The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) have inducted three legends of the game into the QRU Hall of Fame. The three includes current Ikale Tahi Head Coach Toutai Kefu. QRU Chair Brett Clark said “Toutai set a new standard for number eights and two decades after his retirement and remains the most capped Wallaby in that position. He is the first Pasifika player inducted into our Hall of Fame, reflecting the contribution of Pacific islanders – a contribution Toutai led then and now.” Toutai Kefu QLD No. 1062. Wallaby no. 741. 103 caps for Queensland. 58 Caps for the Wallabies. 1999…
Scientists are predicting that our warming planet is likely to exceed a crucial temperature threshold for the first time in the coming years. The research indicates a 66% probability of surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming limit between now and 2027. This increase in likelihood is attributed to human-generated emissions and the potential influence of an El Niño weather pattern expected later this year. While breaching the limit would be concerning, experts suggest that it would likely be a temporary occurrence. Nevertheless, surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, even if only for a year, is an alarming indication that…
Cardinal Mafi, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tonga & Niue has been attending the Caritas Internationalis General Assembly from Thursday 11th to Tuesday 16th May, 2023 in Rome. Caritas Internationalis is the arm of the Catholic Church for relief, development and social services working to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed. It operates as a Confederation of 162 Catholic organizations working in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Caritas Tonga of the Diocese of Tonga is one of its 162 member organizations. Cardinal Mafi was about to return home on Friday afternoon 19th May when…
There are concerns among some ministers that the World Health Organization (WHO) could be granted new powers to impose lockdowns on the UK in the event of another pandemic. A draft update to WHO regulations suggests that member states, including the UK, would be required to follow specific instructions for pandemic response, such as implementing vaccine passports, border closures, and quarantine measures. Also, countries would need to allocate five percent of their health budget to pandemic preparedness as part of a proposed “pandemic treaty” that is being discussed following the global spread of COVID-19. However, the potential expansion of WHO…
In Tonga, 1.43% of household expenditure is on Tobacco in 2021. It’s more than 4% in Wallis & Futuna. The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year, including around 1.2 million deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke (WHO). May 31st is World No-Tobacco Day. Explore more data from the Pacific Data Hub (PDH) here. Source: Pacific Community