Author: Newsdesk
REVIEW: By Sri Krishnamurthi From Island girl to an airline pilot seems like the Disney fantasy Moana yet nothing could further from the truth when it comes to Silva McLeod who turned fantasy into reality with heartbreak along the way. Born in the small Tongan village of Vava’u in the days when we watched and marvelled as jets few overhead, Mcleod never dreamed one day that she would be there in the sky flying jet planes to all manner of destinations. In her recently released memoir, Island Girl to Airline Pilot: A Story of Love, Sacrifice and Taking Flight, she tells her story. The book…
After breaking the curse of his ancestors, and saving his daughter Lupe from the clutches of an ancient spirit, Soane now faces another battle. The spirit world has come calling again for revenge on the Valu family for what happened 500 years ago. When an earthquake hits, Soane mysteriously disappears from his home and ends up in the underworld, Pulotu’aka’aka; where restless spirits go. This is the Tokotaha Tala Fekau’s world. But Soane is not alone, his youngest son, Tomasi is also pulled into the dark abyss with him. They become separated and are left helpless and alone. Ben and Lupe have no idea what has taken…
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On May 10, 2023, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Antone Greubel presided over a Ceremonial Flag Raising to open the new United States Embassy to the Kingdom of Tonga. Acting Foreign Minister, Hon. Samu Vaipulu attended and spoke on behalf of the government of Tonga, and Rev. Dr. Taliai Niumeitolu delivered an opening prayer. In his remarks DCM Greubel said, “This event symbolizes the renewal of our relationship and underlines the strength of our commitment to our bilateral relationship and to the people of Tonga. Our partnership is rooted in shared values and close cooperation, ranging from combating the climate…
During its human rights evaluation at the 43rd Session of Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, Tonga received mixed reactions from over 50 UN member states. While all of them praised Tonga’s government for its efforts to ratify international treaties, there were concerns expressed about several human rights issues. New Zealand’s delegate, Anna Louise Duncan, commended Tonga for its advancements in human rights, while Russia’s delegate, Kristina Sukacheva, noted the steps taken by the Kingdom to improve its human rights mechanisms. However, a number of states expressed concerns about the rights of LGBTQ people, the existence of a law on capital…
Police have charged a 44-year-old woman and her 28-year-old male partner from Matahau for importing a little over 1kg of methamphetamine. The illicit drugs, which were concealed in buckets of washing powder inside a shipment from California, USA were intercepted by a Customs Officer with the assistance of the Tonga Police Detector Dogs during routine Customs checks at one of the bonded warehouses on Thursday, 7 April 2023. The accused couple are currently in police remand and to appear in court later yesterday Monday, 8 May 2023. The Tonga Police and the Ministry of Revenue and Customs will continue to…
The Langafonua ‘a Fafine Tonga (The National Council of Women of Tonga) celebrated its 70th Platinum Jubilee today with a special Prayer of Thanksgiving. The guest of honour was HRH Princess Salote Pilolevu Tuku’aho. The New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, H.E. Matthew Howell, attended the commemoration together with other guests. Langafonua ‘A Fafine Tonga was established in 1953 by her Late Majesty Queen Salote Tupou III to empower the women of Tonga. The New Zealand High Commission has been proud to support Langafonua ‘A Fafine Tonga through our High Commission Fund, including most recently to promote diversification of income…