A tree planting event was held throughout Tongatapu last week to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The British High Commissioner to Tonga, H.E Ms Lucy Joyce was honoured to plant some trees at some Government Primary Schools in Nuku’alofa and Tonga High School, on Saturday 6 May, 2023. The program organised by the Ministry of Education & Training in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests and to commence with Government schools, to help with Government long term aim to plant trees. Source: Government Press
Author: Newsdesk
Semi Radradra and Marika Koroibete, two renowned Fijian rugby players, have been selected to represent the World XV team against the Barbarians in London next month. The World XV side will be led by former All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen, and will also include former Wallabies player Israel Folau and former All Black Charles Piutau. Folau’s selection is notable given his controversial departure from Rugby Australia in 2019, following homophobic and offensive social media posts. Meanwhile, the Barbarians, led by Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, have assembled a strong team comprising Welsh stars Rhys Webb and Taulupe Faletau, South African Andre…
Dr. Unaloto Sili, the Tonga Rugby Union Governance & Administrative Officer, has been chosen as one of the World Rugby CapGemini Scholarships for Women in Rugby Leadership. Dr. Sili is the first Tongan to be offered this opportunity. Dr. Sili was hired by Tonga Rugby Union under the Australian Government and Oceania Rugby’s Rise Rugby programme which foster the involvement of Women in Senior positions in National Unions. Tonga Rugby Union wish to thank Bruce Cook, Teeny Aiken & Erin Hatton, all from Oceania Rugby, for the work done in this programme which has led to this opportunity for Dr.…
“My connection to Tonga comes from many years since my father, Bill Waterhouse, went through university with the late King of Tonga, Taufaʻāhau Tupou IV. They studied Law at Sydney University in the 1940s. In the 1970s, I was traveling with my father overseas and he got a message that His Majesty has summoned him to the Kingdom. As he would, he dropped everything and cancelled all our program and flew back from America. The reality was that my father had been doing business in the Pacific and the King of Tonga said, ‘I want you to help Tonga too,…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency”. This declaration marks a significant milestone in efforts to combat the pandemic, coming three years after the WHO declared the virus to be at its highest level of alert. According to officials, the Covid-19 death rate has fallen from a peak of over 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on April 24. However, the head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cautioned that the virus remains a significant threat and that the true number of deaths from Covid-19…
A meeting was held in Auckland between the government and those who lived through dawn raids past and present. The public meeting that included government ministers and community leaders was called following an incident last week that was reminiscent of the Dawn Raids of the 1970s. The meeting attended by the immigration minister, six Pacific MPs and community leaders was sparked by revelations of a case last week where a Pasifika overstayer was detained after a dawn raid. His lawyer said police showed up at his home just after 5am, scaring his children and taking him into custody. Less than…
A 63-year-old man was sentenced to eight-years imprisonment with no suspension for three charges, that included raping a woman on Tongatapu. Hon. Mr Justice Cooper sentenced him on one count of rape and two for indecent assault in 2022. He was earlier convicted after a trial, at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa. The judge issued an order under section 119 that no detail of this case is to be published that could lead to the identification of the victim. “The Probation report stated that the defendant showed little remorse. “The starting point must be 5 years’ imprisonment, which the judge…
A moment of historical significance, the image of Charles III seated on the esteemed St. Edward’s Chair while receiving the crown is sure to become iconic. Amidst the ringing bells of Westminster Abbey, a congregation of 2,000 jubilantly chants, “God save the King!” Meanwhile, outside the church, a ceremonial gun salute pays homage to the newly crowned monarch. King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were amongst the many Pacific leaders attending the coronation of King Charles III in London. This is not the first time that Tongan royalty has attended the crowning of a British monarch, as RNZ Pacific Tonga…
Dr Yutaro Setoya, the WHO Country Liaison Officer to Tonga, was bid farewell at a dinner hosted by the CEO, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola, at the Water Front in Tonga. Dr Setoya served Tonga for six years, and he is leaving to continue his service in the WHO Office for the South-East Asia Region (SEARO) in India. The Honorable Minister and senior Health officials also attended the occasion to express their gratitude for Dr Setoya’s tremendous support and generosity during his tenure in Tonga. The Ministry of Health Tonga acknowledged his contribution in uplifting the standard of the healthcare system, which…