politics

Current and potential women candidates gathered at a workshop to assist them become more effective candidates who are better able to develop impactful campaigns and influence voters about the benefits women offer as leaders.

The workshop provided a platform for the women to learn from past experiences of women parliamentarians, while sharing their ideas, concerns and questions around election processes and campaigning.

The workshop, held 11 August, was hosted by Fi-e-Fi-a ‘a Fafine Tonga (FFFT) Women Coalition and supported by the Balance of Power (#BOP) program.

As vote counts trickled in from five state elections on Saturday, one result loomed large: that of central India's Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 200 million people. The staggered five-week vote in that state alone marks the biggest election in the world in 2017.

Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or the BJP, looks poised to take about 75% of the 403 seats on offer in Uttar Pradesh.

Ms Park was forced from office on Friday, after judges unanimously upheld parliament's decision to impeach her over her role in a corruption scandal involving close friend, Choi Soon-sil.

Despite the ruling, she remains inside the presidential compound.

Thousands turned out for rallies in Seoul on Saturday, a day after three people involved in protests died there.

Many were calling for Ms Park's arrest, although a smaller number of her supporters also gathered in nearby streets.

Mr Trump reinstated the so-called global gag rule on Monday, affecting American non-governmental organisations working abroad, to signal his opposition to abortion, which is difficult to access legally in many developing countries due to restrictive laws, stigma and poverty.

Kenyan campaigner Rosemary Olale, who teaches teenage girls in Nairobi slums about reproductive health, said women would go back to getting unsafe abortions.

"You will increase the deaths."

On Tuesday, the company introduced an endorsement feature, which means that users can now go to the Facebook page of any political official or candidate and endorse them.

This posts the endorsement on a user's profile page (as well as on the candidate's page if a user's account is fully public). People can opt to add an explanation about why they're making that endorsement.

More often at such times, the stream of political advertising and set-piece speeches flows uninterrupted and can leave voters feeling powerless or disconnected.

But every so often, as these cases show, ordinary people spring to wider attention, knocking politicians off balance.

Joe the Plumber

Matangi Tonga Online reported that Hon. Pōhiva has identified the perpetrator, but it’s hearsay at this point, and the issue was raised in Parliament the other day.

The threat is absolutely wrong, immoral, despicable and it should not be condoned. I have had many disagreements with the present government — especially with the Prime Minister and Cabinet — but I do not believe in violence to solve disagreements.