Tonga

Tonga's Acting Deputy Police Commissioner said divers found no sign of missing woman, 40 year old Marina Trost, during their search this morning.

Atunaisa Taumoepeau said a flipper thought to be from the missing woman was found by police on Monday.

A dive belt was found by members of her whale watching group soon after she failed to surface on Sunday.

He said rough seas have hampered the search on the coast of 'Eua where the woman was scuba diving.

It's the latest fallout in an escalating digital war between the pro-democracy camp and those firmly backing Tonga's constitutional monarchy, which bestows the King with key political assets.

A new set of proposed laws which will remove some of the King's powers and place them in the government's hands has drawn ire from the royals' camp, spilling onto combative Facebook pages.

Observers say both sides have mobilised thousands of mostly anonymous Facebook accounts to launch attacks on opponents and push political messaging.

The missing German tourist, a 40-year-old woman, was part of a whale-watching group that visited the 'Eua Cave on the northern tip of the island on Sunday.

The location is known to divers as the Cathedral.

Police were informed Sunday afternoon of the incident and a search and rescue team was deployed.

Police are coordinating the search with assistance from local boats, divers and New Zealand and Australian authorities in the area.

The Director General of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Tonga last week - the first time the agency has sent any of its leaders to the Kingdom.

Dr Ghebreyesus planted a mangrove seedling to mark his visit to the 'Ahau coastal barrier, where he learnt how houses along the coast are flooded at high tide, causing concern about sewage contamination of fisheries.

The launch coincided with International Youth Day Celebrations at Fa’onelua Convention Centre today.

The key findings of the monograph include youth’s transition to independence, education, health and wellbeing and main activity.

Government Statistician Dr Viliami Fifita said that data and statistics are very powerful to making informed decisions, policies, interventions and designing work programs for youth.

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva said he was seriously concerned at the allegations and the possibility of a Tongan or Tongans publicly making such a serious accusation against the royal family.

He said the government had been long concerned about people abusing Facebook using royal family members.

Pōhiva said it could take about two weeks before the government reached a final decision about the temporary closure.

He told Television Tonga he believed if nothing was done there could be an unrest in the country.

It comes as the government and Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva pursue Tongasat, which they accuse of taking millions in public money before it was stripped of its financial assets by a royal princess.

Tongasat, which manages Tonga's orbital space, launched an appeal after the Supreme Court in August last year ruled $US50 million in payments the company received from China was grant aid intended for the government. The payments were part of a settlement from China after it was found to have placed a satellite in Tonga's orbital space in 2006 without proper authorisation.

The agreement will allow Tongan students at the University to be placed in a relevant Tonga Government Ministry, where part of their course requires work placement.

The work placements will be for a period of up to nine months.

All expenses for the student’s air travel, insurance, and accommodation will be borne by the University programme.

A statement said the agreement will be at no cost to the Tonga Government.

Penisimani won the award after he was nominated for his role in leading his team to support their local community, before, during, and after natural disasters.

The award, which is the continuation of the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light program, recognizes inspirational volunteers throughout the Commonwealth making a change in their community.

Highlighted in the nomination was the team's work when Tropical Cyclone Gita (Category 4) hit Tongatapu in February 2018.

It was a much better playing surface this time than the mud-bath Tonga endured in their loss to Samoa at Apia Park but Japan, sporting at least five Tongans of their own, showed their world cup preparations were well on track outclassing the Ikale Tahi in both attack and defence.

Despite the scoreline however Toutai Kefu said there were some positives he thought the team could build on.