Tonga

Mateni Tapueluelu said a new agreement with Australia, New Zealand and Fiji police to combat serious and organised crime signals a regional approach to a regional problem.

He said the Tongan government would be increasing staffing levels and police resources.

The Tonga Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce was launched in April 2018 and a total of 154 arrests have been made since then.

The government was also setting up a National Drugs Steering Committee to gather agencies and community leaders together to deal with the problem.

It's still unclear what caused the cut, which plunged Tonga into a 12-day internet blackout and also hampered international phone calls.

Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell told Matangi Tonga the investigation would assess whether the damage to the cable was deliberate or accidental.

The Police Minister, Māteni Tapueluelu, said last week there appeared to be a "human factor" behind the damage.

The cable's owner, government-owned Tonga Cable Ltd, completed its initial investigation last week.

Matangi Tonga reported the petitions, presented on Monday, come alongside claims there were no checks and balances and corruption existed in government.

A former government minister Clive Edwards presented a petition signed by former politicians.

Noble MP Lord Nuku presented a petition from the country's nobles.

The third petition was presented by former MP Teisina Fuko from members of the general public.

Clive Edwards said he believed that once a Royal Commission for Investigation was appointed, a caretaker government would need to be put in place.

Mr Tapueluelu said an initial report has been submitted to Police which included photos taken at the site where damage to the international and domestic submarine internet cables was located.

Tonga Cable director Piveni Piukala previously told Kaniva News he could not rule out foul play as the reason for the damage.

Mr Tapueluelu said the ropes which were found tied to the damaged parts of the cables appeared to show the knots were ones that were usually employed only by seamen or fire fighters.

The suspect was arrested from a bush allotment in Havelu on Tuesday with cannabis seeds, 10 live ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

He has been charged with possession of illicit drugs and possession of illegal ammunition.

The suspect has been remanded in police custody to appear at the Magistrate Court at a later date.

Around 10pm on Tuesday, the Police Drugs Enforcement Taskforce seized 29 cannabis plants from a bush allotment at Fonongahina.

No suspect has been arrested for this seizure.

Police said a 50-year-old man from Fangaloto was heading north on Tapuvao Road when he swerved and crashed into a power pole on Monday.

The driver is in critical condition at Vaiola Hospital.

Police investigations are continuing.

.  The response has been overwhelmingly good. 

Using your own local market for product development is important to see how people respond to the product” says Nishi’s Marketing Expert Joanna Bourke, Executive Creative Director of CocoNew The Agency.

“It’s been easy to sell the frozen taro to hotels and restaurants who say the product is easy and convenient to use,” Miss Bourke says .

Nishi wanted to get its products out there and started producing for the local market, promoting it via social media she says.

The cable repair ship arrived at Queen Salote Wharf in Nuku’alofa Monday evening.

The Department of Communications in the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs collaborated to provide diplomatic clearance for the ship.

The Department of Communications is the policy institution and regulator for Tonga’s communications sector.

Tonga lost its internet and phone connections on Sunday last week when the Tonga Cable linking it with Fiji was cut.

A second cable to the outer islands was also severed.

A government spokesperson, Lopeti Senituli, said there were already talks between Tonga Cable, the Tonga Communications Corporation and the Ministry of Communications, to ensure such a problem doesn't recur.

He said the government had previously been given an understanding there was almost no chance of the cable failing.

It’s been 8-days with the outage and Digicel Tonga continues to face data connectivity issues because of the major fibre cut in the submarine cable resulting in the unstable data services.   

Digicel wishes to advise all its customers that they can make International and Locals calls as well as send text messages both locally and international, however using data services will only allow you to use basic services such as browsing to stay connected with family and friends.