Tonga

During a targeted patrol in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce officers came across a car with no registration number plate, which was parked in front of the Ocean of Light School at Hofoa.

While searching the car, Police found 10 packs of methamphetamine (3.48 grams), 1 pack of cannabis (0.87 grams), drugs paraphernalia and cash.

The suspect is in police custody while an investigation continues.

'This is one of the most important things the PNA is going to start looking at,' PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru said when briefing Pacific Editors on issues which may arise at the 15^th Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Honolulu.

‘We want to make sure that even if their land disappears that they don’t lose their EEZ,’ he said

However, there have been warnings that mining the seabed could cause environmental problems and could harm Tonga’s whale watching industry.

Paula Ma’u, CEO of the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications, said eight ministries were developing a plan to sustain the ocean around the kingdom.

“We are still at the exploration stage only now as far as deep sea mining is concerned,” Ma’u said.

The events came after the New Zealand’s A Safe Work Environment For All (ASWEFA), an Auckland based forklift training company carried out the training for 30 operators at the Taufa’ahau Tupou IV Domestic Wharf.

The Friendly Island shipping Agency (FISA) CEO Viliami Takau said the company wanted to take the lead on this campaign as forklift operators worked in “an environment where safety of people is vital.”

Mr. Yasuhiko Kamada, Acting Ambassador of Japan congratulated the completion of the project at a handover ceremony attended by Penisimani Fifta, Minister for Education and Training, Members of the Holonga Village Council, Town Officer and the people of Holonga.

The Government of Tonga, being the sole shareholder of power, water and waste utilities and the subsidiary companies Tonga Gas/Home Gas, is the sole beneficiary of this dividend.

This dividend declaration was presented during the Common Utility Board’s Annual General Meeting on the 4 of December 2018.

A statement said it comes off a successful financial performance by Tonga Power Ltd, Tonga Water Board, Waste Authority Ltd and Tonga Gas Ltd/Home Gas Ltd for the year ended 30 June 2018 where the utility companies posted a combine Dividend of $6,976,799 pa’anga.

The Polynesian rivals clash in the first leg of the Oceania Under 20 Trophy at Marist Park this afternoon, with the second leg at the same ground on Saturday.

The winner will compete at next year's Under 20 Trophy in Brazil.

Samoa skipper Simon Peter Toleafoa was a part of the Baby Manu team thrashed 58-8 by Fiji in the final of this year's World Junior Trophy.

The Auckland-based first five said Samoa's local and overseas based players have been able to train together for the past few weeks and will give it everything.

The suspects aged 19 and 21 respectively are from Ha’atafu.

The victim was found on the side of the main road at Ha’atafu with injuries to his head last Sunday morning.

Officers from Nukunuku Police Station rushed the victim to the hospital where he died the following day.

Police allege that the two suspects and the victim were drinking alcohol together when they got into a fight where the suspects allegedly assaulted the victim.

The father of one of the suspects when told of the incident took both suspects to Nukunuku Police Station on Sunday night.

The group has launched the 'No Pelesitiki' campaign and says it has received support from the Royal household, nobles, politicians and the New Zealand High Commission.

The group's founder, Eleni Leveni-Tevi, said the traditional woven 'oa baskets were made from coconut shoots and planting was under way to increase the supply.

The plastic bag alternatives are already proving popular, Ms Leveni-Tevi said.

"So we did the launch on Monday and we sold out of all our fabric bags and our o'oa bags," she said.

An agreement was signed at the APEC Summit in Papua New Guinea, where China also agreed to defer Tonga's loan repayments for five years.

China also signed off on a $US14 million aid grant for a yet to be finalised project.

Lopeti Senituli, a political adviser to Tongan Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva, says Tonga will benefit from Belt and Road.

"We are already exporting squash, we are also exporting our sea cucumber, but we are also hoping to expand that to other agricultural and marine resources to China," said Lopeti Senituli.