Tonga

The Police Drug Taskforce executed three different search warrants which resulted in seizure of illicit drugs, illegal firearms and ammunition as well as cash.

On Monday, 14 May 2018 Police arrested a 34-year-old man from Lapaha with two packets of cannabis.

A search of his residence on Wednesday 16 May led Police to seizing a pistol gun, a shotgun, a rifle and 123 live ammunition.

Police arrested a 34-year-old-man from Hoi in Nuku’alofa with 0.47grams of methamphetamine on Wednesday 16 at around 10:00am

'Ikale Tahi coach Toutai Kefu has selected six new caps in his squad for next month's Pacific Nations Cup, including former Highlanders captain Nasi Manu.

He said Pulu and Tupou were among a group of players who were also keen to be involved but their situation was complicated because their current Super Rugby deals expire in a couple of months.

"Those players haven't acquired a club yet when Super Rugby is finished so the scenario for them is they could still be playing Super Rugby next year so it's just that uncertainty for them," he said.

The Secretary-General of the Public Service Association, Mele 'Amanaki, said a six member committee, including herself, organised the petition.

Ms 'Amanaki, was a candidate in the last two general elections.

Matangi Tonga reported the petition had been posted online for in an effort to gather more signatures.

The call for impeachment was for 'Akilisi Pohiva and six of his ministers, namely Semisi Sika, Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa, Penisimani Fifita, Mateni Tapueluelu, Vuna Fa'otusia and Tu'i Uata.

In March, Saia Piukala was appointed to the World Health Organisation's Independent Global Commission on NCDs.

Dr Piukala said the commission was compiling a report which would be presented to the WHO for discussion shortly before being released next month.

He said there would be four main areas of concern.

A high-profile trip to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in October is being discussed at the highest level and aides are promising that the second half of this year will be ‘incredibly busy’ with official visits.

The couple have already announced that they are delaying their honeymoon to return to work the week after their nuptials.

It is anticipated that Miss Markle – now the Duchess of Sussex – will join the Queen at the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time and make an appearance at one of her annual garden parties in the coming weeks.

Leiti is short for the term fakaleiti, a term that describes a person who is born as a male, but who acts in a feminine way, just like a lady. Debate still flourishes over whether leitis are born female, or are nurtured to be that way.

But despite their integral part in Tongan culture leitis face innumerable struggles, particularly against discrimination which, they say, has been brought upon by the rise of outside influences.

Shane Jones who holds several portfolios, including forestry and infrastructure, made the remark in response to questions about the Government's Pacific reset strategy - where foreign aid is being boosted by roughly $US500-million dollars over the next four years.

"Many of the problems that we are dealing with here, with P (methamphetamine) and drugs, where do you think that is coming from folks? That is coming from closely failed states in the Pacific," Mr Jones told journalists.

Titled 'Leitis in Waiting', it tells the story of Joey Joleen Mataele's life in Tonga over the course of a year.

The story highlights the battles many leiti's face everyday in the Kingdom such as the impact of Tonga's sodomy and cross-dressing laws.

Mataele said despite the film's accolades, life in Tonga's conservative and religious society isn't easy.

Lord Ma’afu resigned as Tonga’s Minister of Lands and Survey as well as Minister of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, two days after the Minister of Police Māteni Tapueluelu resigned on February 28.

Pōhiva rejected Tapueluelu’s resignation.

The reinstatement of Lord Ma’afu came after what the Prime Minister’s office has described as a reconciliation meeting Wednesday.  

The meeting was attended by Tapueluelu,  Lord Ma’afu and the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva, the Prime Minister’s media advisor Lōpeti Senituli told Kaniva News.

The grant is expected to directly benefit over 2,000 households and businesses in 12 villages around Kolomotu'a and Kolofo'ou through a safer, more resilient and cheaper system.

The Nuku'alofa Network Upgrade Project follows on from the successful upgrade of 55 rural villages in Tongatapu.

Just over $US2 million will go towards the Tongatapu Village Network Upgrade following damage caused by February's Cyclone Gita.