Tonga

The Bulldogs have been subjected to heavy criticism for announcing their players would not be available for the May 7 City-Country match at Mudgee but that is due to scheduling as they play North Queensland just four days later.

If NSW coach Laurie Daley had advised that he wanted any specific Canterbury players to play City-Country with a view to assessing them for State of Origin selection, the Bulldogs would have allowed them to do so.

The bag of seeds was found on a road on the eastern side of ‘Eua at Lokupo last week by an elderly man who owns a tax allotment close by.

Police Superintendent in ‘Eua -Inspector Loluhama Fine says they arrested a man from the allotment two weeks ago for cultivation and possession of drugs.

They collected from that warrant more than 200 marijuana plants with more than a thousand seeds. Radio Tonga reports the man has been previously convicted of charges related to illegal drugs.

No one has been charged for the latest seeds collected.

Talakai ‘Aholelei is facing 30 charges, including three of careless driving causing death.

Kaniva News reports the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu brass band was in New Zealand with a mission to fundraise for the college’s 70th anniversary in June.

‘Aholelei who is also known by the king’s heraldic title Māsila has been granted bail without plea, and has surrendered his passport.

He is due back in court in a month’s time.

The classroom facility is funded by Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects, GGP.

Japan’s Ambassador to Tonga, Yukio Numata the facility during a handover ceremony recently.

Ambassador Numata congratulated the completion of the project and emphasized that education has always been a high priority for the GGP schemes in Tonga.

Upper Room Primary School was officially granted as a Primary School in 2014, seven years after it was established as a Kindergarten.

Join thousands of cheering students, teachers and supporters for one of the most popular sporting events on the school calendar.

The four-day competition started yesterday (Tuesday) with a colourful march.

More than 10 schools are participating in the competition.

You can watch the games live on:

https://youtu.be/WN2d2H6Dq84

A call was made on Saturday by a fisherman whose boat's engine failed somewhere between the islands of Tongatapu and 'Eua.

RNZ reports he has not been heard from since.

Air Commodore Darryn Webb said an Orion plane left an air base near Auckland on Monday to join the search for the missing fisherman.

The search area is estimated to be about 16,600 square kilometres.

Opening the meeting, Mr Sovaleni emphasised the importance of members discussing the important topics included in the conference agenda over the next few days.

The Pacific Community (SPC), in partnership with the Government of Tonga is hosting the two day officials meeting, preceding the Ministerial meeting to open on Wednesday this week.

Radio Tonga reported that Sitiveni Uasi and Atonio Kulitapa were sent home for disappearing with a company vehicle.

The men disappeared from the Hastings farm where they were working last Monday and were found hundreds of kilometres away in Auckland a few days later.

Mr Kulitapa told the Kaniva website they regretted their actions, saying there was no reason for leaving but they were drunk at the time.

In February eight workers were ordered home after they broke their contracts by consuming alcohol and misbehaving.

The Ministry of Health said ongoing testing had identified one more person infected.

The youngest of these patients was 5-year-old while the eldest was 62-year-old.

The Ministry has warned the public that kava drinkers and caterers at where typhoid patients are, were prohibited from going to other places to drink kava or providing food and drink.

As Kaniva News reported the Ministry announced an outbreak after it found 11 typhoid patients had been identified in Tongatapu last week.

176 people were arrested in total in the week leading up to and including Easter.

RNZ reports the arrests were mostly for drunk driving and drinking in public.

It followed a similar campaign over the Christmas period in which 159 arrests were made.

Publisher Kalafi Moala praised police for taking the action they have.

He said there had been a surge in alcohol abuse, drunk driving and fatalities and which triggered the first campaign at Christmas.