Tonga

Stafford ‘Aho told Radio and Television Tonga news Pōhiva is residing at ‘Atalanga residence.

The Prime Minister accompanied by his personal assistant Po’oi Pōhiva departed Nuku’alofa for Auckland last Friday to prepare for his brief treatment on Thursday, November 17.

Lord Ma’afu, Minister of Lands and Survey is the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training.

The suspect appeared in court with two other men from Folaha and Fo’ui respectively.

They have been charged with using illegal firearm and drugs.

Police told Radio Tonga news, the trio will re-appear in court on February 13, 2017.

The men allegedly fired a weapon from a rental car on Taufa’āhau Road.

They were later arrested at Haveluloto and police confiscated a point 22 rifle, 31 live ammunitions, five used ammunitions and 24 grams of methamphetamine from the car.

The new prices have been approved by the Tonga Competent Authority.

Wholesale petrol and kerosene will increase by 8.75 seniti/litre and 10.84 seniti/litre respectively, while diesel prices recorded the highest increase up by 11.98 seniti/litre.

The Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation & Labour says all price changes include consumption tax.

A pack of Nasal Decongester has a sticker on it with an expiry date written as Exp 05/2017.

The sticker was removed and another expiry date appeared on the pack as Exp: 05/16.

Kaniva News has seen photos purported to show the medication from the Pharmacy with the controversial expiry dates.

Attempts to contact the pharmacy were unsuccessful.

However, Tonga’s Minister of Health Saia Piukala said he had spoken with the pharmacy concerned and they were aware of the complaints.

Kaniva News reports Heneli Tupou of Tatakamotonga was in New Zealand as an employee under the RSE programme.

He was admitted to a Nelson hospital, his wife ʻAsinate Tupou has confirmed.

She said Heneli was sick and they were awaiting his medical examination result.

We understand Heneli was in a serious condition.

ʻAsinate, who told Kaniva News she only used Facebook as means of communication, desperately encouraged her husband on Facebook.

While he considers Nuku’alofa his home in Tonga, the currently New Zealand-based Dr Halapua explains his father is from the Niua islands, where a vaka (pictured) being built is destined for.

Dr Halapua, the former deputy leader of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, has a PhD in Economics from the University of Kent.

He has lectured at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, and has worked as Director of the Pacific Islands Development Programme at Hawaii’s East-West Center.

The total grant for the project was TOP $175,451 which includes a solar pump unit, a tank stand, a water tank, two fences surrounding two tanks stand location, repair works to two old tanks, foundation materials, pipe and fittings.

Ambassador Numata emphasized the significance of the project and its contribution to the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals but the necessity in ensuring the people of Navutoka have access to water and sanitation.

The baby girl weighing 2kg was safe and sound while a 15-month-old child received head injuries in the accident.

An emergency medevac team had been flown from Tongatapu to Vavaʻu to address the situation, Tonga’s Minister of Health Hon Saia Piukala told Kaniva News on Wednesday night

The baby’s mum was “more stable now but still need to bring to Vaiola for further management , the minister said.

He said the medevac team was consisted of anaesthetists, obstetricians and a paediatrician.

RNZ reports Taniela Palu said the last survey conducted in 2012 showed that 34 percent of Tongans over the age of 25 had diabetes.

However Dr Palu said since research now shows half of all diabetics are not diagnosed until the latter stages of the disease, the rate in Tonga is likely to be closer to 66 percent.

"So those people will go for a long time without getting treatment and they just develop a complication and they end up in the hospital at the stage where they are very sick, maybe disabled. The first time they are diagnosed and they end up having an amputation."

Matangi Tonga reports 22 people were arrested and charged for alleged drink driving, being disorderly and drinking in public places, mainly in central Nuku'alofa, over the past weekend.

There were also 22 people arrested over the previous weekend for similar offences.

The police said the operation is continuing and officers will remain visible in targeted areas of the CBD and throughout Tongatapu over the weekends.

A police spokesperson said there have been no road fatalities over the weekend.