Tonga

Kaniva News reports Fijian and Chinese labourers are among the biggest offenders.

Now a Fijian community leader has asked for an amnesty and the Tongan government says it is considering changing the current policy for migrant workers and asking the Fijian authorities to make sure Fijian workers go home when their contracts expire.

The secretary of Tongaʻs Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vaʻinga Tōnē, said there were 300 Fijian overstayers in Tonga.

The burglar was described as a young male in his late teens. He was wearing knee-length black shorts, black and white t-shirt and his head was covered with a black cloth.

Suspect was also alleged to be carrying a kitchen knife.

Police are making positive inquiries and believe the incident to be part of a number of daylight burglaries that have been occurring in that area for several weeks.

This was confirmed to Fiji Sun by Inoke Seru, the operation manager IMEL.

He said the vessel had not arrived but the booking had already been made. As soon as the Tongan vessel arrived he said it would be docked for repairs.

He said all the repair works would be carried out the IMEL staff in Fiji.

IMEL he said had the experts to work on any vessel.

Church history account traces the arrival of two young missionaries who made landfall 125 years ago, and landed at Tatakamotonga Village, the estates of high Chief Tuku’aho. 

On the very next day, August 15, 1891, the two young missionaries gained an audience with King George Tupou I, at these very Royal Palace grounds. They asked for permission to preach their Christian beliefs in the Kingdom. His Majesty consented granting them free reign to proselytize, “…and any of my subjects chooses to join your Christian church, it will be according to their free will,” the king said.

This village anchorage is about two (3) miles north of Captain James Cook’s landing place in Tongatapu on his 1773 Voyage. It is also the traditional safe anchorage of the once powerful Pacific marine empire of the Tu’i Tonga (supreme king of Tonga) at nearby Mu’a, the old capital. 

The two missionaries gained an audience immediately with King George Tupou I, in Nuku’alofa the new capital. The king declared that Tongans are free, under His 1875 constitution, to worship in any church of their free will.    

Early American Missionaries Difficult Years

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva has acknowledged the looming threat to his administration. 

Ironically, then People’s Representative ‘Akilisi Pōhiva, led the first Vote of No Confidence challenge in 2012, during the government administration of Lord Tu‘ivakanō. However, the motion failed to remove Lord Tu‘ivakanō as Prime Minister, nor did it force him to resign with his entire Cabinet, as is usually another choice for the Prime Minister to take.

History Favors PM Pōhiva’s Chances 

RNZ reports two weekends ago police launched Operation Safe Streets after a surge in fatal car crashes and criminal activity blamed on alcohol abuse.

In the first weekend 137 arrests were made - more than double the typical number of arrests on the main island of Tongatapu.

Deputy Commissioner Pelenatita Fe'ao Vaisuai, who is in charge of community policing, said in recent years access to alcohol has become much easier.

She said to rein in the problems this causes they need the help of the business owners involved and the wider community.

There’s Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua. He is shirtless. He is all oiled up. And he did his best to break Twitter:

Taufatofua will compete in taekwondo in Rio. But his more important credentials came earlier in life:

And he’s not just any old model. He’s an Uggs model:

A mother of three and a student of University of the South Pacific enrolled in Journalism and Business in marketing is not thinking of backing up despite many challenges she goes through every day.

Linda Filiai is a busy woman like all other women around the world who keeps working hard in order to complete her degree and also fulfill her children needs.

Linda comes from Tonga and is currently completing her studies on a scholarship.

Linda says it is difficult to be a mother and at the same time to complete all the assignments and school work that needs to be done.

Four of the five men were part of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and all worked at the Aongatete kiwifruit coolstore in the New Zealand town.

They were leaving work at the coolstore when their car was hit by a logging truck on Tuesday night.

Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva, who is visiting New Zealand, was expected to meet with family members and attend a community remembrance service in Katikati today.

However, his office said the plan had been cancelled because they were advised not to fly due to bad weather and police had not given clearance for the men's bodies to be released.

The chair of the Tongan Advisory Council Board, Melino Maka, said the visit should have been the top priority.

"This is one of the saddest things for our Tongan community and especially the Katikati Tongan community.

"You need to understand that when (there's) a tragic event like this, you, as a prime minister, need to drop everything and try to be with the family and make sure that the family knows that you are there to support them in this difficult time," he said.

A spokesperson for Mr Pohiva said the prime minister will fly back to Tonga on Saturday where he would meet with families there.