Tonga News

The black cab can stay, but Tonga's eccentric king will have to shed many of his royal rights under a new plan to bring the ancient kingdom into the 21st Century.

As the doomed Tongan passenger ferry Princess Ashika began to flood and list, its captain slept, only waking in time to make a mayday distress call, a Royal Commission of Inquiry has heard.

Tonga's King Siaosi Tupou V would give up most of his power to an elected government under reforms proposed by a reform commission.

Three months ago, the ferry Princess Ashika sank in heavy seas on an overnight sailing in Tonga.

Graphic video showing the sunken Tongan ferry Princess Ashika will be shown to the Royal Commission of Inquiry in Nuku'alofa. It is investigating the August sinking in which 74 people died.

The Rev. Amelia Sivi Finau, Long Beach City Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, and Vice Mayor Val Lerch, from left, unfurl a Tapa cloth presented to the city by the Kingdom of Tonga at the Long Beach City Hall plaza Wednesday.

An inquiry into the sinking of the Tongan ferry, Princess Ashika, has been told the New Zealander who bought the vessel never looked into the state of its hull.

FERRY SUNK: The Princess Ashika was carrying around 180 people when it went down northeast of Nuku'alofa with the loss of 74 lives.

THE Australian Government has provided a $1 million package of support to assist in the relief and recovery efforts on the island of Niuatoputapu after it was severely damaged by Tsunami waves on the 30th September 2009.

Nuku'alofa , Tonga: THE Prime Minister, Hon Dr Feleti Vaka'uta Sevele, officially opened the new administrative office for the Vaini District, Tongatapu yesterday evening, 29 October.

NUKU'ALOFA - A MODERATE earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck near northern Tonga on Thursday, seismologists said.

AN agreement for the New Zealand Government to give Tonga a TOP$250,000 granted for the establishment of a new Business Opportunity Support Scheme BOSS, was signed by the Tongan Prime Minister, Hon, Dr Feleti Sevele and the New Zealand High Commissioner HE Ms Christine Bogle on Monday, 26 October in Nuku'alofa. The grant will enable Tongan and New ...

A Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Tongan ferry Princess Ashika with the loss of 75 people, is due to begin today.

Nuku'alofa , Tonga: By Pesi Fonua TONGA'S parliament discovered an elusive unity of purpose last month, when after months of frustrating debate over the direction of reform the House led by the Prime Minister decided almost to a man, that some set beliefs and traditions should be upheld and the Constitution should not be changed to allow Tongan ...

Nuku'alofa , Tonga: TONGA'S Squash Industry is targeting to export a total of 1,600 tonnes of squash to Japan and South Korea, a decrease from the 2,400 tonnes exported last year.

Nuku'alofa , Tonga: Mele 'Amanaki the President of the Tonga Women's Congress, who has been on a hunger protest during the past seven days, has started to drink water today, October 20.

Tonga does not have food insecurity or hunger but rather a problem of eating low-quality food, which causes a high rate of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity, Prince Tu'ipelehake said in opening a display of Tongan food on October 16 for International World Food Day.

NZ Army engineers work to fill in a septic tank on the island of Niuatoputapu. [photo: RNZ Navy] Royal New Zealand Navy Amphibious Sealift Vessel the HMNZS CANTERBURY has this morning berthed at Apia to offload aid, vehicles and supplies for the Tsunami ravaged south coast.

RED Cross workers in Tonga and Samoa are working around the clock to provide tsunami victims and survivors with needed supplies after last week's disaster.

The HMNZS CANTERBURY has anchored west of the Tsunami-affected Tongan island of Niuatoputapu, and is currently operating the embarked No 6 SQN Seasprite helicopter and the ship's Zodiac Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat to move aid and supplies to the shore.