Tonga

Tonga's Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukālala's presence at last week's South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting in Auckland has further fuelled concerns over a ministerial row.

Tonga will host the 2031 Pacific Games, the announcement coming seven years after pulling out of hosting the 2019 Games.

Tonga will meet the World Cup champions at Suncorp Stadium on 18 October before travelling to New Zealand to face last year's Pacific Cup winners at Go Media Stadium on 2 November.

The arrest come after 17 people were arrested and several kilograms of methamphetamine as well as firearms and ammunition were seized, in raids across Tongatapu last month.

A few months before his death, the Māori King stood with indigenous Pacific leaders, signing the He Whakaputanga Moana declaration, for whales to be given personhood. Audio

But an LQBTQ+ advocate in the Kingdom claims the law has only ever been used against minors not in consenting same sex relations.

Tonga Law Society president Lopeti Senituli has distanced himself from the petition, saying the lawyers who kicked the petition into motion were acting independently.

A new weather radar installed at the at Fua'amotu Airport is expected to empower Tonga to issue crucial early warnings, reducing the impact of severe weather on vulnerable communities.

The Ngalu Fānifo project aims to strengthen the capacity of health and community providers to provide mental health care. Audio

Tonga have named their strongest lineup available for their opening game against Manu Samoa in Apia on Friday afternoon.

The United States has "listened carefully" to Pacific Island nations in its efforts to boost its diplomatic footprint in the region, the deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, says.

World Rugby pick out six talking points from the first weekend of the cross-border competition as Fiji and Japan both kick off the tournament with big wins.

The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting is off to a start with pouring rain and an earthquake as the backdrop, with the New Caledonia and the climate crisis as hot button issues.