Tonga grants Starlink “provisional temporary permit” to offer local services

Starlink has been granted a “provisional temporary permit” to operate in Tonga, MEIDECC announced Friday, 19 July. This was in response to a “significant amount” of public concern after the Tonga government

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Chatham Airlines begins flying in Tonga amid Lulutai’s ongoing flight disruptions

Chatham Airlines begins servicing Tonga’s domestic flight services this week. The announcement comes a month after Kaniva News reported that Lulutai contacted the New Zealand airlines to assist with its

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Green Climate Fund approves US$23.92 million for Tonga Coastal Resilience Project

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board has approved a US$22.66 million grant for Tonga’s Coastal Resilience Project, supplemented by US$1.2 million in co-financing from the Government of Tonga and US$63,000 from the UN

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Regulator disrupts Starlink services during Tonga’s ongoing communications crisis

The Tonga government considers that Starlink‘s roaming network services linked to personal satellite antennas, to be illegal in Tonga, even when they are on ships and yachts passing through Tongan waters and on

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Spain makes Manu Samoa work for 34-30 win, Italy wins on its first visit to Tonga to end drought in Pacific islands

Spain makes Manu Samoa work for 34-30 win Manu Samoa beat a spirited Spain 34-30 in rainy and muddy conditions at Apia Park on Saturday.  Spain made Manu Samoa work for the win and while the wet conditions made things

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Waqa takes the wheel at the Forum

Nearing the end of his term as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna travelled to Rarotonga in May and was feted by Mark Brown, Prime Minister of Cook Islands and the current Forum Chair. As the

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The perils of underinsurance

Underinsurance and the unawareness of insurance remain significant challenges say insurance providers in Fiji and the Pacific. Chief Executive Officer of Capital Insurance in Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu, David Ariff Chan,

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Tongan trailblazer Ofa Aki is off to the Olympics

Tonga’s first female athlete to compete in the Olympics boxing competition, Fe’ofa’aki ‘Epenisa, is excited to represent her Pacific heritage in Paris this month. “I just feel honored and proud. I know

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Repair ship on its way, but Tongan internet users still struggling to stay connected

With a cable repair ship still nine days away from Tonga, internet customers in Vava’u and Ha’apai are struggling to keep connected. And customers have been warned that satellites may not be the answer, even as Elon

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Superannuation is sitting in Australia as PALM workers report barriers, delays in claiming their money

Tevita Kofutu’a has plans for the $10,000 in superannuation he earned over five years of seasonal work in Australia. He’ll use it to buy a vehicle and pay a deposit on some land in Tonga where he and his

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Samoa produce comeback upset victory over Italy

Samoa recovered from a 10-point deficit to beat Italy 33-25 in a sweltering Test in Apia on Friday. The home side scored four tries to three in a successful start to the tenure of new coach Mahonri Schwalger and newly

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600 pigs, 5000 baskets of food for Royal Taumafa Kava ceremony

Before dawn Saturday, the King’s matapules, who had travelled from near and far, gathered at Pangai Lahi, next to the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa, to prepare for a spectacular traditional Taumafa Kava (Royal

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