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Heilala Finau (23) is serving one year and three months in prison for obtaining $18,300 from a mother and her two daughters in a web of deception and lies, when she pretended to be a public servant handling applications for government aid to provide housing.

Woman who pretended to be public servant jailed for receiving money by false pretences ↗

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A Blood Drive was held at the Tonga Red Cross Society headquarter today, 13 June 2025, where volunteers gathered to donate blood. The event highlighted the importance of donating blood and saving lives.

Tonga marks World Blood Donor Day ↗

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To fight a growing problem of organised crime in the region, a Pacific Anti-Corruption Strategy is urgently needed, says a new report, that suggests New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific countries work together. Tonga gets multiple mentions in the report, released this week by a New Zealand Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime.

Urgent need for Pacific Anti-Corruption Strategy, as organised crime grows in region ↗

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Fatafehi Tomasi (22) is serving 10 months imprisonment for injuring a passenger, while driving under the influence of alcohol . When his loaded car crashed into another vehicle, after a night out in a bar in the Nuku'alofa CBD, he fled the scene.

Drunk driver jailed for injuring passenger in loaded car ↗

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Heilala Week 2025 is set to begin on 27 June, when the contestants for the Miss Heilala Pageant will be introduced at the opening ceremony. At their orientation, the contestants will draw their order of appearance and pre-pageant interview topics.

Miss Heilala Pageant set to begin on 27 June ↗

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Australia is boosting its support for a healthy Tonga with additional budget support of TOP7.8 million (AUD5 million) to help upgrade health clinics across Tonga. The new funding was agreed today at the Mu’a Health Centre between the Prime Minister, the Hon Dr ‘Aisake Valu Eke and Australia’s High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Mr Brek Batley.

Australia provides TOP7.8 million for health service upgrades ↗

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Pacific leaders have issued a unified call for urgent global action to protect the world’s largest tuna production region from the accelerating impacts of climate change. This message was reinforced at the 3rd UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France during a side event on Tuesday, 10 June, co-hosted by the Government of Niue and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).

Pacific leaders rally for Climate-Resilient Fisheries at UN Ocean Conference ↗

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An increasing number of Tongan civil servants have been exiting government work since 2022, with 861 vacancies recorded in 2025, the Budget Statement for 2025/26 reveals. Higher pay on donor funded projects and migration are cited as two factors in the trend. While acknowledging the economic benefits of remittances, the government said a pressing concern is the "brain drain"

Exit of civil servants and skilled labour poses risk to Tonga’s growth and stability ↗

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