A community portal about Tonga with blogs, videos, and photos. According to Wikipedia.org: Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. It lies about a third of the way between New...
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A community portal about Tonga with blogs, videos, and photos. According to Wikipedia.org: Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. It lies about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii, south of Samoa and east of Fiji.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Tongan ferry Princess Ashika has adjourned for three weeks, but not before hearing damning evidence from the former Tongan director of ports. Read Full Story
The Kingdom of Tonga is a beautiful place. It is also somewhat unique in the region. It is the only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, has the distinction of being the only island nation in the region to have avoided formal colonization. Tonga has been ruled by some form of monarchy or Chief from at least the 12 th century. All of that history is about to change.
King George Tupou V of Tonga has recently announced that he is giving up many of his powers and... Read Full Story
After less than two years being crowned as Tonga’s absolute monarch, King Siaosi Tupou V will relinquish much of his powers and allow democracy onto his small Pacific nation for the first time.
REUTERS/Peter Halmagy
This comes as a relief for many Tongans, who have been looking for reform for years. Even the King’s late father admitted on his deathbed it was time for change in his kingdom.
Teisina Fuko, president of the Tongan People’s Democratic Party, told the UK’s Daily Telegraph... Read Full Story
NUKUALOFA, Tonga, Aug. 15 (UPI) --
Democracy activists in the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga say King George Tupou V should not be traveling abroad so soon after a deadly ferry disaster.
The New Zealand Herald reported in its Sunday edition that the king has been criticized for starting a four-month trip, which includes a visit to Scotland, following the Aug. 5 sinking of the Princess Ashika ferry with 149 people on board. Fifty-four passengers were rescued and two bodies were recovered... Read Full Story
A Royal Commission of 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. Read Full Story
Richard Kurin is the Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture here at the Smithsonian Institution. He is a cultural anthropologist specializing in the study of knowledge systems, folk arts, museums, and development. He is currently Study Leader on our Extraordinary Cultures – An Epic Journey Around the World tour, and will be blogging periodically while traveling. This post is seventh in a series. To see the other posts, click here .
Dateline: Tonga
Lakalaka dancers in Tonga... Read Full Story
I was in San Francisco a few years ago. I made it a point to visit the Fairmont Hotel to see the world famous Tonga Room. It didn’t disappoint. It was awesome. A friend sent me an article saying that it might be closing. That would be a shame. Save the Tonga Room!
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It's been announced that a British man Daniel Macmillan, age 47, was one of the people to have died when the Tongan Ferry Princess Ashika sank overnight, Mr Macmillan was said to have been carrying a NZ driving licence. 33 people, mostly women and children are also thought to have lost their lives in the tragedy. More here: Tonga Ferry capsizes
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Cannons were fired and church bells rang out as the King of Tonga was crowned yesterday in a ceremony on the South Pacific Island attended by royalty and political leaders from around the...
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This is our group blog, which is unique because any Zimbio member can post an entry to it. Some members blog about recent news and trends related to the portal topic, others recount relevant personal stories. You can also comment on and rate existing blog entries, to voice your opinion and to help the community identify which members and entries on the portal are must-reads. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this portal? Well, then put on your journalist's cap... Read Full Story
