Tonga

Prime Minister of Tonga Akilishi Pohiva arrived today in Port Moresby to discuss the preparations of the games with the big brother, PNG.

 Pohiva admitted that the commitment was made  by the previous government and  it was not his dealings but he would honour it and make it happen.

In a brief media conference at the Jacksons International press room after his arrival, Pohiva said his delegation is here for bilateral talks with the PNG government on what will be the next step in terms of the games preparations.

Sports and Tourism Minister Justin Tkatchenko welcomed Pohiva and his delegation at the Jackson international airport. 

In a brief conference with the media, Pohiva explained that his trip was to see and learn how PNG government built the Pacific Games facilities and hosted the successful Games last year. 

Pohiva will be meeting Prime Minister Peter O'Neill tomorrow. 

The Prime Minister and his delegation will leave for Tonga on Tuesday. 

He was accompanied by his Internal Affairs Minister Feaomoeata Vakata and other officials.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Jobs in the Pacific has found that almost 10,000 jobs could be created across Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with optimistic scenarios making that number as high as 27,000, representing more than 3% of GDP.

Digicel is once again bringing families and the Pacific’s greatest musical talent together with an upbeat new version of their hit song ‘We Are Family’. This new rendition is a cheerful Pacific Christmas music collaboration, available to all Digicel customers across the company’s six Pacific countries. 

Tonga were arguably the better side early on, dominating the breakdown and scrum and forcing a host of penalties.

However, Ben Smith and prop Tony Woodcock both scored first-half tries to give the All Blacks breathing space.

Nehe Milner-Skudder scored twice before Sonny Bill Williams, Sam Cane and Ma'a Nonu applied some second-half gloss.

The permutations

Today is World Day Against the Death Penalty, but execution has yet to be abolished in Tonga, Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

The death penalty was revived in PNG in 2013, but was put under review in May without being implemented.

The United Nations Resident Co-ordinator in PNG, Roy Trivedy, says it's not clear when the review will be completed or what might follow.

Losses to Georgia and Argentina have all but ended the Ikale Tahi's hopes of making the knockout rounds.

A bonus-point victory against the defending champions would keep alive Tonga's faint hopes of reaching the quarter finals.

The Junior Football Ferns have scored 59 unanswered goals in big wins against Tonga, New Caledonia and Vanuatu at the Oceania Championship in Nuku'alofa, and have a maximum nine points with one match remaining.

Samoa will move to seven points if they can beat Vanuatu this afternoon, which would set up a final round decider against New Zealand, who have a bye today.

However a draw would leave them four points adrift of the leaders, gifting the title to New Zealand.

Sogavare's statement is the second statement from the Pacific that has raised concerns of human rights violations in West Papua, with emphasis for the UN to intervene.

Tongan Prime Minister this week also highlighted humanrights abuses facing people of West Papua.

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister informed  UNGA on the developments at the MSG and the Pacific Islands Forum, including the plea to Indonesia to accept unrestricted access to a possible mission of a fact finding mission to West Papua.

This comes after up to six months of well below normal rainfall had been received.

The forecast from New Zealand's NIWA and the Pacific Islands Meteorological Services says in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, after three months of very dry conditions, below normal rainfall can be expected through to the end of the year.