10 January, 2017. Japan will host the Third Ministerial Interim Meeting (MIM3) of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) on January 17 at the Iikura Guest House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tokyo.

The Meeting will be attended by participants of such as Foreign Ministers from 14 Pacific islands countries, Australia, and New Zealand. From Japan, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will attend and preside the meeting with the co-chair, Hon. Lorin S. Robert, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Federated States of Micronesia which currently serves as the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Japan has been hosting the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Japan every 3 years since 1997 to forge close cooperative relations with Pacific islands countries by discussing various regional and global issues in a candid manner.

Since 2010, the Ministerial Interim Meeting has been held in the year between two Summit meetings. In the MIM3, the Participants will overview the follow-up of the outcome of PALM7 in May 2015, and exchange views toward the PALM 8 to be held in 2018.

Japan and Pacific islands countries which are bonded by the Pacific Ocean will have a discussion in order to address the common challenges toward peace, stability and prosperity of the Pacific region.

Participants will be from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

7 January, 2017. Improvements to Tonga's roads and drainage are "less than likely to be sustainable" if not maintained, warns the Asian Development Bank.

6 January, 2017. The leaders of two Tongan churches in Auckland have been in talks over which one will hold the funeral of the third person to die from a Christmas Eve bus crash near Gisborne.

2 Sanuali, 2017. Kuo toe ma’u moe ongoongo fakaloloma mei Nu’usila ‘o fakapapau’i kuo toe pekia moe Tiuta Lahi fefine ‘o e Kolisi Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu Leotisia Malakai 'i he 'aho 'aneafi 1 Sanuali 2017 'i he Falemahaki Waikato 'i Hamilton.

29 Tisema, 2016. Kuo fakapapau’i he Potungāue Polisi koe sino na’e ma’u ‘i he pongipongi ‘o e ‘aho ni kuo fakapapau’i ko Fisatina Puafisi.

29 December, 2016. Reports of domestic violence incidents in Tonga have nearly doubled over Christmas according to the Director of the Tonga Women and Children's Crisis Centre.

29 Tisema, 2016. Kuo fakaha ‘e he Palesiteni ‘a e Kolisi Tutuku Kolisi Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu ‘a Nu’usila Faifekau Mele Suipi Latu ‘e fakafolau ‘a e ongo pekia ki Tonga ‘i he ‘aho Tokonaki 31 ‘o Tisema.

Firefighters on Tonga's main island of Tongatapu had to battle a massive fire at the Tapuhia Landfill rubbish dump on Christmas Day

About 20 firefighters were sent to Tapuhia, assisted by an emergency team of 50 members from the defence services, police, and the National Emergency Management Office.

Matangi Tonga online reports firefighters described it as the biggest fire they have ever encountered, and over half a million litres of water had been trucked to the site, which was still smouldering and emitting toxic fumes.

Deputy Fire Commissioner Sinamoni Kauvaka told Matangi Tonga that security at the site reported that the fire had caused explosions in the waste, because some of the old cars in the landfill still contained petrol.

"At this point we are trying to extinguish the fire and then the cause will be investigated," he said.

An excavator was brought in to help move and dismantle the rubbish so they are able to hose down the fumes.

Tonga's Environment Department stated that the Christmas landfill fire had been significantly contained on Monday by the "tireless efforts" of the emergency services and others.

The government also issued warnings today for the public to stay clear of the smoke from the landfill as toxic fumes are still being emitted from hot spots that remain.

"The likely impact to the environment and human health through the emission of toxic fumes has also been reduced greatly, however, nearby commuters are hereby advised to proceed with caution while outdoors, until the fumes are no longer visible," they stated today.

A spokesperson at Tapuhia said that the fire was sparked off deep in the area where perishable trash is buried in layers.

The new landfill was part of a $US1.21 million or $2.7 million pa'anga project, funded by the Australian Government, the Tongan Government and the Asian Development Bank and was handed over nearly two years ago on 13 January 2015.

-RNZI