Tonga

The government pulled out of their hosting agreement last year, citing financial difficulties.

The Supreme Court has issued a Summons of Writ which the government has 28 days from issuance, (May 15), to answer.

The Games Council CEO Andrew Minogue said the body was seeking damages for the losses that it suffered as a result of the unilateral decision to withdraw without consultation.

TASANOC is seeking the same.

Mr Minogue said the claim was for three parts of the damages that were being sought as far as the council was concerned.

They are among nine new posts in Commonwealth countries as part of an expansion of the UK's overseas network announced by the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, Mr Johnson linked the announcement with the UK's planned exit from the European Union.

He said the new diplomatic posts were in regions which provided "huge potential and opportunity post-Brexit for British businesses".

Britain already has a high commission in Fiji.

The first two clashes have been announced with Pacific rivals Tonga and Samoa going head-to-head, as well as a match between Papua New Guinea and Lebanon.

Cronulla Sharks prop Andrew Fifita recently pleaded his allegiance to Mate Ma'a Tonga (MMT), turning his back on the State of Origin series as well as any chances to play for Australia's Kangaroos.

MMT coach Kristian Woolf says he fully supports Fifita's decision and the huge sacrifice it comes with.

In a huge boost for international rugby league and Tonga's rapid development as a challenger to the game's traditional heavyweights, Fifita has revealed a pact instigated by Taumalolo after last year's surprise World Cup finals charge convinced him to rule himself out of Australian and NSW Blues contention.

Fifita said he and Taumalolo had reaffirmed their commitment to the Mata Ma'u during a meeting with Tonga coach Kristian Woolf in North Queensland before last month's round-one clash between the Sharks and the North Queensland Cowboys.

The Samoan Quota and the Pacific Access Category resident visas allow for a number of people from five Pacific countries to be selected for New Zealand residence each year, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

Each year up to 1100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan and Fijian citizens and 75 Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens can be selected by ballot to be considered, but a number of applicants who do win a place often have to forfeit it after failing to secure an acceptable job offer.

NRL.com reporter Zac Bailey joined Hurrell as he surprised loved ones in the country’s cyclone-ravaged capital Nuku’alofa.

Hurrell was granted leave from pre-season training by Titans coach Garth Brennan, a decision that gave the Tongan international the chance to lend a hand following the Category 4 cyclone.

Houses were flattened and lives lost in the natural disaster that has crippled the nation.

Competing in only his sixth major race, the 34 year-old completed his run in 56 minutes and 41 seconds.

Pita Taufatofua, who took up cross-country skiing just over a year ago, finished ahead of four other competitors in South Korea, and more than 23 minutes behind the gold medallist, Dario Cologna from Switzerland.

Head of Sport for the Royal Tonga Ski Federation, Steve Grundmann, said it was a fantastic race by the double Olympian.

He said Pita Taufatofua paced his way perfectly around a difficult course and even had a smile on his face.

Two years ago, he was marching into the Rio summer Games carrying the Tongan flag shirtless and sporting an oily torso - last week, at sub zero temperatures, he did the same in South Korea at the Winter Olympics.

His taekwondo dream ended in a 19-1 opening-round defeat in Brazil and having turned to the snow Taufatofua's ambitions are to "finish before they turn the lights off" and "don't ski into a tree".

Fiji's MetService said the category four storm was very close to being upgraded to the highest category, five.

It had already washed out building and equipment of Tonga's met office, and Fiji weather forecasters took over issuing warnings for the region from shortly before midnight.

The storm was expected to be upgraded to a category five in the early hours of the morning.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre earlier said it was hitting maximum sustained winds estimated at 233km/h.

Pita Taufatofua emerged from the tunnel covered in his trademark body oil and wearing a grass skirt, sandals and a huge smile as he led the Tongan delegation around the arena.

"I won't freeze. I am from Tonga. We sailed across the Pacific. This is nothing," Taufatofua said.

The Oceania gold medallist in taekwondo made global headlines in 2016 with a shirtless entrance as the country's flagbearer at the Rio Olympics.

The good news for his admirers is that he returned for the Winter Olympics, having switched to cross country ski-ing.