TONGA (CBS SF) — The U.S. Geological Survey says a strong earthquake has struck the Pacific nation of Tonga, but no tsunami threat was expected.
The quake’s epicenter was located 47 miles northeast of Ohonua, Tonga, and struck at a depth of 6.2 miles.
The quake struck at 5:24 a.m. Pacific Time.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, according to NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
No injuries or damage were immediately reported.
Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.
In a break with traditional Royal protocol the King mixed and mingled with the Prime Minister, Cabinet members and civil servants after today’s luncheon at Pangai Lahi.
These actions have rarely been witnessed during any previous Royal occasion.
Tongan monarchs are normally scheduled to leave venues immediately after events end – leaving them no time to meet with the public.
However, this afternoon King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were seen smiling while shaking hands and talking with the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
They also posed for photos with public servants and members of the public.
The PSA Secretary General Mele ‘Amanaki said: “It was apparent even during the Coronation how pleased the King is with the Prime Minister’s current direction.”
One photo posted on Facebook showed Their Majesties with various Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister’s wife Lady Neomai Pohiva.
Since the Coronation celebrations started on June 27 the King has been seen at almost every event.
Today began with a military parade followed by the Royal Luncheon organised by the Prime Minister.
It was attended by thousands of guests including dignitaries and visiting royalty.
Tomorrow will be a public holiday to mark the king’s coronation and a Military Tattoo will also be held at Pangai Lahi.
Tonga’s Acting Attorney General ‘Aminiasi Kefu has confirmed the village of Pātanga is a government estate and does not belong to Lord Fakafanua.
Kefu told Kakalu-‘O-Tonga newspaper on June 22 that Fakafanua’s estates consisted of Maʻufanga, Faleloa and Ngaʻakau only according to Tonga’s estate acts. Pātangata is located close to Maʻufanga but it is not considered part of it, he said.
The government distributed Pātanga to settlers in March so they could connect electricity to it.
Lord Fakafanua then claimed the estate was his and wrote to the Minister of Lands and Survey Lord Maʻafu asking him to review the cabinet’s decision. The noble claimed the village belonged to his ancestors and that this was confirmed in a number of past Land Court cases.
In response Lord Maʻafu said the government won in those Court cases.
According to Kakalu, Kefu referred to a 1924 Land Court case which Kaniva understands this was the case between Late Fakafanua Kisione Lēlea and the government. The case established that Pātanga is a government estate.
In 1972 Late Fakafanua successfully claimed Pātangata was his and that he had the right to lease the land to an American business.
However, in 1975 the government then cancelled the lease and informed Fakafanua that Pātangata is still a government estate because of the 1924 Court ruling.
Fakafanua subsequently filed an appeal and the Land Court ruled in his favour – but the government took the case to the Privy Council. The Privy Council then ruled in favour of the government and ordered that the 1924 decision regarding Pātangata was still legally valid.
The government said Fakafanua was free to take them to court again if he still thought he had rights to Pātangata.
Tonga’s Legislative Assembly has appointed Sēfita Tangi as Tonga’s new Auditor General.
Tangi has served the Tongan government for many years particularly the Audit Department.
He was a member of the Remuneration Commission and a former Commissioner of the Department of Inland Revenue.
His appointment came after the post has been vacant since December 2014 after the former Auditor General who is now the Minister of Police, Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa was elected Member of Parliament.
Tangi’s appointment will run for five years subject to an extension of an additional one year term.
Photo: Valerie Adams Adams finished fifth at the Diamond League meet in the Stade de France. Photo/Stephanie Mahe/Reuters
New Zealand-Tongan shot put golden girl Valerie Adams has been defeated in France this morning at the Diamond League meet in Stade de France.
German Christina Schwanitz defeated the Double Olympic shotput champion after she delivered three throws in excess of 20m, finishing with a best of 20.31m.
Known as Tongi-Tupe-He-Funga-Taua, Adams was returning to action for the first time this year since her right elbow surgery and the removal of bone from her right shoulder.
Her defeat put an end to her reigning world champion for the first time in 57 competitions, and almost five years.
Photo: HM King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu were crowned by Rev D’arcy Wood at the Centenary Church of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. Photo/RNZI (Indira Moala)
King Tupou VI was crowned at a coronation ceremony at the Centenary Church in Kolomotuʻa today.
In front of more than 1,000 guests – including the Prime Minister, cabinet, royals, nobles, as well as ambassadors and other royalty from around the world – he took the Oath binding him to serve his people and maintain the laws of Tonga.
Queen Nanasipauʻu was also crowned making her the third Queen of Tonga to be formally invested after Queen Salote Tupou III and Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho.
The Reverend Darcy Wood after handing the King the symbols of his authority – such as the sceptre and royal ring – placed the crowns on their Majesties’ heads to complete the ceremony.
Applause erupted and a 21-gun salute was heard as the crowds continued to cheer.
Wood, who was assisted by the Reverend President ‘Ahio and Reverend Dr Tevita Havea of Free Wesleyan Church, then paid homage to Their Majesties before the guests were asked to rise while the King and Queen left the chapel.
As head of Haʻa Ngata, King Tupou VI becomes the 24th of Monarch of the Tuʻi Kanokupolu line.
His Majesty was required to take the following oath:
“I solemnly swear before Almighty God to keep in its integrity the Constitution of Tonga and to govern in conformity with the laws thereof.”
The ceremony was listened to and watched online by hundreds of thousands of people all over the globe.
The Tourism Authority said the 15,000 overseas visitors present during the celebration were three times the number at the last coronation in 2008.
The Maori King and Governor General of New Zealand were among the international delegates.
Special guests also included the Prince and Princess of Japan as well as the Governor General of Australia.
King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u married in the Chapel Royal on December 11, 1982. Photo/Supplied
King Tupou VI, the youngest of four siblings, may have never thought he would one day become the king of Tonga.
However, different circumstances saw him a prince born with a great fortune and future ahead of him.
King Tupou VI’s eldest brother, Late King George V, died in 2012 and at the age of 64, having no legitimate children to carry on the succession.
King Tupou VI’s second oldest sibling, Princess Pilolevu Tuita, would not immediately claim her right to the Tongan throne as she can only do so if there was no more prince.
Late Prince ʻAlaivahamamaʻo, the second youngest sibling, had his right to the succession revoked in 1980 by his father, late King Taufaʻahau Tupou IV, because he married a commoner.
He was later given the title Noble Ma’atu.
Prince Alaivahamamaʻo’s revocation and death in 2004 however shortened the roll of succession to the Tongan throne for King Tupou VI and tomorrow July 4 he will be crowned as the King of Tonga.
King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu will be crowned tomorrow July 4 at the Centenary Chapel in Nukuʻalofa. Photo/Supplied
Wedding
About thirty years ago Prince ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuaki-ʻO-Tonga Tukuʻaho Tupou, now known as King Tupou VI married Nanasipauʻu Heuifanga Vaea.
The royal couple were later known as Prince ʻAhoʻeitu and Princess Nanasipauʻu.
In 2012 the couple became the King and Queen of Tonga and this week thousands celebrate their official coronation in the kingdom.
As royal husband and wife, King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu’s life was full of praise and admiration.
Their supporters often referred to the king as ʻtama lotu’ or ‘religious king’. They also referred to him as ‘tama talangofua’ or obedient king referring to he was the only son of Late King Tupou IV who listened and agreed to wed Nanasipau’u when he was told to do so.
And to the queen the royal supporters referred to her as humble and ‘fefine lelei’ as she was the one who ensured the King’s leadership was executed perfectly by ensuring that she always supported and stood beside him.
Thousands of school children performed to Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u at a colourful Education Day on Wednesday, 1 July at Teufaiva Outdoor Stadium. Photo/Supplied
Kāinga
Celebrating the coronation of the King and Queen means the royals’ kāinga (families, relatives and residents) would gather around and entertain Their Majesties to the full.
Many of the royal couples’ kāinga, who celebrated the marriage of King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu in Pangai Lahi 33 years ago, will cherish this coronation week as a nostalgic moment.
King Tupou VI married Queen Nanasipau’u on 11 December 1982 after the king authorised the royal nuptial according to the Tongan constitution.
The revelation of their wedding was significant news to the nation, and especially to Nanasipau’u’s family and kainga, because members of the kingdom’s nobility have traditionally been encouraged to seek partners among other noble families or the royal family to ensure their social standings.
When a member of the nobility marries a royal, his or her social statues rise as they receive a royal identification. This royal identification also applies to the noble’s family, kāinga, and the town or village from where they originally belonged.
Nanasipau’u was the daughter of Late Baron Vaea of Houma and Baroness Tuputupu Ma’afu Vaea of Vaini.
King Tupou VI was the youngest son of late King Tupou IV and Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho.
Education and Children
King Tupou VI is the first of the royal household to hold a Masters Degree after completing a Masters in Defence Studies from the University of New South Wales in 1997 and an MA in International Relations from Bond University in 1999.
The royal family’s children are Princess ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukālala and Prince Ata.
When the bucket-lift truck services are busy erecting scaffolding somewhere in the country, and the ladder that was supposed to be used to complete the preparations of the crowning was borrowed by a neighbour who forgot to return it, there is still a way to get the job done.
Instead of awaiting a bucket-lift truck or looking for a ladder or two, the individuals who were working on the matapā in preparation for the crowning had an innovative idea to help them complete their work.
They hired a forklift truck that was used to lift an empty container. On top of the container, various people stood, using the container as their very own workbench. Once lifted into the air, they managed to finish off the matapā before the crowning of His Majesty.
This innovative example of work perfectly describes the mentality of the Tongan – creativities, skillful and task-oriented.
Because of the coronation rush making many public services busy as there is less than 24 hours to go before the coronation, Tongans have no time to lose. They are busy finishing off important tasks before the end of the day, so that they can enjoy the crowning event without having to worry about last minute jobs or duties.
Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho will be crowned tomorrow at the Centenary Church in Kolomotuʻa.
PHOTO: Construction materials ready to be transported to Ha’apai on MV Niuvakai in May but was told the ferry was leaking. Photo/Tevita Havea (Facebook).
Tonga’s MV Niuvākai has arrived in Fiji for dry dock maintenance, Fiji Sun reported yesterday.
The vessel has been taken out of service in the kingdom after it was found to be leaking.
The government revealed two weeks ago the 36-year-old ferry would only be allowed to travel to Fiji, implying that this would be for maintenance purpose.
The government’s Friendly Island Shipping Agency (FISA) bought the Niuvākai from the Ramanlal brothers in 2014 for about TP$1.5 million.
