A collection of news-briefs from The Tonga Chronicle, Ko e Kele'a, Taimi 'o Tonga, Radio Tonga. For more details of these stories, feel invited to buy a paper from one of the locations mentioned in our Tonga Media pages

The Hon. Ma‘afu, 68,was laid to rest at Lo‘amanu Cemetery on Wednesday before His Majesty King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV and thousands of mourners. The funeral service was conducted by Pastor Teti Pahulu. The deceased's biography was reviewed by Rev. Dr. Sione ‘Amanaki Havea at Vaka Ua Hall, Beulah College. Assisting were other pastors of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The noble died on Oct. 24 at his residence at Vaini after a prolonged illness. The Hon. Ma‘afu (Tevita ‘Unga Tangitau) was an ex-student of Tonga College and Wesley College of New Zealand.

He was installed to noble title of Ma‘afu—Head of the Ha‘a Havea—on April, 20, 1954. The noble estates are Tokomololo and Vaini.

"Thanks to be God for blessing Tonga under His mighty hands with good fortune and peace to enable us to the last 800 days before the third Christian millennium." So His Majesty King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV during a sunrise thanksgiving service and unveiling ceremony for millennium count-down board at Mala‘e Pangai on Oct. 25.

The King said that Tonga was fortunate to remain in peace and expressed the belief that God had blessed all to mark the ceremony in His honour. The Monarch said that even the rainy morning was a blessing to plantations and helped assure abundant food crops.

He thanked the millennium Committee for making the count-down board as reminder of the final days to the year 2000.

The Rev. Dr. Tevita Tonga Mohenoa Puloka, minister in charge of Nukunuku District, Free Wesleyan Church, explain to the gathering that a similar service to held at 100 day intervals throughout the remainder of the second millennium as directed by His Majesty.

The Tonga National Music Association will host its annual Christmas Music Festival at Mala‘e Pangai from Dec. 14-21.

The Association will work with the Free Wesleyan and Roman Catholic Churches in running the festival, Mr. James Fa‘asolo, the association's office administrator, told the Tonga Chronicle.

Tentatively, the programme will begin on Dec. 14 with Free Wesleyans district singing competitions – Hahake at Tatakamotonga, Hihifo at Nukunuku, Vaheloto at Pea and Nuku‘alofa at Centenary Church.

Five young women have so far signed up for the Ms Teen Christmas Pageant, with a registration deadline set for Friday.

They are Ms. Laisa Taungahihifo,14, of Kolomotu‘a; Sisifungani Pulupaki Tauelangi, 15, of Pea; Sharleen Patricia Lotulelei, 16, of Haveluloto: Belinda he-ki-Suva Loukakatisi Teu- kia- Lupe Taufa, 16, Li‘ahona; and Fane Uasi, 17, of Havelu.

The pageant, to be hosted by the Galaxy Committee from Dec. 11-12. Aims to prepare youngsters for local and international pageants and to attract tourists to the Kingdom during the Christmas holidays.

Interpol's importance to police around the world was stressed at the annual general meeting in New Delhi attended by the Hon. William Clive Edwards, Minister of Police.

The Minister told the Chronicle that the objective of Interpol is to curb international travel by criminal suspects and offenders. In Tonga, he added, Interpol assists with checks of arriving foreigners and those seeking entry visas, as well as cooperating with all member countries in tracking drug traffickers and other criminals on the run.

Tonga works closely with neighbouring members Australia and New Zealand, the Minister said.

A festival to show off music talents of Free Wesleyan secondary-school students has been scheduled for the public on Nov.28 from 9a.m.- 2p.m. at Queen Salote College Hall.

Participating schools will include Queen Salote College, Tupou College, Tupou High School, and Vaini, Pea and Houma middle schools.

Guest of honour will be her Royal Highness Princess Latufuipeka Tuku'aho.

A regional training course on debt-recording got under way on Monday at the International Dateline Hotel and will continue through Nov.7.

The two-week workshop, under auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, is introducing a version of computerised software released early this year.

The CS-DRMS software is a component of the Secretariat's decade-old advisory services in debt management and development resources management base in Sri Lanka.

Opening the course and welcoming 22 participants from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, and Thailand was the Hon Tutoatasi Fakafanua, Minister of Finance.

The Red Cross Society's role in assisting the Kingdom's handicapped was stressed on Oct. 25 by Her Royal Highness Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita in marking the quarter century of service.

To help promote and upgrade delivery services and staff development in the tourism industry, the Tonga Visitor's B and the Tourism Council of the South Pacific intend to implement a "People First" award program as early as nest year.

• The Hon. Fakafanua was among a Ministers panel of seven on Oct. 16 in Jakarta, Indonesia, during an Asia-Pacific conference on renewable energy and efficiency initiatives called to help energy and to help create greater energy efficiency in the Asia Pacific region.
• Presenting his credentials on Tuesday to His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV at the Royal Palace was Apostolic Nuncio for Vatican City His Excellency the Most Rev. Patrick Conveney, who will reside in Wellington , N.Z.
• Annual growth of 5.5 per cent in the Kingdom's tourism industry through the year 2020 has been predicted by an international researcher. Mr Kevin Millington made the prediction in Tahiti last week during the first South Pacific tourism conference.

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