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  • Tonga Devastated by Powerful Cyclone Ian

    Tonga Devastated by Powerful Cyclone Ian

    The South Pacific island nation of Tonga was hit by cyclone Ian Saturday, causing mass destruction.

    Comprised of 176 islands, Tonga battled wind gusts of up to 178 mph that flattened trees, destroyed villages, and killed at least one. Up to 70 percent of the homes and buildings in the central Ha’apai group were either damaged or destroyed. The rest were affected by water.

    About 8,000 residents reside on the island, many of which had to huddle for shelter in churches, as their homes were being destroyed by the devastating wind.

    Relief efforts by New Zealand and Tonga began immediately following the cyclone. The Tonga Red Cross established a policy last year of keeping containers that hold relief materials on each island, which was able to provide help right away.

    The Tonga Navy has sent two patrol boats to Ha’apai, and the government is considering making a plea for overseas aid.

    Twitter was filled with prayers and concern for the people of Tonga.

    The exact extent of the damage this category five cyclone inflicted is only beginning to unfold, as all communication was lost during the storm. However, Ha’apai governor Tu’i Ha’angana stated he could see from one side of the island to the other, which indicates the severity of the devastation.

    Cyclone Ian is expected to weaken as it moves south towards open waters. It is the most powerful cyclone to ever crash into this tourist destination.

    Tonga’s economy relies on fishing, tourism, and remittances from overseas Tongan communities. Nearly half of the population lives in poverty.

    Image via YouTube

  • King of Tonga Dies In Hong Kong

    King of Tonga Dies In Hong Kong

    George Tupou V, the King of Tonga, died in a Hong Kong hospital on Sunday. He was 63.

    (image)

    Tupou V was best-known for introducing democracy to Tonga, after riots following his rise to the throne in 2006. He was visiting Hong Kong with his brother, Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka, who is heir to the throne.

    The king, who was educated in Oxford, said he would give up most of his power in the last Polynesian monarchy, and allow the prime minister govern for the most part. The first democratic elections in that country were in 2010, coming after 165 years of feudal rule. For this, Tupou was revered by the 115,000 people of Tonga, regardless of some eccentricities he’d maintained – including donning colonial-era pith helmets and a monocle, being driven around in a London taxi and sailing model boats in his swimming pool. What else would he do?

    The cause of death of the colorful ruler was not known yesterday, but he had underwent a successful kidney procedure six months ago after a tumor was discovered. The king died with his brother at his bedside.

    Though popular, Tupou V did make a few enemies in the conservative people of Tonga, by introducing more mobile devices and internet access to the region, and by a encouraging a more market-driven economy. He also controlled the Tongan internet country code “.to,” and sold domain names to any interested party, which are popular due to their potential in constructing standout, memorable URL’s such as “cr.yp.to.”