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/ 2 August 2007

Court action delays naming of Tonga World Cup squad

Tonga has delayed the naming of its 30-person World Cup squad following court action over continuing turmoil in the Pacific nation’s rugby union. Tonga was due to name its squad for September’s World Cup on Thursday but the country’s Supreme Court the same day ordered the Tongan Rugby Union to hold an annual general meeting to resolve long-running divisions.

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/ 18 November 2006

Foreign troops arrive in riot-torn Tonga

About 150 Australian and New Zealand soldiers and police arrived in Tonga on Saturday to boost security in the South Pacific island kingdom after violent riots in which eight people died. Police said the streets of the capital, Nuku’alofa, remained fairly calm following Thursday’s riots although two more shops on the outskirts of the city had been set alight overnight.

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/ 30 November 2005

Democracy rises in last South Pacific kingdom

A sports field in Tonga has become the focus of a battle of a different kind — protests, huge by Tongan standards, aimed at ending the archipelago’s semi-feudal system of government. Under banners reading ”Enough lies, time for truth” and ”Unity and solidarity for freedom”, thousands have sung, chanted and prayed in the shadow of the palace.