The sunken ferry Princess Ashika was known to be unseaworthy by the Tongan government, leaked reports claim.

The convicted violent criminal who lived in Government minister Paula Bennett's home is out of prison - and has been kicked out of the country.

A woman's trial for murdering a three-year-old boy in her care was abandoned today after four weeks because a key medical witness was too ill to give evidence.

A former NZ businessman who bought the Princess Ashika ferry for Tonga has been arrested on charges of forgery.

Tropical Cyclone Rene continued to pound Tonga with powerful winds overnight, causing major damage.

The tropics have exploded into action with 3 major cyclones in just a week.

Tonga is being slammed by Cyclone Rene, with powerful winds ripping off roofs, tearing down trees and power lines and cutting communications.

The Princess Ashika was an old "rust bucket" and he had not revised a memorandum of agreement for purchasing the vessel, the man who was company secretary of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia has told a Tongan royal commission.

In 1999, on the eve of the millennium, the Herald interviewed 10 young people who represented the future. A decade on, we catch up with a few of them.

Fiji will today start cleaning up and counting the cost after Cyclone Mick swept across the Pacific nation yesterday.