Youths on rampage in Tongan capital

The South Pacific island kingdom of Tonga is in the grip of a pro-democracy riot today, with groups of young men smashing businesses and a hotel and burning down a building belonging to the state-owned power company.

Journalist and publisher Mary Fonua told The Associated Press by phone that the Shoreline power company office was burned to the ground, and that the Pacific Royale Hotel had been “trashed” by hundreds of rampaging youths.