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Matangi Tonga - Tonga's leading news website
Breaking news
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Friday 16 May 2025 8:20pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The development of the private sector is the primary focus of Tonga's new budget, the Prime Minister Hon. Dr 'Aisake Eke said today. His Cabinet has finalized the budget for 2025-2026, to be presented to the Legislative Assembly next week.
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Friday 16 May 2025 8:01pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tu’ipulotu Palu received 12 months suspended sentence for two charges that included discharging a firearm with the intent to intimidate a group of noisy youths. He was drunk when he fired the 12-gauge shotgun. The judge, in considering that Palu is the sole carer for his son, stated, “It is all too often the case that the families of offenders suffer as much, if not more than the offenders.” Free to view -
Friday 16 May 2025 7:48pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Afimeimo’unga Hola, who assaulted two rugby officials at a rugby game, where his team was losing, was sentenced to two years six months imprisonment, which was fully suspended. “What you did in a burst of temper has thrown away all the good work that you had been doing and the confidence and trust which others placed on you," the Lord Chief Justice Bishop said in sentencing him on 2 May in the Supreme Court, Nuku’alofa. Free to view -
Friday 16 May 2025 7:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Irvin Fukofuka (30) will be sentenced in June on two charges of possession of 13.52 grams of methamphetamine and utensils seized in a drug deal raided by Police in Houma in May last year. Free to view -
Friday 16 May 2025 7:08pm
Doha, Qatar : Tonga's head of mission to the United Arab Emirates, HE Ambassador Hon. 'Akauola presented his Letters of Credence, to the Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha, Qatar, this month. Free to view -
Thursday 15 May 2025 11:08pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : In a brief message on the closing of Parliament today, King Tupou VI emphasized the values of good character in government, and reminded Tongans of the sacrifices made by Tonga, together with its allies – “the countries that valued freedom” in the world wars of the last century. The King said it is important to learn from history to prevent this generation repeating past mistakes. Free to view -
Tuesday 13 May 2025 5:52pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A group of ten officers from Tonga Police departed on Saturday, 10 May, for Brisbane Australia, embarking on a four-week training program that is accredited by the United Nations.
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Tuesday 13 May 2025 5:51pm
Alofi, Niue : Fisheries officials and delegates from the members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), are gathering this week at the Millenium Hall in Alofi, Niue, for the 138th Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Annual Officials Meeting. The five-day meeting offers an important opportunity for members to shape the direction of sustainable tuna fisheries management in the Pacific region. Premium content -
Tuesday 13 May 2025 5:49pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The new Commissioner of Tonga Police, Geoff Turner was officially sworn into office yesterday, 12 May, at the Tonga Police Headquarters, in Nuku'alofa. Premium content -
Monday 12 May 2025 7:09pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The latest SitRep indicates 15 new dengue fever cases confirmed through rapid tests, bringing the total cumulative number of cases to 697. The Ministry of Health has sent more blood specimen to the VDRL laboratory in Australia for serotyping. Premium content
Opinion
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Friday 16 May 2025 2:33am
Cambridge-MA, USA : When you look at a building, you can see its walls, windows, and decorative flourishes but not the hidden structure that holds everything together. Yet during an earthquake, or after years of strain, that unseen framework can suddenly collapse. The same is true of the fragile political structures that support much of the developing world. By Ricardo Hausmann Free to view -
Monday 12 May 2025 11:22am
Canberra, Australia : On 24 April 2025, the Trump administration issued Executive Order 14285 mandating federal agencies to expedite permits for seabed mining under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980. Trump wants to establish the United States as a global leader in seabed exploitation and loosen China’s grip on the critical minerals market. This helps explain why The Metals Company (TMC) recently announced plans to apply for seabed exploration and commercial recovery permits under this relatively old act. These developments could undermine international law, commitments to peaceful use of the Area Beyond National Jurisdiction and environmental protections. It could also sideline TMC’s Pacific partners. Nauru and Tonga are currently sponsoring TMC’s activities in the Area, but it’s not clear what it’s in it for them if TMC secures a permit for seabed mining under US law. By Nicholas Bainton and Philippa Louey Free to view
Pacific Islands
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Monday 5 May 2025 3:14pm
Auckland, New Zealand : Researchers have calculated that the 2022 explosive eruption of Tonga's Hunga volcano emitted almost 19 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, but because the eruption started at least 400 m below sea level, most of the sulfur was erupted into the ocean. The submarine explosions injected an unprecedented amount of seawater into the atmosphere, while sulfur and other volcanic products went into the sea. The researchers say this raises questions about the impact on marine life, and that the long-term effects of seawater on the atmosphere are also unclear. Free to view -
Thursday 24 April 2025 5:59pm
Washington D.C., U.S.A : A high-level advocacy mission to the United States this week, is led by Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Dr ‘Aisake Eke, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General. Baron Waqa, who are seeking to secure capitalisation pledges for the new Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). Free to view
Promoted Content
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Thursday 10 April 2025 5:57pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : BSP Tonga, BSP Financial Group Limited, the South Pacific’s International Bank, on 2 April 2025 proudly unveiled its revitalised brand identity. The brand’s stylised Kundu symbolises the strength of connection, shared heritage, and unity across diverse island nations and reinforces BSP’s strong connection to the communities it serves across Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. Free to view
