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Matangi Tonga - Tonga's leading news website
Breaking news
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Friday 15 May 2026 11:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A Tongan man serving life imprisonment for importing more than 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from the United States has lost his appeal against conviction in Tonga’s Court of Appeal today.
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Friday 15 May 2026 4:09pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Tongan Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals against conviction and sentence brought by former Member of Parliament Vatau Hui, upholding his convictions for indecent assault and common assault against a woman. “In some ways it is an aggravating factor that the appellant was a Member of Parliament; he is someone who ought to have set an example in law-abiding conduct as a leader of the community,” the judgment said. Free to view -
Friday 15 May 2026 2:53pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A 21-year-old Kolovai man has been sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, fully suspended for two years, after admitting a serious assault that left a teenager with significant facial injuries. Free to view -
Thursday 14 May 2026 9:19pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Over the next two days students and job seekers will have the opportunity to interact directly with employers, TVET providers, businesses, and government exhibitors at the Tonga Career Expo 2026, a two days joint initiative between Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, and TVET, in association with the Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industries, at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall, in Nuku’alofa Free to view -
Thursday 14 May 2026 3:15pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A Pea man who attacked two family members with a machete during a heated family dispute has been sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment, fully suspended for three years, by the Supreme Court of Tonga. During sentencing, Lord Chief Justice Bishop KC stressed the seriousness of machete violence in Tonga. Free to view -
Thursday 14 May 2026 1:33pm
Brisbane, Australia : Gold Coast centre Jojo Fifita (23) has thrived under the tutelage of coach Josh Hannay as he enters the frame for a Queensland debut in State of Origin. With Melbourne winger Xavier Coates injured and Maroons regular Valentine Holmes out of form for St George Illawarra, an opportunity has emerged for Fifita ahead of the Origin series opener in Sydney, Australia, on May 27.
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Wednesday 13 May 2026 10:17pm
Canberra, Australia : The surge in the trafficking, availability and use of methamphetamine across Pacific Island countries is explosive, fuelling an escalating epidemic of HIV, and undermining human, national and regional security, says a new paper from the Pacific Security College released today. The paper proposes a cross-sector regional summit in 2027 to shape coordinated responses to the escalating methamphetamine crisis across the Pacific. Premium content -
Wednesday 13 May 2026 9:50pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : After the non-appearance of a key prosecution witness, charges were dropped by the prosecution in the trial of Johnny Grattan Vaea Taione. Premium content -
Tuesday 12 May 2026 9:04pm
Nuku'alofa : A total of 60 cases of Dengue fever have been confirmed across Tonga, an increase of 2 cases since the last report, the Ministry of health reported today (Sit rep#19) 12 May 2026. Premium content -
Monday 11 May 2026 9:42pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga Police completed the Women’s Advisory Network Leadership training programme on 8 May 2026 after a week-long initiative aimed at strengthening women’s leadership within the organisation. Premium content
Opinion
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Thursday 14 May 2026 9:57am
Port Vila, Vanuatu : Last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a legal opinion on climate change with a clarity of purpose not seen since the 2015 Paris agreement. It left no doubt that states have a legal obligation to prevent significant harm to the climate system, and that failure to do so carries legal consequences. By Ralph Regenvanu in Port Vila. Free to view
Sports
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Tuesday 5 May 2026 11:15pm
Australia : Tongan Judoka, Paula Monta secured a silver in the Senior Men +100kg division, at the Oceania Open on Saturday, 2 May, in Mandurah, Australia. Free to view
Pacific Islands
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Tuesday 12 May 2026 8:48pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga must begin immediate preparations for the 2031 Pacific Games, according to senior Pacific Games Council officials who visited the Kingdom this week, warning that delays in planning, governance and technical readiness could place significant pressure on the host nation. Premium content -
Monday 11 May 2026 10:05pm
: For farmer Nafetalai Makaui from Houma, improvements to Tonga’s watermelon export pathway have translated into practical changes on the ground. Working with Nishi Trading under a PHAMA Plus-supported fertigation pilot, he increased production on a one-acre plot from 8 tonnes to 21 tonnes, enough to fill a 20-foot shipping container. “The watermelons are sweeter now because we’re keeping the soil consistently moist,” Makaui said. “Before, we relied on rain, and it just wasn’t consistent enough.” Free to view -
Thursday 7 May 2026 10:48pm
Suva, Fiji : The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) Treaty has officially come into force, marking a major step for Pacific countries working together on climate resilience, clean energy, and community adaptation. Free to view
Promoted Content
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Saturday 9 May 2026 3:02pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Tonga Energy Commission (the Commission) has approved an increase to the electricity tariff, effective from 1 May 2026. The Regulated Tariff will increase from 89.58 seniti per kilowatt-hour (seniti/kWh) to 121.63. seniti/kWh, an increase of 35.8%. The increase is the direct result of a significant rise in the global price of diesel fuel. Free to view -
Friday 1 May 2026 11:39am
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : In our continued effort to enhance account security and prevent fraudulent activities, all customers are recommended to migrate to BSP Tonga’s digital banking products as the primary service and payment platforms. Free to view -
Monday 2 March 2026 1:40pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : In accordance with section (81 & 82) of the Financial Institution’s Act, MBF Bank Limited is hereby publishing the list of Unclaimed Monies at the MBF Bank Limited as at 31 December 2025. Free to view
