MTO Featured Story block
Matangi Tonga - Tonga's leading news website
Breaking news
-
Friday 26 June 2026 11:43pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : One of the 15 contestants in this year's Miss Heilala Pageant, has withdrawn from the competition, the Heilala Festival Committee has announced, following yesterday's orientation event. The judging events are set to begin on Tuesday next week with 14 contestants facing a pre-Pageant interview in the morning and the Tau'olunga traditional dancing event in the evening.
Free to view -
Friday 26 June 2026 8:44pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Thirteen-year-old Mohe Lomu was named the Tonga’s best local player, at the first of its kind national chess tournament in Nuku’alofa. Free to view -
Friday 26 June 2026 4:03pm
Noumea, New Caledonia : Tonga secured a historic double at the FIBA 3x3 Nations League Pacific, with both its men's and women's teams winning the competition titles in Nouméa, New Caledonia, this month and, for the first time, qualifying for the upcoming FIBA 3x3 Under-23 World Cup to be held in Wuhan, China. Free to view -
Friday 26 June 2026 3:45pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Pelehake Estate holder, HSH Prince Tu'ipelehake, has won an interim injunction in the Land Court, halting further quarrying on the tax allotment known as 'Pipi' at Pelehake, Tongatapu, until a trial in October 2026 over a dispute about its registration. Free to view -
Friday 26 June 2026 3:23pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A 33-year-old woman has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment, fully suspended, for obtaining $13,000 by false pretences after selling a vehicle without disclosing it was still under a car dealership's ownership because of an outstanding debt. Free to view -
Thursday 25 June 2026 6:43pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Fifteen contestants vying for the Miss Heilala 2026 crown, made their official public appearance this morning at Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku’alofa, 25 June. Free to view -
Thursday 25 June 2026 12:24pm
Auckland, New Zealand : Pacific leaders, clinicians and researchers say cervical cancer elimination is within reach, as global evidence shows the disease can be virtually eradicated within a generation. “For the Pacific, the question is not whether we can eliminate cervical cancer, but how quickly we can do it,” Sir Collin Tukitonga told the Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa Research Symposium 2026 at the University of Auckland this week. Free to view -
Wednesday 24 June 2026 5:35pm
Melbourne, Australia : Super Rugby Pacific will be a 10-team competition in 2027 with New Zealand Rugby closing the door on Moana Pasifika by rejecting any bids to save the franchise. A joint bid by the Samoan and Tongan governments had been the front-runner but ran out of time to secure the necessary money. By: Melissa Woods / AAP Free to view -
Tuesday 23 June 2026 11:42pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : International chess officials say Tonga has the potential to significantly increase its number of internationally rated players as the country's developing chess community hosts its first national chess competition.
Premium content -
Tuesday 23 June 2026 11:17pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Team Tonga will compete across eight sports and 20 medal events at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games from 23 July – 2 August 2026. The Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC) has announced the team, noting that two team sports, Women's Netball and Women's 3x3 Basketball secured their places at the Games through qualification pathways. Premium content
Opinion
-
Saturday 20 June 2026 7:29pm
New Delhi, India : The prospect of artificial general intelligence—systems capable of performing any human cognitive task—has inspired both hope and anxiety. While AGI could usher in an unprecedented increase in global living standards, it could also sharply reduce demand for human labour, fueling unemployment, social unrest, and conflict. Much of the AI debate in recent years has swung between these two extremes. By: Kaushik Basu Free to view
Sports
-
Friday 5 June 2026 11:36pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's athletics team returned with a haul of 38 medals from the Oceania Championship Cup 2026 in Darwin, including 10 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze, while setting new records and securing international qualification standards. Free to view
Pacific Islands
-
Tuesday 23 June 2026 11:58pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : An El Niño was officially declared for Tonga for the next 3 to 6 months, following sustained warming of sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and corresponding changes in the coupling effect of ocean-atmospheric circulation, the Tonga Meteorological Services (TMS) under Ministry of MEIDECC stated, 19 June 2026. Free to view
Promoted Content
-
Monday 22 June 2026 9:38pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : MEIDECC is seeking comments on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the replacement and upgrade of the Tapuhia Waste Water Treatment Plant. A copy of the EAl Report may be inspected at the MEIDECC Environment Office, Fatafehi Road, Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu. Free to view -
Thursday 18 June 2026 12:32pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Tonga Energy Commission has approved an increase in the electricity tariff from 1 June 2026, from 121.63 to 125.02 seniti per kilowatt-hour (seniti/kWh), a rise of 2.8%. The increase follows a 7.2% rise in the June wholesale price of diesel for power generation, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to push global fuel prices higher. Free to view -
Wednesday 17 June 2026 11:23pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A call is now open for applications to the Tonga Climate Change Fund for funding proposals under these thematic grant windows including: Agriculture, Agroforestry, Tourism, Fisheries, Energy, Capacity Building and Climate Finance Sustainability. These grants aim to strengthen community resilience, safeguard livelihoods, and advance Tonga’s national climate change priorities. Free to view -
Wednesday 17 June 2026 11:04pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Ko e fanongonongo ni ki he ngaahi Kautaha ni, ke fakahu mai homou tohi kole ki he ngaahi ‘elia ‘e 7 ko ‘eni ‘o kau ki ai ‘a e: Ngoue, Ngoue Tuifio mo e Vao ‘Akau, Takimamata, Toutai, Ma’u’anga Ivi, Fakalakalaka ‘o e Taukei Ngaue mo e Tolonga ‘o e Pa’anga Feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘Ea. ‘Oku fakataumu’a ‘a e ngaahi tokoni ko ‘eni ke fakamalohia ‘a e tu’unga matuúaki ‘a e Komiuniti, malu’i ‘a e ngaahi ma’u’anga mo’ui, pea mo fakalakalaka ‘a e ngaahi mahu’inga ‘uluaki fakafonua ‘a Tonga ki he feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘ea. Free to view -
Tuesday 16 June 2026 9:18pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Government of Tonga has showcased ten years of ocean governance reform at the Australia-Pacific Ocean Business Leaders Summit, demonstrating how a whole-of-government approach is supporting the sustainable management of its entire ocean estate. The reforms, anchored by Ocean7 and strengthened through new policy and legislative tools, position Tonga at the forefront of integrated ocean governance in the Pacific. Free to view
