Matangi Tonga - Tonga's leading news website
Breaking news
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Friday 6 February 2026 7:56pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The construction of classrooms and a multipurpose hall for the Free Wesleyan Primary and Middle School in Kolovai will improve the quality of education for students, in a project funded under Japan's Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (GGP), which was officially signed in a ceremony yesterday.
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Friday 6 February 2026 3:28pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Tonga women’s basketball 3x3 team has qualified for the 3x3 women’s basketball competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, to be held in July. Free to view -
Thursday 5 February 2026 6:33pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Johann David Wadephul, has called for a more flexible, energetic and visible European Union presence in the Pacific, saying island states expect partners to move beyond shared values and deliver concrete action. Free to view -
Thursday 5 February 2026 5:09pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Weather warnings remain in force for Tongatapu, ʻEua and Haʻapai, as an active low-pressure trough continues to affect much of the Kingdom, bringing heavy rain, strong to gale-force winds and hazardous marine conditions. Free to view -
Thursday 5 February 2026 3:40pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Commander Rose Apikotoa has become the first Australian of Tongan heritage promoted to the rank of captain n the Australian Navy at a ceremony in Canberra on 29 January, 2026, and will soon take up a new Canberra-based role as Chief of Staff to the Head of Military Personnel. Free to view -
Tu'anuku, Vava'u : A new kindergarten facility opened this week in the village of Tu'anuku, Vava'u, with a celebration held on 3 February 2026 to mark a milestone for early childhood education in the community. Free to view -
Thursday 5 February 2026 12:58pm
Apia, Samoa : Climate change remains the single greatest existential threat to Pacific people, according to SPREP Director General Sefanaia Nawadra, who regrets the United States’ recent withdrawal from the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme. “A lot of questions were asked about the implications, especially in the face of a fiercely contested region, geopolitically,” he said. Free to view -
Wednesday 4 February 2026 11:06pm
North Harbour, New Zealand : Moana Pasifika has named a strong side to take on the Highlanders in Friday's pre-season match at the Queenstown Events Centre. Free to view -
Wednesday 4 February 2026 2:48pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : ‘Alifeleti ‘Anitoni is serving eight months in prison for possession of 117.55 grams of cannabis and unlawful firearms seized at his home in Ha’akame in 2025. Free to view -
Wednesday 4 February 2026 12:11pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, in Tonga today, met King Tupou VI, the Prime Minister, Lord Fakafanua, and Tonga's Foreign Minister, Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala this morning, on a whirlwind high-level visit. Free to view
Opinion
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Wednesday 4 February 2026 9:41am
Geneva, Switzerland : Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections. Three cancer types – lung, stomach and cervical cancer – accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women, globally. Free to view -
Monday 2 February 2026 3:48pm
: The global ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty marks a decisive moment in international cooperation and ocean governance. Referred to as the High Seas Treaty, the agreement establishes a legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in areas of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction. By Mohseen Riaz-Ud-Dean and Ashna Kumar. Free to view -
Monday 2 February 2026 12:54pm
Toronto, Canada : Timothy Snyder sees in the public executions of US citizens by federal agents a move to turn the entire US into a border zone. Free to view -
Thursday 29 January 2026 11:41am
Geneva, Switzerland : Healthy food in schools can help children develop healthy dietary habits for life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which released a new global guideline on evidence-based policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments. For the first time, WHO is advising countries to adopt a whole-school approach that ensures food and beverages provided in schools and available throughout the broader school food environments are healthy and nutritious. In 2025, about 1 in 10 school-aged children and adolescents – 188 million – were living with obesity worldwide, surpassing for the first time the number of children who are underweight. Free to view
Promoted Content
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Suva, Fiji : The journey back to the lecture halls of The University of the South Pacific for Lesieli Fekitamoelotu Huihahau, was a powerful declaration that it’s never too late to chase your dream. The 30-year-old, who hails from Ha‘apai, recently graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Agriculture from USP’s Tonga Campus. Free to view -
Tuesday 20 January 2026 8:32pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Commissioners of the Energy Commission are pleased to announce an electricity tariff reduction of 2.58 seniti per kWh (kilowatt hour). This is a 4.1% reduction from the last quarter (Oct–Dec 2025) when the electricity tariff was 92.16 seniti per kWh. The new electricity tariff for this quarter is $0.8958 seniti per kWh. / Kuo tali ‘e he kau Komisiona Ma’u’anga Ivi ke fakahoko atu ‘a e holo ‘a e totongi ‘uhila ‘aki ‘a e seniti ‘e 2.58 ki he kWh. Ko e holo ‘eni ‘aki ‘a e peseti ‘e 4.1% mei he kuata (‘Okatopa-Tisema 2025) ‘i he taimi na’e seniti ai ‘e 92.16 ki he kWh. Ko e totongi ‘uhila fo’ou ni ke ngaue’aki ma’ae fonua fakalukufua ko e seniti ‘e $0.8958 ki he kWh. Free to view
