Results for Opinion

The war with Iran is widening faster than many expected. The Islamic Republic’s retaliation against Arab Gulf states has extended beyond military targets to critical civilian infrastructure, including airports, water desalination plants, and energy facilities. Hezbollah has opened a second front from Lebanon. US President Donald Trump suggests that operations could last “four to five weeks,” but with nearly 50 senior Iranian officials having been killed, it is unclear who might be positioned to negotiate an off-ramp. Trump may have wanted a localized confrontation, but he has instead lit a match in the center of the global energy system. - Carolyn Kissane

Deep seabed mining is often presented as a new economic frontier for Pacific nations—a source of revenue, jobs, and minerals needed for the global energy transition. But when we look beyond the promises and examine the evidence, the conclusion for Tonga is clear: deep seabed mining is a high-risk gamble we cannot afford to take. This is not an argument against development. It is an argument for choosing development paths that protect our people, our ocean, and our future. - Johnny Grattan Vaea Taione.

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.

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.

As the founding Director of Ocean of Light International Schools I have been a close observer of Education in Tonga. I read with interest that Tonga High School shone brightly with the local examinations. They should shine even brighter because effectively they have the "Cream of the Crop" to work with. As Ocean of Light comes to its 30th Anniversary in February it also looks back on outstanding successes- Alan Cairns

A healthy democracy is often measured by how well it enables citizens to take part in the political process, with voter turnout and participation in civil-society groups serving as key indicators of public engagement. Yet as Tonga’s parliament elects its prime minister on 15 December 2025, democratic gains risk being diluted if executive power consolidates around nobility rather than the people’s representatives. By Ema Ivarature, ‘Akanesi Katoa, Henry Ivarature / EAF.

November 17 marked the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day – mandated by the World Health Assembly – a historic milestone in global efforts to end a preventable cancer. This day of action...highlights a critical opportunity: cervical cancer – the fourth most common cancer in women – claims over 350 000 lives each year, yet it is a disease that we have the tools to eliminate. -WHO

Looking ahead, it is important to identify the areas in our electoral system and constitutional arrangement that might need attention in the future. It is important that a way is found to ensure future constitution-makers are enabled to make changes to the Constitution and Electoral Laws, as they see fit. For instance, if a decision was made to further democratise the Constitution, how could that be done? What would be the scope and depth of such an exercise? Could the present system of electorate-based voting be improved so that there is a balance between partisan obligations and national priorities? Some mechanism, too, must be found so that overseas Tongans can vote. And is “first-past-the-post” the most suitable electoral system for Tonga? - By Malakai Koloamatangi

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Pesi Siale Fonua (78), well known Pacific Islands journalist, publisher of Matangi Tonga Online, and beloved husband, father and grandfather, who died on 12 October 2025, at Vaiola Hospital in Tonga. The funeral service will be held at the SDA Church Mangaia, Nuku'alofa 1:00pm Saturday 18 October 2025. The burial will take place at the cemetery "Mala'e ko Fala Oloveti 'o Nukuleva" at 3:00pm Saturday. A farewell viewing will be held on Friday afternoon.