You are here
Breaking news
Pages
-
Tuesday 16 July 2024 6:40pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The critical components required to restore Fire Services at Lupepau'u Airport in Vava'u are expected to arrive in Tonga tonight, Tonga Airports Ltd. (TAL) stated today, 16 July. International flights from Nadi to Vava'u have been downgraded over the last two weeks, and TAL said they were working to reinstate Category 4 airport rescue fire operations there.
Premium content -
Monday 15 July 2024 7:35pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Wharf no. 1, the latest milestone of the Nuku'alofa Port Upgrade, was commissioned in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 12 July 2024 in Tongatapu. The Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku was joined by Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General for the Pacific, Leah Gutierrez, the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, Brek Batley, and Tonga's Minister of Infrastructure, Sevenitini Toumo’ua. Premium content -
Monday 15 July 2024 7:24pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Around 50 smallholder farmers gained new skills in organic agriculture and agroecology, under training sessions run by the Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN) project. Premium content -
Monday 15 July 2024 7:18pm
Beijing, China : Eight Tongan students have completed their studies and graduated from various universities in China in the past academic year. Premium content -
Monday 15 July 2024 2:00pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga is still in progress with preparations for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting to be held on 26 - 30 August, in Nuku'alofa. Premium content -
Sunday 14 July 2024 8:13pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Due to a safety issue with the fire services at the Vava'u Airport in Tonga, Fiji Airways has downgraded its aircraft on the Nadi to Vava'u route from an ATR72 to a smaller ATR42 aircraft. This was after Flight FJ295 from Nadi heading to Vava‘u, was turned around on Thursday 4 July 2024 and did not land. The airline stated it was organising alternative travel arrangements for guests affected by the decision to reduce seats on the route. Smaller aircraft are scheduled this week as a temporary measure. Premium content -
Friday 12 July 2024 11:59pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Last Tuesday 9 July, Tonga's communications Regulator, MEIDECC, notified Starlink, the global satellite internet network, to cut off all services to its roaming subscribers across Tonga's land and seas. The government will not allow the use of Starlink in the current ongoing communications crisis in Tonga, because they have not given Starlink's fixed broadband services a license to operate here. The regulator is not allowing the roaming services either, after the nation's domestic fiber optic cable failed on 29 June. “With understanding of the inconvenience, at the same time the law cannot be put aside just because you have slow internet,” the Prime Minister told Starlink users yesterday, many of whom had raised safety concerns.1 comment -
Friday 12 July 2024 7:42pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The ‘Ikale Tahi was defeated by Italy (14-36) on their home turf at Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku’alofa today, 12 July 2024. Premium content -
Friday 12 July 2024 5:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Siosina Vakasiuola (30) was found guilty on two charges of obtaining money by false pretences, when she received $47,000 from two customers, who signed contracts with her for the importation of vehicles, which never materialized. “Miss Vakasiuola was not a convincing witness and I conclude that she has lied to the Court," stated the judge. Premium content -
Friday 12 July 2024 5:07pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The new Miss Galaxy Queen for 2024-25, Giovanna Lisha Mafi (Miss Tasmania Australia) was crowned last night, 12 July at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall in Nuku'alofa, by Patron of the Tonga Leitis' Association, Hon Sālote Lupepau’u Tuita, after a final night of judging events Premium content -
Thursday 11 July 2024 9:42pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Five contestants are vying for the Miss Galaxy Tonga 2024-25 title and crown in Nuku'alofa this week. Last night 10 July, saw three judging events, at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall. This year, the colourful annual event, organized by the Tonga Leiti’s Association (TLA), is celebrating its 31st anniversary. Premium content -
Thursday 11 July 2024 3:49pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : I run the Island Cruising Pacific Rally. We currently have 129 yachts sailing through the Pacific Islands, with many of them currently cruising in Tonga and others heading your way shortly from French Polynesia. Many of them use Starlink as their primary means of communications on board their vessels. By allowing Starlink to continue operating as it has been for the last 16 months, our rally participants will be able to be safe and continue safely cruising in Tonga, and will also enable your local businesses to continue to operate. - Viki Moore -
Thursday 11 July 2024 1:16pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Yesterday, Starlink notified its roaming customers located in Tonga that Starlink has been directed by the Tonga government to disable their internet services to users in the country. The 10 July notification shocked internet users especially those who have turned to Starlink's high-speed roaming service as a life-saver, after the domestic submarine cable failed for the third time a fortnight ago, following an earthquake. Concerned users raised a petition yesterday: “To Allow Access to Starlink Internet Services in Tonga” which is directed to the regulators and members of Cabinet. -
Thursday 11 July 2024 12:00am
Neiafu, Vava'u : I am writing to you, as a concerned citizen of Tonga, to ask that the government of Tonga take immediate action to allow access to Starlink internet services in our country. In today's increasingly digital world, access to reliable and high-speed internet is not merely a luxury but a necessity. - Brian A. Meikle -
Wednesday 10 July 2024 11:41pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A total communications failure on Tonga's only inter-island domestic submarine cable has disrupted normal telephone and internet services to the outer islands since 29 June and it is likely to be several weeks before it is known how long it might take for normal services to be restored. In the meantime, the local providers are running on low bandwidth satellite links with limited capacity. It is Tonga's third major internet outage, following the severely disruptive national and domestic cable blackouts in 2019 and 2022. Premium content -
Wednesday 10 July 2024 8:34pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The ‘Ikale Tahi, captained by Ben Tameifuna, is set to clash with Italy at Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku'alofa this Friday 12 July 2024, with kick-off set for 3:30pm Tonga time. Tonga Rugby Union and the ‘Ikale Tahi management released their Team List this afternoon, 10 July. -
Tuesday 9 July 2024 7:25pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Viliami Kioa (43) of Sopu caused serious bodily harm to a woman who was cleaning a neighbour's property, when he assaulted her with a 4ft long aluminium pipe during a verbal altercation, which was witnessed by the victim's young daughter and another woman. Premium content -
Monday 8 July 2024 7:37pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A Hauloto couple were arrested in a Tonga Police drug raid on Wednesday, 3 July, at Hauloto, Tongatapu. The suspects, a 31 year old male and his 28 year old female partner, have been charged with possession of illicit drugs and drug utensils. Premium content -
Monday 8 July 2024 4:20pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The 12th One Tonga Choral event saw 12 choirs with hundreds of singers gathering at Queen Sālote Memorial Hall on Sunday evening, 7 July, for the annual “One Tonga - Glorifying God in Song” event, that brings together many different denominations and their congregations for a musical evening that never fails to delight the audience. Premium content -
Saturday 6 July 2024 11:00pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's first Anti-Corruption Commissioner, a New Zealander, Mr. Chris LaHatte, was sworn into office before the Tonga Cabinet on Friday 5 July 2024. The first Executive Director of the office, Tongan lawyer, Mele Fakatouato Mangisi, was appointed in June to lead the office, which commenced operations this week on Monday 1 July. It has taken 17 years for the office to be established, since the passing of the Tongan legislation in September 2007. Premium content
