Tonga secures $2.2 million grant to boost education

Tonga has secured a US$2.2 million grant to enhance its education system. The System Transformation Grant (STG), provided by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and administered by Save the Children Australia (SCA), will be implemented by...

Tonga prefects’ role highlighted at leadership retreat

Over 500 student leaders from Tongatapu gathered for the National Prefects Retreat. The Truancy, Emergency & Safety Department under the Ministry of Education & Training hosted a National Prefects Retreat at the Tonga National Stadium in...

Pacific Women in Sport Leadership Program launches in Tonga

Seventeen Tongan women have embarked on a transformative leadership journey to reshape the future of sport in the Pacific. The Pacific Women in Sports Leadership Program officially started in Nukuʻalofa on Tuesday, drawing together 17 women from...

Siesina Latu to receive King’s Service Medal for her support to Tongan and Pasifika families.

A Tongan community leader says she was in disbelief when told she would receive the King’s Service Medal for her support of Pacific families. Siesina Latu, based in Timaru, New Zealand, is recognised in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for over a...

Tonga's development summit: 'Some good ideas' mixed with 'a waste of time' discussions

Participants at Tonga's National Development Summit. 20 March 2025 Photo: Facebook / PM Press A strategic planning meeting in Tonga last week tossed up "some very good" ideas for the country's way forward. That's the assessment of our Tonga...

Law Convention set to kickoff

[File Photo] Legal professionals from across the Pacific will gather in Nadi this week for the Fiji Law Society Convention 2025, hosted in partnership with the Pasefika Lawyers Collective (PLC). The three-day convention, which opens on Thursday,...

Culture will eat your strategic planning for lunch: a call for high-performance leadership in Tonga

As Tonga’s leaders came together for the Economic Development Summit last week, they faced a significant challenge: how to turn strategic plans into real results. While having good policies and development strategies is crucial, Peter Drucker’s...

OPINION – Ideas for Fiji education review: Free downloads

FIJI has appointed seven commissioners (Dr Kesaia Seniloli, Dr Priscilla Puamau, Dr Vijay Naidu, Filipe Jitoko, Kelera Taloga, Arvind Maharaj and Dr Lavinia Tiko) to a Fiji Education Commission to conduct “a comprehensive review of the nation’s...

What Is Daniel Faalele’s Ethnicity? All About NFL Guard’s Nationality, Religion and More

Who is the heaviest active player in the NFL? It’s Trent Williams, who weighs about 380 lbs. But closer to him is one man who weighs around 379 lbs, as per 2024 stats. And that is Daniel Faalele. Born on November 9, 1999, 6’8” Daniel Faalele is...

Deficit budget announced in Tonga; largest ever spend

St George Government Building, Nuku'alofa CBD Photo: Matangi Tonga Tonga's 'Aisake Eke Government has produced its first budget, pumping up spending by more than 10 percent compared with last year. It has some key elements that differ from...

Pacific plans taskforce

SYDNEY: South Pacific defence ministers want to transform a military disaster response group into a taskforce that could also conduct Pacific “stabilisation” missions, in a move that could stir controversy in the region. The shift, which was...

PM presents Tonga's biggest budget $992.8 million

By Katalina Siasau Tonga’s biggest ever budget of $992.8 million for the 2025-26 financial year was presented by the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr 'Aisake Eke, to Parliament today, 3 June. The total budget estimate for the coming year 2025-26 includes...

Heilala Festival 2025: culture, sport, and celebration unite

The annual Heilala Festival will run from 27 June to 5 July, blending tradition, pageantry, and sport in yet another vibrant national celebration. This year’s festival will also honour the official birthday of King Tupou VI, who will turn 66 on...

Tonga constructing a new strategic development plan

Tongan Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke speaking at the National Development Summit. 18 March 2025 Photo: Screengrab / Tonga Broadcasting Live Streaming The government of Tonga, led by Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke and formed at the end of last year,...

Students go beyond connecting with island culture

Christina Brigante Work experience student, Robinvale College TONGAN education supporters at Robinvale College have been encouraging Tongan students to get involved with their culture by starting a dance group named Si’i Kae Hā. Since their debut...

Crown Prince seek China support in medical, education & climate change

Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Xiamen on Wednesday. The meeting, held during the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, highlights the deepening relationship between Tonga...

Beyond The Storm-Women, Climate, And The Power of Inclusion: Unlocking Stronger Climate Strategies through Gender-Responsive Action in the Pacific and Caribbean

On the Edge: Women, Islands, and a Changing Climate In the vibrant Pacific and Caribbean regions, women are the quiet powerhouses behind both on- and off-farm work. It is they who nurture crops, tend home gardens, and harvest seafood drawing upon...

Pacific Dance Festival 2025 celebrates culture and connection

Pacific Dance Festival 2025. With less than a week to go, the annual Pacific Dance Festival 2025 will showcase the beauty and diversity of Pacific dance. This year promises to bring together talent from across Aotearoa New Zealand and from the...

Tonga celebrates Commonwealth Day

Tonga joined 56 nations in celebrating Commonwealth Day under the theme “Together We Thrive.” yesterday. The day emphasizes unity and cooperation among member countries. British High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency Mr. Philip Malone hosted...

Chinese agronomy teacher recounts teaching in Tonga, plans return

"When we first arrived at Tonga College in 2020, the school lacked agricultural facilities and equipment. Students had to carry buckets to water the vegetables," recalled Ren Aizhi, a teacher from the College of Agronomy at Liaocheng University,...