Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Dr Tu’ipulotu Kātoanga appointed as inaugural Pro-Chancellor of Tonga National University
Kaniva Tonga
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September 11, 2025
UPDATED The government has officially approved the appointment of Dr. Tu’ipulotu Katonga as the first Pro-Chancellor of Tonga National University (TNU). The announcement was made today by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi,...
Sailing Tonga: A Yachter’s Paradise in the South Pacific
Pacific Tourism Organisation
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September 11, 2025
Tonga, known as the Kingdom of Friendly Islands, is a dream destination for travelers seeking authentic Polynesian culture, unspoiled beauty, and incredible adventures on the water. For yacht enthusiasts, Tonga stands out as one of the Pacific’s...
Tonga team returns home to inspire before Pacific Cup
Jimboomba Times
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September 9, 2025
"A lot of them haven't been to Tonga and still have grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts that are there. It is great for them to get back and connect with their family. It is a different lifestyle there and they will get a real idea of what we...
Seeking Opportunity: Do Tonga’s poverty and land laws explain its top spot on NZ’s visa overstay list?
Kaniva Tonga
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September 9, 2025
Commentary – While Tonga has made notable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty, deep-rooted economic hardship and systemic legal inequalities remain key factors pushing some citizens to seek opportunities abroad—sometimes leading them to...
Argentina one of 10 countries to vote against UN two-state solution for Israel-Palestine
Buenos Aires Herald
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September 13, 2025
Argentina was one of only ten countries to vote against a peaceful two-state solution for Israel and Palestine in the United Nations (UN), which includes the disarmament of Hamas. The vote is in line with the Milei administration’s voiced...
Tonga prepares for election as candidates step forward, foreign affairs bill…
Pacific News Service
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Candidates running in Tonga’s upcoming election have until 10 October to submit their nominations. When speaking to the media, Tonga’s Prime Minister Dr ‘Aisake Valu Eke was unable to confirm whether or not his Cabinet would be seeking...
Netweaving the Soul of Pasifika Development
Solomon Star
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September 13, 2025
Introduction: Reconnecting with Our Pacific Soul Bula vinaka, talofa lava, malo e lelei, halo olgeta – warm Pacific greetings to you all. Esteemed leaders, respected elders, fellow academics, youth representatives, and civil society champions –...
Mallorca immigration crisis: “If the Balearics wants EU border control help Madrid will have to ask for it not Palma”
Majorca Daily Bulletin
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September 6, 2025
N ICK Squires has been the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph correspondent in Rome since 2008 and usually tends to cover events in other countries in Eastern Europe. However, of late he has been posted to Mallorca twice. Last year this was to...
Kerre Woodham: Overstayers and fudged immigration promises
Newstalk ZB
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September 5, 2025
The Government is cracking down on serious immigration breaches. It's announced it will strengthen deportation settings on the same day that Immigration New Zealand revealed there are more than 20,000 people who have overstayed their visa....
Embracing grief: The sacred space of Sāmoan and Tongan traditions in mourning
Pacific Media Network
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As Pacific families navigate the pain of losing a loved one, spirituality and cultural traditions play a central role in how grief is expressed and processed. The focus comes as Aotearoa New Zealand marks Dying Matters Awareness Week, with...
Meet Our 2025 Indigenous Community Media Fund Grant Partners
Cultural Survival - Massachusetts
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“Our parents died with the dream of living in freedom, of living a peaceful and dignified life. It has not happened yet, but we will not give up. Rather, we will stand strong, steadfast until the end. Let our voice echo and be heard in Bolivia and...
Government announces crackdown on immigration breaches with new deportation rules, as overstayer numbers revealed
The New Zealand Herald
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September 3, 2025
Among the changes that Stanford’s new legislation will make is an expansion of deportation liability to up to 20 years to cover those with residence class visas who commit serious criminal offences. Rules will be tightened to ensure providing...
Tonga’s regional leadership promote Pacific progress
Talanoa 'O Tonga
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August 28, 2025
Tonga’s leadership of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in 2025 has enabled swift progress on regional priorities, including climate resilience, architecture reform and inclusive governance. Prime Minister Hon. Dr ʻAisake Eke, as Forum Chair,...
Tonga’s economy remains highly vulnerable to external shocks, says IMF
Matangi Tonga Online
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August 27, 2025
The Tongan economy is growing at a solid pace but remains highly vulnerable to external shocks including natural disasters, global trade policy uncertainty, and the risk of reduced concessional financing, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF)...
Grace: Gaylene Preston’s new film on artist Robin White is a powerful prayer for peace
The New Zealand Herald
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September 12, 2025
“I knew what I was looking at was not the frontline of a battle scene,” she says, in Grace: A Prayer for Peace, an intimate documentary on the artist by another legendary dame in her late 70s, Wellington filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston. “It was a...
Strengthening disaster relief cooperation in Tonga
The National Tribune
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September 1, 2025
Department of Defence On July 30, a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, resulting in tsunami alerts being issued across the Pacific. While the tsunami never arrived, it was a timely reminder...
Tauhi Fonua: Weaving Kinship and Ecological Care through the Tongan Creation…
IUCN
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This think piece focuses on the deep-rooted kinship between Tongans and the ocean, drawing upon Tongan cosmogony (creation story) and the Indigenous practice of tauhi fonua (caretaking for the fonua/ecology). The Tongan origin story presents the...
Activist slams Pacific’s ‘dreadful response’ to Palestine amid growing links with Israel
Asia Pacific Report
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August 22, 2025
By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of Pacific Media Network As Israel expands its relationships with Pacific Island nations, an activist is criticising the region for its “dreadful response” to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict,...
CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants 2025 Winners: Four Cash Grants Awarded To Support Local Writers
Pacific Scoop
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September 12, 2025
Press Release – NZSA The $5,000 grants support local writers who wish to undertake research for a fiction or non-fiction writing project. The 2025 Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) and New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa...
Education ministry launches new official website
Talanoa 'O Tonga
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August 19, 2025
The Ministry of Education and Training (MET) unveiled its new website, www.education.gov.to, on Monday, offering a centralised, secure platform for education information across Tonga. The launch ceremony in ʻApi Mataka was led by the Hon. Minister...