Tonga secures new support from World Bank

Prime Minister Eke and World Bank’s VP meet to deepen development ties. During the 2025 World Bank–IMF meetings held this week, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. ‘Aisake Valu Eke met with Mr. Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, the World Bank Vice President for East...

Tama Tonga sends a five-word message after returning to WWE and joining The MFT

Tama Tonga sent a five-word message after returning to WWE and joining forces with MFT. The faction stood tall over Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura on last week's SmackDown. Tonga aligned himself with Solo Sikoa post-WrestleMania XL and joined the...

Supporting Safe And Strong Tonga

Department of Defence Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil, will travel to the Kingdom of Tonga today to represent the Australian Government at the commissioning ceremony for His Majesty’s Armed Forces’ new landing craft, VOEA Late, at the...

Timor-Leste Community Voices Highlight Tourism’s Promise and Challenges

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in collaboration with Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTA), released the findings of the 2024–2025 Community Attitudes Survey (CAS)—Timor-Leste’s first comprehensive national study on...

Solomon Islanders Call for Sustainable, Community-Driven Tourism

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in partnership with Tourism Solomons (TSO) and Solomon Islands Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), has released the results of the 2024 Community Attitude Survey (CAS)—the first nationwide study of its...

Advocate calls for voting access for Tongans working overseas ahead of November polls

A Tonga Electoral Commission banner with the message: "Vote so you can be counted". Photo: Tonga Electoral Commission A Tongan lawyer and the head of the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) in Nuku'alofa is calling for overseas-based workers...

RC Blog: Who’s willing to pay for sustainability in the Pacific?

Written by Simona Marinescu, Isabella Massa, Guillaume Lafortune After major setbacks to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Pacific needs fairer access to financing as it fights to overcome climate challenges. Crises in climate, geopolitics...

Tonga volcano explosion equalled most powerful ever U.S nuclear test

A huge underwater volcanic event in Tonga last year was of a magnitude comparable with the most powerful nuclear detonation by the U.S, researchers have revealed. Scientists have used eye and earwitnesses accounts, along with data from tide...

Young talent time for Tonga as Woolf adds star rookies

With the game’s most exciting young talent joining with some of the NRL’s top forwards, coach Kristian Woolf is confident Tonga will make an impact in this year’s Pacific Championships. All three NRL rookie of the year nominees Leka Halasima,...

Tonga’s Pacific Championship squad has been announced

Tonga has announced a 21-man squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships, where they’ll go head-to-head with Samoa and New Zealand. Queensland State of Origin centre Robert Toia has been selected to make his international debut for Tonga, joining...

Solo Sikoa breaks silence with 2-word message after Tama Tonga returns to WWE and joins The MFT

Solo Sikoa has finally reacted with a two-word message to Tama Tonga's return. The former WWE Tag Team Champion made his return during the Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura match on SmackDown. Tonga has been a crucial member of Sikoa's Bloodline,...

New Travel Guide for American Samoa Marks Major Leap for Tourism

160+ In-Depth Articles Now Live on AmericanSamoaPocketGuide.com, Providing the Ultimate Encyclopedia for Traveling in American Samoa The tourism industry in American Samoa has taken a leap forward with the launch of American Samoa Pocket Guide,...

Candidates confirmed for Tonga election

A Tonga Electoral Commission banner with the message: "Vote so you can be counted". Photo: Tonga Electoral Commission Eighteen nobles have registered for the upcoming Tonga general election on 20 November. Registration of candidates closed in...

TradeWinds Aligns with UN Call for Sustainable Tourism

Long before sustainability became a global call to action, TradeWinds—the purpose-led, eco-conscious yacht charter company—had already embedded this mission into its DNA. Now, as the United Nations urges the travel and tourism sector to accelerate...

New Travel Guide for American Samoa marks major leap for local Tourism

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The tourism industry in American Samoa has taken a leap forward with the launch of the American Samoa Pocket Guide, a comprehensive online travel guide created for the U.S. territory. With more than 160 articles...

League: Tonga names star-studded men's and women's teams for Pacific Championships

Tonga and Jason Taumalolo against New Zealand during the Pacific Championships last year. Photo: Facebook / Tonga Rugby League Tonga Rugby League (TRL) is calling on all Tongans to unite behind their national teams named to compete in the upcoming...

Jason Momoa worked with a coach to speak Hawaiian authentically in 'Chief of War'

HONOLULU – Jason Momoa drove a vintage pickup along a winding country road in Hawaii, a tattooed arm dangling out the window and Metallica blasting. “POO'-ah-LEE',” he said. His passenger corrected him, again, modeling the subtle emphasis on the...

Tongan lawyer’s alarm as recent NZ court ruling revives RSE exploitation concerns

An Auckland-based Tongan lawyer has raised concerns about the risks facing Tongan workers under New Zealand’s RSE scheme, following a recent court decision that exposed serious breaches of employment law involving workers from the Solomon Islands....

The Pacific Tourism Organisation Hosts Two-Week Research Training for PNGTPA to Strengthen Tourism Data Capacity

From 16 to 30 September 2025, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) hosted a two-week research training program for the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA), aimed at strengthening PNGTPA’s capacity to manage and deliver...

Tonga secures $6 million grant from Japan to launch electronic passport system

Nuku’alofa, Tonga — The Governments of Japan and Tonga signed an agreement on Thursday, September 25, 2025, to introduce an Electronic Machine-Readable Passport (EMRP) system in the Kingdom of Tonga. The initiative is backed by a grant of 882...