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A 7.0 Mw earthquake strikes near the island country of Tonga with a 6.1 Mw aftershock. A tsunami warning is issued and later lifted.
2025-03-30

Prime Minister of Tonga Siaosi Sovaleni resigns ahead of a vote of no confidence.
2024-12-9

Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga.
2022-01-15

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledges help to the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue and Tonga to strengthen their health systems while vowing to the leaders of those nations to host a "safe and secure" 2020 Summer Olympics.
2021-06-30

Tonga extends the state of emergency, which includes curfews and restrictions on gatherings, until November 23. The country, which is COVID-19-free, imposed strict measures on March 12.
2020-10-28

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that New Zealand will give NZ$10 million to Tonga to help with rebuilding after the country was struck by Cyclone Gita in February.
2018-03-6

From the Diocese of Tonga, Catholic Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi is welcomed at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus in Honolulu, Hawaii. Appointed by Pope Francis, Mafi is the first and youngest cardinal from the small South Pacific nation of Tonga.
2016-01-16

Tonga restores contact with the Ha'apai islands after Cyclone Ian passed through during the weekend, killing one person and significantly damaging structures.
2014-01-13

Tongan Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala marries Sinaitakala Fakafanua in a wedding ceremony in Nukuʻalofa. The marriage, the first for a Crown Prince of Tonga in 65 years, sparks controversy as the couple are second cousins.
2012-07-12