Police are investigating after three people died on Saturday June 10.
The victims were two boys aged 10 and 11 from Lapaha and a 59-year-old man from ‘Utulau.
Nuku’alofa Central Police Station. Photo/Kalino Lātū
The 10-year-old deceased was out with a friend for an early morning bike ride at Lapaha.
The victim lost control of the bike and crashed into a toa tree on the side of the road.
He injured his head before he was rushed to the Vaiola hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival.
The 11-year-old deceased from Lapaha was helping his grandmother at home with their laundry on Saturday morning. He was asked to lift a bucket full of water but he slipped and hit his head on the edge of the cement floor. The machine fell on him. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
A 59-year-old man from ‘Utulau was found dead in a car on a roadside between Tokomololo and ‘Utulau.
There was no sign of anything suspicious found on the car or on the deceased, Police said.
Police were awaiting the result of a post mortem examination to establish the man’s cause of death
“Tonga Police offers its heartfelt condolences to the families during this difficult time. Wishing you all the Heavenly Father’s peace, comfort, courage, and guidance at this time of sorrow”.
A man who viciously struck high school rugby team players who lost a game in Tonga’s Vava‘u islands has caused public outrage.
Reports claimed a video showing the incident was taken in a rugby field after another school‘s players defeated the Vava’u High School boys’ rugby team.
The coach, who was reportedly one of the teachers at the school, threatened to injure the boys and made degrading remarks against the winning team.
He told his team he did not accept being defeated.
The man is overheard in the video calling his players together and began telling them off.
“’Unu mai ke ongo atu e kapekape”, he said in Tongan. This translates into English as “Move up here so you can hear me swearing.”
He then said: “Ikai tali e fo’i”, which means in English as he did not accept being defeated.
He also said: “Loto keu fahi’i e fo’i ‘ulu ‘o e kau tama kete ‘e _ _ ko eni”, in English, it translates as “I wish to chop off the heads of these players whose gutlessness stank.”
“Omai e va’akau ki heni”, means “Bring the stick here” in English.
“Taa’i ‘eni koe pea ke ‘ilo leva”, in English means “I am going to beat you so that you now know.”
“Tuku e kete ‘e_ _ mo e fakamā”, in English means “Stop being stinking gutless because it is embarrassing.”
“‘Ai ke ke mate ma’a e ‘apiako,” he said. In English this means “Make yourself dead for the school.”
“Ha’u pe timi ta’eteuteu ko ee’ ‘o va’inga homou ‘atamai”, in English means “That team which did not prepare well to play, outplayed you.”
Then he said: “Ikai ke fiema’u ia”, in English,”That is not wanted.”
“Ha’u e timi haua koee nau omai pe o laiki moutolu kau ‘atamai lelei”, the coach said. In English, this means “That team of vagabonds came and destroyed you, who are intelligent.”
“Me’a ia kou fehi’a ai. Ikai ke fiema’u e fo’i”, means in English, “That’s what I hate. Defeat is not wanted”.
The one minute 16 seconds-long video clip has been widely shared on social media this evening with one group racking up more than 250 reactions, more than 270 comments and more than 170 shares.
The video showed the man striking three players who were sitting on the field apparently at random. The players were taken by surprise.
It appeared that one of the players was struck on the back of his neck.
The victims appeared to be shocked and in pain, but remained sitting throughout their ordeal.
Critics reminded the coach that he must accept defeat as that was what sportsmanship was meant to be.
“That is too much and unacceptable”, a commenter said of the beatings.
“He should be sued and taken to court”, another commenter wrote.
“Part of the game is to accept the defeat. If you can’t, you don’t belong there. Uncivilised act from a leader. [Thanks for playing whanau]. You deserve a better coach”.
He has been criticised for his comments about the winning school.
Vava’u High School is a government school and enrols only the top students in the island group who pass the primary schools’ national high school entrance examinations.
A former Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O’Neill has been charged with three counts of giving false evidence at a commission of inquiry into a $US1.2 billion loan acquired in 2014 by his then government.
PNG PM Peter O’Neill Photo: AFP / Peter Parks
The inquiry in 2020 was investigating whether the country’s leaders broke the law in approving the loan from Swiss bank UBS.
The Post Courier reports police spoke to O’Neill at Kone Police Headquarters in Port Moresby.
Hundreds of disgruntled supporters and friends of the Lalibu-Pangia MP gathered in front of the building.
O’Neill has since been released.
He told reporters outside the police station that the charges are all part of a game by his political opponents to intimidate him.
“As far as I know that I did not mislead the commission of inquiry, but we will test this in court,” ONeill said.
“It is only in regard to those statements, the three counts of a charge, saying that I have lied under oath.”
“They believed my political opponents and other people who went and made statements in the commission of inquiry.”
He was released after being interviewed at the Boroko Police Station.
“This is all part of the game that they’re playing to try and intimidate me and harass me,” he told supporters outside the police station.
“But let me tell you that I am not going anywhere. I will be here. Nobody will intimidate me and nobody will shut me up.”
He added the police “acted professionally, despite much of the pressure coming from our political opponents”.
Meanwhile, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in April 2023.
“All individuals above the age of six who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine were considered to be “up-to-date” with COVID-19 vaccination.
“Conversely, individuals were considered to be not “up-to-date” if they had not received a single dose of a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine”.
Recent research has not been able to document the efficacy of the bivalent vaccine, while the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) XBB variants were the dominant circulating strains. Given that these viral variants remain the dominant circulating strains, it is reasonable to ask whether “up-to-date” individuals, with a vaccine of inconclusive effectiveness, are protected against COVID-19 as compared to their not “up-to-date” counterparts.
Addressing this issue, a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server investigates whether not “up-to-date” individuals had a higher risk of COVID-19 than “up-to-date” individuals.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Na’e ‘i ai ‘a e keisi fo’ou ‘e 9883 ‘o e Koviti ‘i Aotearoa ‘i he uike kuo ‘osi ngata he Sāpate pea mo ha toe mate ‘e 37 tu’unga he vailasi.
Ko e toko 4722 ko e kau toe puke.
Ko e ‘avalisi ‘ene vilo mai ‘a e ngaahi keisi ‘i he ‘aho ‘e 7 kotoa pe ne holo hifo ki he toko 1408.
Ko e toko 228 ne nau ‘i he fale mahaki he tu’uapō ‘o e Sāpate’ pea toko fitu ‘i he ‘initenisivikea’.
‘I he uike kuo ‘osi na’e lipooti ai ha keisi fo’ou ko e toko 12,028 mo ha toe mate ‘e 59 tupu mei he vailasi.
Taimi tatau pe kuo fakahā mei ‘Amelika mei he Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ‘a hono talamuiaki ‘a ‘enau takiekina ki he huhu malu’i mei he 2019 ki he 2023.
Ko e tokotaha kotoa ‘i ‘olunga he ta’u ono’ kuo’ ne ‘osi ma’u ha huhu malu’i ‘e taha ‘o e Koviti 19 kuo lau ko kinautolu ia kuo kakato a’u ki he huhu malu’i fakamuimui taha’, ‘a honau huhu malu’i.
Kehe mei ai, ko kinautolu ne ‘ikai ke kakato a’u ki he fakamuimui taha ‘a honau huhu malu’i ko kinautolu ko ee te’eki ‘i ai ha’anau fo’i huhu malu’i ‘e taha’.
Kuo te’eki lava ‘e ha fakatotolo fakamuimui ke tokiumeni ‘a e ola lelei ‘o e huhu malu’i lōua’ lolotonga ia ko e fōtunga kehe ‘o e severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) XBB ‘a e fōtunga fo’ou ‘o e vailasi ‘oku kei vilo’ ni holo’.
Koeuhi ko e kei vilo holo ‘a e ngaahi fōtunga fo’ou ko eni ‘o e vailasi ‘oku ‘uhinga lelei ke ‘eke pe ko kinautolu ko eni kuo kakato a’u ki he fakamuimui taha ‘a honau huhu malu’i oku nau malu’i mei he Koviti’ fakahoa kia kinautolu ne ‘ikai.
‘E ma’u ‘a e tali ki ai mei he link ko eni medRxiv*
A Tongan barrister in Auckland is among three new judges who have been appointed as District Court Judges in Aotearoa.
Tania Sharkey has specialised in family law, particularly since she emerged with a master’s degree from the Auckland Law School 20 years ago
Tania Margaret Sharkey comes from Tonga’s Houma, Tongatapu town and she also of Irish descent. After initially working as a solicitor in Auckland, Ms Sharkey established herself as a barrister at Friendship Chambers in Manukau, practising mainly in the family law area.
In early 2020, Ms Sharkey was appointed Lead Counsel Assisting of the Pacific peoples’ investigation in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in Care. She has been a Parole Board member since 2020, and has held various legal positions, including President of the Pacific Lawyers Association (2018-2021) and several years as Family Law Section Regional Representative (South Auckland).
Judge Sharkey will be sworn in on 4 August 2023 and will take up her appointment at the Manukau District Court.
Ms Sharkey along with Tania June Warburton and Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae have been appointed as District Court Judges, Attorney-General David Parker said.
The appointees will take up their roles in July, August and September respectively, replacing judges who are about to retire.
Tania June Warburton, solicitor of Wellington, has been appointed as a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction, to be based initially in Wellington.
Ms Warburton was as a judge’s clerk to the then Chief Justice, Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, before becoming Crown Counsel with Crown Law in 1999. In 2013 she was appointed Deputy Chief Legal Counsel at the Ministry of Justice. Since 2015 has worked at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as legal advisor to the Prime Minister.
Judge Warburton will be sworn in on 28 July 2023.
Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae, barrister of Auckland, has been appointed as a District Court Judge with a general jurisdiction, to be based in Manukau.
Ms Alofivae worked as a solicitor for several sole practitioners before establishing the partnership of King Alofivae Malosi in 1994. She was a partner in that firm before setting up practice as a Barrister Sole in 2005. She was one of the first lawyers to be appointed to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court in Auckland.
Ms Alofivae has had a corporate governance career alongside her legal practice. In 2016, she was appointed the independent Chair of the South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board and in 2018 she was appointed as a Commissioner to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in Care.
Judge Alofivae will be sworn in on 4 September 2023.
Police investigating what they say is the New Zealand’s biggest ever drugs conspiracy have arrested nine men including two Tongans.
Operation Weirton was a joint investigation between police and Customs.
All accused will face a High Court trial in 2025.
The arrests follow police and Customs intercepting a shipment of 613 kilograms of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport in March 2022.
“Eight men and one woman have been charged with various charges including importing methamphetamine, money laundering and possessing a Class A drug for supply”, according to a report published by Stuff.
“They had all previously entered guilty pleas at the District Court but at the High Court on Wednesday Justice Sally Fitzgerald set down a seven-week trial for April 2025”, the news outlet said.
Daniel Aperahama Hannett is charged with importing methamphetamine, money laundering, unlawful possession of firearm, pistol and explosives and possession of MDMA.
Warrick Wong, Hooi Keat Chai and Shen Tyson are all charged with money laundering.
Muli Paunga, Bradley Te Mai Koha Wijohn and Seni Lavakeiaho Langi all face charges of possessing methamphetamine for supply.
A man and a woman with interim name suppression are also charged with possessing the Class A drug for supply.
A name suppression hearing was set down for June.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Weirton, had been looking at a criminal syndicate’s alleged links to importation of controlled Class A drugs into the country, police commissioner Andrew Coster previously said.
Several of the people arrested are linked to the Comancheros gang.
Coster said the March 2022 bust was a “significant result” by the National Organised Crime Group to combat community hard caused by meth.
The initial drug seizure at the border had a street value of about $250m.
“Had this shipment been distributed across New Zealand it would have caused immense harm to the vulnerable communities these criminal groups were preying upon.”
It is estimated the drugs would have caused over $500 million worth of social harm, as per drug harm index figures, Coster added.
Several Moana Pasifika players are expected to be heading to the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the Ikale Tahi of Tonga in September.
Solomone Funaki with his year end awards and outgoing coach Aaron Mauger Photo: Caroline Ducobu www.ducobu.co.nz
That’s the indication from Tongan head coach Toutai Kefu, who says the Tongan players in the Moana outfit have improved immensely in the last two years the team has been part of the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
Kefu is expected to announce Tonga’s squad to meet Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Romania in France this coming weekend.
Speaking with RNZ Pacific from Brisbane this week, the former Wallaby loose forward said he and his panel of coaches have been following the performances of Moana Pasifika players and those playing around the world.
He said the two years of being conditioned in the Super Rugby Pacific professional rugby environment has helped the players and the competition has offered players the opportunity to play at a higher level.
“We are going to take a good portion of those Tongan players from Moana to the World Cup and those players we’ve watched closely over the last two years have improved significantly,” he said.
Moana Pasifika’s 2023 captain Solomone Funaki, who won four awards at the Moana Pasifika 20223 Awards Evening in Auckland on Tuesday, is a top contender for a World Cup spot with the Ikale Tahi.
Funaki, a tough loose forward, won the supreme award – the Moana Man – in a season which saw him step up into the captaincy with maiden skipper Sekope Kepu out for the season.
Funaki could also be in the running as Ikale Tahi captain at the World Cup.
He finished the regular season as the competition’s fourth best tackler with 173 (95 percent success rate) in 13 games, made 129 tackles, won 11 turnovers, scored three tries and carried the ball 141 metres past contact.
He also won the Tangaloa Award for Best Defender, the Savae La’auli Sir Michael Jones Forward of the Year and the Players Player of the Year.
Props Abraham Pole and Sosefo Apikotoa, flanker Penitoa Finau, winger Tima Fainga’anuku, Fine Inisi and fullback William Havili look set to also get the call up for national duties.
Stars available
Europe-based players Malakai Fekitoa, Israel Folau, Charles Piutau, George Moala and Vaea Fifita are all available to play for the Ikale Tahi and Kefu says they are in the radar for selection.
“Those players are busy, undergoing training at the moment.We will announce the team this weekend and those players are all available for us,” Kefu said.
Fekitoa, Piutau, Moala and Fifita are all former All Blacks while Folau is a former Wallaby.
The players became available for Tonga after World Rugby approved new eligibility rules that allowed players to play for their home nations after having represented other national teams.
Kefu and his coaching team have been monitoring players that they had identified over the past few months.
Once named, the squad members will assemble in Nuku’alofa in early July.
They will have a warm-up game against Australia A at Te’ufaiva Park on July 14 before going into the Pacific Nations Cup with the Flying Fijians and Manu Samoa.
Following the Cup series the Ikale Tahi will play two home Tests against Canada in their only other warm ups before flying to France.
Kefu says their Pool C is a tough one.
“It’s a tough pool. We got the best teams in the world, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and then Romania. All really hard games,” he said.
“But we’ve got a new team now and we got some X-factors and we will be able to throw some punches I reckon and I think we just need to come up with a really good game plan and a blueprint to win.”
Tonga will play their opening World Cup game against Ireland in Nantes on September 16.
Moana Pasifika Awards
Moana Man of the Year – Solomone Funaki
Players Player of the Year – Solomone Funaki
Savae La’auli Sir Michael Jones Trophy for Forward of the Year – Solomone Funaki
Tuifa’asisina Sir Bryan Williams for Back of the Year – Levi Aumua
Fans Player of the Year – Timoci Tavatavanawai
Niu Award for Rookie of the Year – Miracle Faiilagi
Maui Award for Attacking Player of the Year – Timoci Tavatavanawai
Tangaloa Award for Defensive Player of the Year – Solomone Funaki
Moana Pasifika Under 20s Player of the Year – John Samuelu
