By Finn Blackwell of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Auckland Council’s co-governance and co-management representative says they have been told by fire crews the blaze on Māngere mountain at the weekend was intentionally lit.
A blaze spreads on Auckland’s Māngere Mountain on Saturday. Photo: Twitter/@lupehepalasi
Te Waka Tai-ranga Whenua kaiwhakahaere Joe Hammon told RNZ they spoke with Fire and Emergency on Sunday.
“They explained it to be intentionally lit from the top centre of the crater,” he said.
“The fire has then spread evenly downwards towards the bottom of the crater, both left and right of the crater, and as you can see in the photos in media, the whole wall of the crater right down to the bottom has been burnt to charcoal.”
However, in a statement on Monday evening a Fire and Emergency spokesperson refused to confirm either fire was deliberately lit.
A fire investigator was working with police, the spokesperson said.
Photo: Facebook/Laingholm Volunteer Fire Brigade
Hammon said he could feel the sadness of those in the community going up the mountain at the weekend to survey the damage.
“There was iwi members there singing waiata for their sadness, there were people wanting to get closer to express their sorrow.
“Although it was sad, it was really good to see the community come together in those sort of times.”
Resident Malcolm Turner ran the community Facebook page, where many photos of the blaze were posted over the weekend.
He said longer grass on the maunga had increased the risk of fires.
“In terms of fire mitigation, that’s never been an issue until the grass has gotten taller,” Turner said.
“And the grass got taller after the cows got removed, and so what can we do as residents?”
Hammon said cattle were removed from the mountain some time ago to prevent damage.
“It was doing damage to the imprint of the maunga,” he said.
“The governance decided at the time to rid the maunga of cattle, […] and that’s when fire-breaks were introduced.”
Hammon said 10 metre wide fire-breaks had been mowed around the base of the maunga, protecting neighbouring properties from the spread of fires, and to protect the mountain from property fires also.
“We mow evacuation zones on all of these maunga,” he said.
“Māngere has a big evacuation zone on the maunga, and it’s clearly signaged for people to evacuate if there is a fire…”
Turner said residents felt vulnerable and unprotected from fires on the mountain.
“It just feels like it’s not on the residents to be careful about fire,” he said.
Turner said there needed to be more communication to residents when changes to the maunga were being made.
“I think that’s where the frustration comes is we see these things change in such a big way but we don’t hear anything.
“We don’t hear anything, we just see the physical changes and the signs saying ‘don’t walk in this part of the mountain,’ but there’s no one here to enforce it.”
Hammon said they had done a lot of work to remove invasive plants and animal pests on maunga, but managing those starting fires was difficult.
“We’ve got fencing in place, on Māngere there’s fencing, signages everywhere, but what we can’t do is we can’t control certain people, and certain people intentionally lighting these fires which make it extremely difficult, extremely frustrating, and extremely sad for my team who, day in day out, put mahi in to protect these taonga.”
Hammon urged anyone who saw others not adhering to fire restrictions on the maunga to call police.
An American woman has appeared in the Manakau District Court after about 31 kilograms of methamphetamine was found in her checked-in suitcases at Auckland Airport over the weekend.
Some of the meth that was found inside the suitcase. Photo: Supplied / NZ Customs
Customs said the 24-year-old United States national had arrived on a flight from San Francisco on 18 January, and, following questioning, a Customs search found methamphetamine in vacuum-sealed plastic packages inside wet towels, packed among new clothing.
The amount seized equated to close to 1.6 million individual doses, with a potential street value of up to NZ$11 million, Customs said. The seizure was estimated to have prevented up to NZ$33m in social harm and cost to New Zealand.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Customs
Customs manager Auckland Airport Paul Williams said the quantity of methamphetamine was a significant amount for a passenger to attempt to bring into the country.
“New Zealand is being targeted by transnational syndicates, with multiple couriers having been intercepted in 2025 already. I am pleased that Customs has chalked up another win again to prevent more harm in our communities,” he said.
The woman has been charged with the importation and possession for supply of a Class A Controlled drug, and has been remanded in custody until her next court appearance in February.
Customs said anyone with suspicions about possible drug smuggling can contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A man who has a history of multiple convictions and imprisonment sentences has been sentenced to four years in prison following a police operation that caught him with illicit drugs and paraphernalia.
As a result of his repeated offending, Justice Cooper refused to give Piliote Uasike any suspension of his jail sentence.
“That sentence must be served in full”, he said.
His co-defendant is expected to appear in court in a separate court hearing.
All money, drugs and paraphernalia recovered during his arrest are to be retained for the trial of his codefendant and disposed of thereafter on the appropriate application, Mr Cooper said.
The court was told that Police Officer Vi spotted Uasike in a car in the Patangata area of Papua, travelling west towards Nuku’alofa.
He followed the vehicle with other Police officers before they caught up with it, and an officer went straight to the driver’s side, opened the car door, and restrained the driver, Miss Malamala.
Uasike was caught red-handed, a court document showed. He had over 3 grams of methamphetamine in his possession, 2.85 grams in one packet and four 0.6 gram ‘deals’ with it, making a total of 3.09 grams.
Two more quantities of cash were recovered, $65 at his feet and $50 from the little black bag the illicit drugs were in.
When he was apprehended, he was sat in the front passenger car seat and was trying to get rid of the illicit drugs from his pocket.
Uasike had previous convictions, including 10 convictions for 15 offences dating back to 2011.
He has three convictions for housebreaking and theft, all dealt with in the Magistrates’ court where he variously received community punishment orders, imprisonment and further community punishment orders.
He has committed offences of willfully damaging property, using threatening language to a government servant and an offence of having possession of a loaded weapon without a license
The pre-sentence report was filed 20 January 2025. It sets out that Mr. Uasike has an extensive criminal record and that illicit drug use is at the heart of it.
He apparently finally admits these offences.
“Whilst these factors have not been explored, it is quite clear that with his criminal past and continued drug offending, despite many convictions and chances the Courts have given, he is at a high risk of re-offending. He is plainly a high risk to the community”.
A man from Tongatapu’s Popua village was rushed to Vaiola Hospital after he came into contact with what appeared to be a toxic herbicide.
The man was believed to have ingested the highly toxic weed killer at his home.
Reports offered no details of how the father, in his 70s, came into contact with the poison.
A photo seen by Kaniva News showed the deceased lying in what appeared to be a hospital bed.
Beside him, a man, identified as his son, gently caressed his father’s face.
Authorities could not be reached for comment.
As we reported previously, a 62-year-old man from Navutoka died in hospital after he mistakenly drank a highly toxic chemical, thinking it was his medication.
Mateni Topui was hospitalised as a result of the poison for about a week at Vaiola Hospital before he died.
A medical officer said the toxic chemical was classified under weedkillers, and it is deadly if consumed by human beings.
Police responded to reports of an altercation in the hospital’s carpark just before 6.30pm on 4 January, when a gun was reportedly fired from a vehicle.
Detective Inspector Shaun Vickers said it was fortunate that no one was injured.
Officers from Counties Manukau CIB searched a property at the weekend and arrested a 34-year-old they believe was involved.
He has been charged with committing a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and commission of an offence with a firearm.
He is expected to appear in Manukau District Court on Monday.
Police said they were not ruling out further arrests.
“Those allegedly involved showed no regard for the safety of those around them, given this occurred at a hospital,” Vicker said.
“We have no tolerance and will continue to hold those to account who take part in this behaviour.”
Former President Donald Trump has committed to reinstating TikTok in the United States, expressing his belief that the popular social media platform is vital for connecting with younger audiences.
The announcement comes hours after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban, which President Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.
Trump argues that reviving TikTok would benefit content creators and users and enhance cultural engagement.
He has indicated that his administration would work on ensuring user data security and addressing privacy concerns, positioning the app as a key player in the digital landscape moving forward.
TikTok has said it was restoring its service after Trump said he would revive the app’s access in the US.
The statement came after US users reported being able to access the Chinese-owned service’s website while the far more widely used TikTok app itself did not appear to be immediately available.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a statement that thanked Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
Trump said that he wants TikTok to have 50 percent American ownership.
This proposal stems from ongoing concerns regarding data privacy and national security associated with the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
By pushing for significant American ownership, Trump aims to ensure that the app’s operations and user data are more closely regulated and monitored by U.S. stakeholders, thereby reducing potential risks related to foreign influence and data security breaches.
The first three hostages released from Gaza have arrived in Israel, the military announced, hours after the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold. Their mothers were waiting to meet them.
Palestinians walk through the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect. (Source: Associated Press)
Footage showed the three women walking to Red Cross vehicles in Gaza City, surrounded by a crowd that swelled into the thousands as people held up cell phones and scrambled onto cars. The vehicles were accompanied by masked, armed men who wore green Hamas headbands and struggled to guard the handover.
In this photo released by the Israeli Army, Emily Damari, right, and her mother Mandy embrace near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel after Emily was released from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza (Source: Associated Press)
No further glimpses of the three women were immediately expected as they were taken for medical assessment. “They appear to be in good health,” President Joe Biden said in brief remarks.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of people who gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in applause. For months, many had gathered in the square to demand a ceasefire deal. Relatives of the women jumped, clapped and wept.
“An entire nation embraces you,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Doron Steinbrecher, left, and her mother Simona hold each other near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel (Source: Associated Press)
Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were released. Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival, while the others were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen and Steinbrecher has Israeli and Romanian citizenship.
The ceasefire ushers in an initial six weeks of calm and raises hopes for the release of nearly 100 remaining hostages and an end to the devastating 15-month war. A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the truce’s start by nearly three hours, but the spokesman for Hamas’ military wing later said it is committed to the ceasefire.
Even before the ceasefire took effect, celebrations broke out across Gaza and some Palestinians began heading home.
Next up was the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners later today. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, families and friends gathered excitedly as cars honked and people waved the Palestinian flag.
Romi Gonen, right, and her mother Merav hold each other near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel (Source: Associated Press)
The truce, which started at 11.15am local time (9.15pm NZ time), is the first step toward ultimately ending the conflict and returning hostages abducted in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.
In the interim between the planned ceasefire time and when it took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not say whether they were civilians or fighters. The military has warned people to stay away from Israeli forces as they retreat to a buffer zone inside Gaza.
Israel’s hard-line national security minister, meanwhile, said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure weakens Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.
In a separate development, Israel announced it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation in Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, had remained after the 2014 war.
What’s next
Displaced Palestinians wave the Palestinian flag as they return to Rafah, while a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect, in Rafah, Gaza Strip. (Source: Associated Press)
The ceasefire deal was announced last week after a year of mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump’s team had both pressed for an agreement to be reached before the inauguration on Tuesday.
Netanyahu on Saturday (local time) warned that he had Trump’s backing to continue fighting if necessary.
The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire should see 33 hostages gradually returned and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. The next release of hostages is expected on Saturday (local time).
There also should be a surge of humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza daily, far more than Israel allowed before. The UN World Food Program said trucks started entering through two crossings. Biden’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, told CBS 800 trucks were expected to flow in today.
This is just the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.
Negotiations on the ceasefire’s far more difficult second phase should begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first phase.
‘Joy mixed with pain’
Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, react as they gather in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Source: Associated Press)
Across Gaza, there was relief and grief. The fighting has killed tens of thousands, destroyed large areas and displaced most of the population.
“This ceasefire was a joy mixed with pain, because my son was martyred in this war,” said Rami Nofal, a displaced man from Gaza City.
Masked militants appeared at some celebrations, where crowds chanted slogans in support of them, according to Associated Press reporters in Gaza. The Hamas-run police began deploying in public after mostly lying low due to Israeli airstrikes.
Some families set off for home on foot, their belongings loaded on donkey carts.
In the southern city of Rafah, residents returned to find massive destruction. Some found human remains in the rubble, including skulls.
“It’s like you see a Hollywood horror movie,” resident Mohamed Abu Taha said as he inspected the ruins of his family’s home.
Already, Israeli forces were pulling back from areas. Residents of Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya in northern Gaza told the AP they didn’t see Israeli troops there.
Israelis divided over ceasefire deal
Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, react as they gather in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Source: Associated Press)
In Israel, people remained divided over the agreement.
Asher Pizem, 35, from the city of Sderot, said the deal had merely postponed the next confrontation with Hamas. He also criticised Israel for allowing aid into Gaza, saying it would contribute to the militant group’s revival.
“They will take the time and attack again,” he said while viewing Gaza’s smouldering ruins from a small hill in southern Israel with other Israelis gathered there.
When Biden was asked today whether he has any concerns about Hamas regrouping, he said no.
Immense toll
The toll of the war has been immense, and new details will now emerge. The head of the Rafah municipality in Gaza, Ahmed al-Sufi, said a large part of the infrastructure, including water, electricity and road networks, was destroyed, in addition to thousands of homes.
Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants abducted around 250 others. More than 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
Some 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced. Rebuilding — if the ceasefire reaches its final phase — will take several years at least. Major questions about Gaza’s future, political and otherwise, remain unresolved.
TikTok’s app was removed from prominent app stores on Sunday just before a federal law that would have banned the popular social media platform was scheduled to go into effect.
The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone. (Source: Associated Press)
By 10.50pm Eastern Standard Time, the app was not found on Apple and Google’s app stores, which are prohibited from offering the platform under a law that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face a US ban.
When users opened the TikTok app on Saturday evening, they encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos.
The message shown to US users of TikTok upon trying to open the app. (Source: 1News)
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message said. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message said. “Please stay tuned!”
Before that announcement went out, the company had said in another message to users that its service would be “temporarily unavailable” and told them its working to restore its US service “as soon as possible”.
The federal law, that was signed by President Joe Biden last year, required ByteDance to divest its stake in the TikTok’s US platform or face a ban. ByteDance had nine months to sell the US operation to an approved buyer. The company, and TikTok, chose to take legal action against the law and ultimately lost their fight at the Supreme Court on Saturday.
Under the statute, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to American users.
Both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco had said that the Biden administration would leave the law’s implementation to President-elect Donald Trump given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.
But TikTok said after the court ruling on Saturday that it “will be forced to go dark” if the administration didn’t provide a “definitive statement” to the companies that deliver its service in the US.
However, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s demand a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies “to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office.”
In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was thinking about giving TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating.
The federal law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress. But no clear buyers have emerged, and ByteDance has previously said it won’t sell TikTok.
If such an extension happens, Trump said it would “probably” be announced on Tuesday.
On Sunday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok US business, according to a person familiar with the matter. If successful, the new structure would also include other investors and allow ByteDance’s existing shareholders to retain their stake in the company, the person said.
Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user’s videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.
Other investors have also been eyeing TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and billionaire Frank McCourt put together offered ByteDance US$20 billion (NZ$35 billion) in cash. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.
By Laura Collins, George W Bush Presidential Centre
What does it mean to be an “undocumented” immigrant?
There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States as of 2022, according to the Pew Research Center. Undocumented immigrants are people who either entered the country illegally or who entered legally but overstayed their visas rather than returning home. While some are recent arrivals to the United States, many have lived here for more than a decade. Many undocumented people live in mixed status families – they are married to a U.S. citizen or have U.S. citizen children.
How does this population affect the U.S. economy? What about the economy in my state/city?
Undocumented immigrants do not have legal work authorization, and they do not qualify for federal entitlement benefits. They must work to support themselves, however, so the vast majority work – some with a false identity and some in jobs in which their immigration status isn’t likely to be checked closely. Undocumented immigrants often pay taxes, bolstering programs like Social Security which they are unable to access. The undocumented are an economic benefit on a federal level, given their inability to access benefits and tax payments.
On the state and local level, their benefit and burden vary. The primary costs at a state and local level are in education, health care, and criminal justice. The cost burden on these vary greatly based on which benefits states offer to undocumented immigrants. According to the Baker Institute, undocumented immigrants in Texas contribute $420 million more in revenue than they cost the state.
What is mass deportation, and who would be impacted?
Mass deportation is an effort to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States. Who would be impacted depends on how the executive branch prioritizes people for removal. The incoming administration has indicated that it will begin with immigrants convicted of crimes and immigrants with final orders of removal. Taken to the logical conclusion, mass deportation could impact any person who is undocumented, even if the only time they violated the law was to enter the United States, overstay their visa, or work without authorization.
What is the likelihood and feasibility of deportations on this scale?
Deporting 11 million people is nearly impossible to do given the current resource and capacity constraints of the federal government. It would be incredibly expensive, damaging to the economy, and disruptive to communities. A 2015 American Action Forum report estimated it would cost $400 billion to $600 billion, take 20 years, and result in over $1 trillion in lost GDP.
Can the undocumented population become U.S. citizens?
While legislation has been proposed multiple times since 2006 to provide an earned pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, no current solution exists to allow these immigrants who are here and working to earn regular status and, possibly, eventual citizenship. For most undocumented, there are no legal avenues they can pursue to get a legal work permit or green card, even if they marry a U.S. citizen or get sponsored for a green card by an employer.
Firefighters were battling a blaze in a building at Kahana.
Tonga fire engine. Photo/Kalino Latu
A fire appliance was spotted at the scene of the blaze at the Kahana Lagoon resort.
Unconfirmed reports said there were indications that a person got stuck inside the restaurant at the time of the incident.
It was alleged that there was a fatality.
Kaniva News was unable to confirm this.
Streamed videos taken at the scene, seen by Kaniva News, appeared to show that the spaces for the firefighters and their engines to tackle the fire effectively were quite limited.
There were also reports indicating that the fire had caused significant damage to one of the water hoses used to control the fire.
When the firefighters finally arrived at the scene, the flames had already engulfed a significant portion of the building, billowing thick clouds of smoke into the air, according to a Facebook live streamer at the scene.
Tonga Fire Services could not be reached for comment.
