Tonga’s Public Health Chief Medical Officer says the Kingdom has declared an official outbreak of measles.
The highly-contagious virus has now spread to the Pacific region from the New Zealand 2019 epidemic, with Tonga following Samoa’s recent declaration of an outbreak.
Dr Reynold Ofanoa spoke with Jenny Meyer after announcing the outbreak.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s government says its aware of the reported cases, and has been in touch with Tongan authorities to make sure they have the resources needed to respond well.
Tonga has over 95 percent immunity coverage and Dr Ofanoa says that gives him confidence the epidemic will not be too severe there.
Fly Niu CEO ‘Atu Fīnau says he expects the airline to be flying in Tonga by December.
He
told Kaniva news the government was
expecting him to submit his airline license application as soon as he could.
Fīnau, who met with the Deputy Prime Minister in Tonga last week, said the airline would need three months to prepare for operations.
The
CEO said he had been told Lord Tu’ivikano’s government removed the kingdom’s
one airline policy.
Last
month Kaniva news named Fly Niu and
Tonga Airways as airlines that were interested in providing a second airline to
service ‘Eua, Ha’apai, Vava’u and the Niuas
Earlier
this year the Fly Niu authorities in New Zealand said they were disappointed
after their submission for a partnership agreement with the Tongan government
to operate international flights between Tonga and Auckland was knocked back by
the former cabinet.
Last November Fīnau said he had talked to the Prime Minister in Auckland about starting a service between Tonga and Auckland.
Fly
Niu was forced out of Tonga 15 years ago
when the government passed a one airline
policy that gave the sole right to operate domestic flights to Peau Vava’u, an
airline, co-owned by the Late King George Tupou V and his business partners,
the Ramanlal brothers.
It replaced the bankrupt Royal Tongan
Airlines.
In
2016, the government declined an application by Tonga Airways to operate.
The
company planned to lease aircraft from Fiji Airways.
The
then Minister of Civil Aviation, Semisi Sika, cited a report by the World Bank
which said only one airline could survive financially serving Tonga’s domestic
market.
The
main points
Fly Niu CEO ‘Atu Finau said he expected the airline to be
flying in Tonga by December.
Finau told Kaniva news
the government was expecting him to submit his airline license application as
soon as he could.
For
more information
Second airline to service
outer islands in bid to reduce ‘costly airfares,’ PM Tu‘ionetoa says
Sceptics and boycotters will have to
think again after Tonga’s 14-6 defeat of the British Lions tonight.
Tonga scored first and reached half time with a 12 point lead.
However, it was a nail biting finish as the British Lions finally woke
up and began scoring as the game came to an end.
In the second half the British side coming back as hard as they could to
score six points.
Despite winning an extra two points, Tonga did not play entirely as well
in the second half as in the first, with commentators noticing some missed
opportunities before they found their form again.
At times it seemed the score might have been closer than it was, with
the British being turned back only three metres from the Tongan line in the 76th
minute.
The British kept hammering away until the end, but in the last minutes
of the game Tonga intercepted and grounded the ball as the British kicked it
in.
Michael Jennings scored Tonga’s first try and set up the second after
the half-time.
Siosiua Taukeiaho’s converted from the sideline to give the 12-0 lead at
half time.
He added two more points with a penalty conversion in the second half.
Confident
Ahead of tonight’s game, Jason Taumalolo had been confident his team would
win, despite the upheavals surrounding the team.
As Kaniva news reported
earlier today, public support for the team was down on previous games, with
some people calling for the Invitational XIII to be boycotted because they weren’t the Mate Ma’a
Tonga or even a ‘real’ Tongan team.
Tonight’s performance in a hard, tight fought game should put those
claims to rest once and for all.
Tonga will face off against Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on
November 2.
The main points
Sceptics and boycotters will have to think again after
Tonga’s 14-6 defeat of the British Lions tonight.
Tonga struck early and hard and ended the first half
with a 12 point lead.
For more information
Tonga
Invitational v Great Britain: Lions to make history
A former Oamaru man charged in relation to the deaths of two teenagers in a single-vehicle crash earlier this year has appeared in the Oamaru District Court.
Kaylem Rayne Webb-Hirst (16) and Michael Shelford Mauheni (17) died when the vehicle in which they were passengers crashed and caught fire at the intersection of TY Duncan and Shortland Rds on June 12 this year.
Joseph ‘Amanaki Lelei Fisiitoi Siale (18), of Auckland, made a brief appearance before the registrar yesterday, charged with two counts of aggravated careless driving under the influence causing death.
He was remanded on bail for a second appearance in Oamaru on November 13, when it is likely he will enter a plea.
Detective Sergeant Hannah Booth, of Oamaru, confirmed yesterday Siale was arrested in Auckland, where he now lived, on Tuesday morning following a months-long investigation.
She had earlier this month defended the length of time the investigation had taken because of its complexity.
”I think it’s the normal amount of time for an investigation like this.
”We just need to make sure that everybody is spoken to, all of the facts are identified, and there’s a lot of factors to consider in an investigation like this.
”We just want to make sure we get it right for all of the families involved in this.”
Fort Worth Police, US, on Thursday arrested a suspect in connection
with a July shooting at a north Fort Worth strip club.
Zachary Noetzold, 21, of Mansfield, was charged in warrants
with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other crimes, according to a
Fort Worth police report.
William Vaitai, 25, of Fort Worth, and Moala Vake, 42, of
Arlington, but of Tongan decent, were shot at Bucks Cabaret in the 2300 block
of Meacham Boulevard, according to the report. The victims were taken to a
hospital and survived.
Vaitai and Vake were fired on following a disturbance in the
parking lot, police have said. One of the victims was shot in the thigh, and
the other was shot in the abdomen and the thigh.
Noetzold has also been charged in connection with a March
shooting in Arlington. A man was shot in the 700 block of Turnstone Drive on
March 16 and survived.
Noetzold and a second suspect were charged with possession
of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and other crimes.
A soldier has been sentenced to nearly a month’s detention after he hit another soldier in the back of the head with a rifle, and squeezed another man’s neck until he could not breathe.
Lance Corporal Manu Taufa, 40, appeared before the Court Martial of New Zealand at Burnham Military Camp, south of Christchurch, on Thursday.
Taufa was sentenced to 28 days detention in the Services Corrective Establishment, a military jail at Burnham.
He would be demoted to private, the lowest non-commissioned rank, and while in detention would lose 50 per cent of the pay of a private.
Judge Kevin Riordan said the court could have dismissed him from service, but chose not to. He said Taufa would soon resign from the military to become a rugby coach in China.
Taufa pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault, and one charge each of injuring with reckless disregard for the safety of others and assault with a weapon.
The offending happened between January and April 2016 at Burnham and Tekapo military camps.
One victim had to have surgery after Taufa kicked him in the back when he joked with an officer about a style of military haircut. The victim had prior back problems, but they got worse and he had to have surgery.
The victim, who cannot be named, told the hearing in his victim impact statement he had “never seen manipulation of this magnification”.
“I have a lot of questions, my main one will always be ‘what have I done to deserve this?'”
In another incident, Taufa hit a soldier wearing a helmet in the back of the head with a steyr rifle.
Another time, he kicked a soldier to the ground and squeezed his neck for 10 seconds, leaving him unable to breathe, after the man mistakenly discharged a gun.
Reading out a statement in court, Taufa said: “I will regret this every day for the rest of my life. I love each and every one of my brothers, I wish them every success in life.”
The prosecutor for the director of military prosecutions, Major Matt McGrath, recommended a short sentence of detention and dismissal from military service.
Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger argued Taufa should not be dismissed as he planned to resign and dismissal would be negative for his future. She also said there were delays in bringing the matter before the court, so asked for credit in the sentence.
The Defence Force could not provide a reasonable excuse for the delays and Judge Riordan said it should have been dealt with earlier.
The judge told Taufa every case was a “gross overreaction to the events”.
“Violence to subordinates is destructive of trust,” he said.
“The court wishes to emphasise to you and everybody else that is this not the way to go about being a non-commissioned officer.”
Taufa left the room with tears in his eyes.
He joined the army in May 2001 and had seven medals, including two for service in Afghanistan and East Timor.
He had been disciplined before for an assault with an axe in 2012 and was demoted from Corporal to Lance Corporal. He did not receive any pyschological treatment after that incident.
Vicar-General Monsignor Lutoviko Fīnau of Roman Catholic church has warned that the government’s dealing with a proposal to cultivate hemp in Tonga could push the nation to the brink of danger.
In Tongan he said: ” [Ke] vakai [e pule’anga’] fakalukufua ki he a’usia tamaki ‘e kaitamaki ai e kakai e fonua.”
The family and nofo-‘a-kāinga (concept of Tongans living as an extended family) could be damaged, he said.
Monsignor Fīnau said the people find it very difficult to deal with the issue as there were reasons provided but they had yet to see the results.
“I wish the government not just focus on only one side of it but also consider the consequence,” he told Kaniva news.
Critics’ concerns intensified after it has been alleged the proposal came from people who were currently facing high profile illicit drugs dealing cases in court.
A leaked confidential cabinet memorandum showed the government apparently approved a decision to seek Attorney General’s advice on the matter on October 17 just two weeks after the new cabinet was officially appointed by the king.
The concerns came after the former government rejected what appeared to be the same proposal which was submitted by some lobbyists from The Brown group.
Critics said the fact that the cabinet has put the proposal on
its agenda was of great concerns given that Tonga was currently facing a huge
battle on drugs and the former government said in July it was one of its
highest priorities.
Chief Secretary clarifies
The Chief Secretary Edgar Cocker said the memorandum was an amendment to note the proposal “to proceed with and based on the advice of the Attorney General’s Office – to do consultation.”
He said this means nothing has been approved.
“We are now waiting for the written advice from the Attorney
General,” he said.
When Kaniva news queried the wording of the memorandum using the word “approved” as it appeared in the leaked document as – “Recommendation is approved, as amended.”
Cocker said: “The answer is a no no.”
“Will never be approved in Cabinet, not in Parliament and
definitely not in Privy Council.”
Hemp and cannabis
Hemp and cannabis are variants of cannabis. Cannabis
contains the drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gets people high. Hemp is
used to make clothes, rope and other items.
In 2018 President Trump signed a Farm Bill which classified
hemp as an agricultural product in the United States. Under the Bill, any
cannabis plant with less then 0.3% THC is considered hemp, not marijuana.
Marijuana also contains Cannabidiol (CBD) which is legal in
New Zealand. It is described as having potential therapeutic value, with little
or no psychoactive properties.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health was developing a plan to
enable domestic commercial cultivation and manufacture of medicinal cannabis.
The plan is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2020.
The Supreme Court had ordered that Lord Tu’ivikanō must face trial on
all but one of the charges brought against him.
Lord Tu’ivikanō has been charged with two counts of money laundering,
two counts of perjury, one count of making a false statement for the purpose of
obtaining a passport and seven counts of
accepting a bribe as a government servant.
He has also been charged with two counts of possession of a firearm
without a license and one count of possession of ammunition without a license.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case has been repeatedly postponed since Tu’ivakanoo’s arrest in
March 2018.
He was committed to stand trial on January 22 this year. Principle
Magistrate Mafi dismissed four of the bribery charges, but Lord Chief Justice
Paulsen allowed an appeal by the prosecution and reinstated the charges.
On July 30 Lord Tu’ivikanō filed an application to dismiss the money laundering
charges (counts one and two) and all the bribery charges (counts six to 12).
Lord Chief Justice Michael Whitten ruled there was insufficient evidence
to support count eight, which was dismissed.
The court found there was sufficient evidence for the two money laundering
counts and the remaining six counts of accepting bribes as a government
official.
These charges are to proceed to trial along with the other courts which
were not appealed.
The main points
The Supreme Court had ordered that Lord Tu’ivikano
must facet trial on all but one charge of bribery.
Lord Tu’ivikano has been charged with money
laundering, perjury, making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport, accepting bribes as a government
servant, possessing a firearm without a license and possession ammunition
without a license.
Musicians, dancers and military performers from across Australasia
have wowed audiences in the biggest ever staging of the Royal Edinburgh
Military Tattoo, held in Sydney from Thursday-Saturday, 17-19 October 2019.
Set before a full-sized replica of Scotland’s Edinburgh
Castle, the Australian show boasted a record cast of over 1500 in a three-hour
spectacle of military pageantry, music, dance and fireworks.
This production, titled At All Points of the Compass,
was built upon the traditional Tattoo mainstays of massed military bands,
bagpipes and drums, highland dancers and fiddlers. Added to that, though, was an
unmistakable Australian flavour that shared the spotlight with the country’s regional
neighbours, touching North, South, East and West.
Producer and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier (Retired)
David Allfrey, MBE, said the Tattoo demonstrated the close connection shared by
participating nations.
Participants of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo from the Kingdom of Tonga during a dress rehearsal performance at the ANZ Olympic Stadium Sydney, Australia.
“This show is particularly special in that it celebrates
Australia and its relationships with neighbours in all directions,” Brigadier
Allfrey said. “That includes friendships well established in the past, growing
in the present and to be developed in the future.”
All-up 13 nations took part, including contingents from Cook
Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. From the Kingdom
of Tonga came 50 performers and support staff of His Majesty’s Armed Forces
Royal Corps of Music.
The Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians perform at the dress rehearsal for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, on 16 October 2019.
Participants of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo from the Kingdom of Tonga during a dress rehearsal performance at the ANZ Olympic Stadium Sydney, Australia.
Participants of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo from the Kingdom of Tonga perform during the opening night at ANZ Olympic Stadium, Sydney Australia.
Sergeant Saula Ngaumo was one of the Tongan band members.
Speaking ahead of the first performance he said the Tattoo was shaping up to be
a great experience.
“We are grateful to be representing our country and His
Majesty’s Armed Forces here in Sydney,” Sergeant Ngaumo said.
“Tonga has been in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
previously, and we are looking forward to doing our job here.
The Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians perform at the dress rehearsal for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, on 16 October 2019.
“It’s fantastic. The people are friendly, and from the
first time we arrived here the Australians have treated us warmly and taken
care of us,” he said.
Lance Corporal Iketan Sione was very struck by scale of
the production.
“They’ve really impressed me. I feel very proud to
represent our kingdom,” Lance Corporal Sione said.
“Our kingdom may be tiny, but in our hearts we have
something special to show the audience,” he said.
Participants of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo from the Kingdom of Tonga during a dress rehearsal performance at the ANZ Olympic Stadium Sydney, Australia.
The seven South-West Pacific contingents were supported
by a significant Australian Defence Force (ADF) logistics effort, codenamed Operation
Tartan Oceania 19. Five Royal Australian Air Force transport planes flew
across the region to collect 286 performers and support staff along with their
instruments, cultural items and costumes. The ADF also assisted bands and
artists with ground transport while they were in Australia, before flying them
back home to afterwards.
Australian Army Brigadier Phil Winter was
Director-General of the ADF’s Tattoo involvement. Brigadier Winter was on hand
to welcome all the South-West Pacific participants to Australia when they
landed at RAAF Base Richmond on 12 October. His thoughts turned to the impact
the Tattoo experience would have on their lives.
“It’s been particularly poignant for us to see our
Pacific friends so happily embrace the Tattoo,” Brigadier Winter said.
“For example, the Solomon Islands group – most of whom
rarely leave their village in the northern region of Malaita Province – were
transported to the airfield on the back of a flat-bed truck, then seated in a
military aircraft and flown five and half hours away to Australia.
“Four days later, after just a few rehearsals, they
performed their cultural dances and music live before tens of thousands of
people, and were filmed for a worldwide television audience estimated to be 100
million,” he said.
The 2019 Sydney Tattoo drew an audience of over 180,000 people
across four performances at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium (home of the Sydney 2000
Olympic Games). In 2020 the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will celebrate its
platinum jubilee, marking 70 years of spectacle and entertainment.
The Public
Service Commission’s silence over the shift of the Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to the Palace office
before he was allegedly sacked has stirred speculation.
Mahe
‘Uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua was appointed to the post in June 2018 for a
period of four years.
Just one year after his appointment, the late Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva told Television Tonga in June that Tupouniua was no longer with the Ministry.
TBC said last week they followed up Tupouniua’s case with the PSC but to no avail.
Kaniva news contacted PSC secretary in June for comment, but received no response.
There was an
unconfirmed report that Tupouniua was at the centre of a clash after the king
wanted to open the kingdom’s new embassy
in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Kaniva news is trying to confirm this.
As we
reported at the time, King Tupou VI opened Tonga’s first embassy in the Middle
East on September 30.
There had been
repeated calls by Tongans in New Zealand for the government to establish an
embassy in Wellington or Auckland but the government said it could not afford
it.
Tupouniua’s father, Mahe’uli’uli Tupouniua Snr, was the first commoner to be appointed by late king Tupou IV as his regent while Tupouniua Snr was Minister of Finance.
But the king dismissed Tupouniua Snr after he rejected His Majesty’s demand for money which had not been allocated in the government’s budget.
Tupouniua
Jnr was first appointed as a civil servant in 1990 to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs where he held various positions, including Secretary for Foreign
Affairs from 2011-2013.
He has
served as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of
Tonga to the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America and Cuba.
Prior to
taking up his second appointment as Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Tupouniua
was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Tonga to the
United Nations, New York.
The
main points
The Public Service Commission’s
silence over the shift of the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Palace office before
he was allegedly sacked has stirred speculation.
Mahe ‘Uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua was
appointed to the post in June 2018 for a period of four years.
