A Catholic priest from Pea has been charged in connection with a fatal crash that occurred early last Saturday morning on the main road in Tokomololo, Tongatapu.
People at the scene assist after the car crash, helping responders manage the situation
According to Kakalu online, Father Ha‘unga Tupou had been travelling with two other passengers in a vehicle heading back to Pea when the incident took place.
The report said the vehicle was being driven in darkness and is believed to have been travelling at speed when it reached the area where the crash occurred.
The collision resulted in one fatality.
Further details about the victim have not yet been released as investigations continue.
Authorities reportedly said the priest has now been formally charged in connection with causing death on a public road.
Police are continuing inquiries and will present their findings to prosecutors as the case progresses.
More information is expected as the investigation develops.
Tonga Police have carried out a targeted enforcement operation in Vavaʻu aimed at strengthening public safety and ensuring compliance with national firearms laws.
In a statement, police confirmed that the operation led to the seizure of several prohibited and controlled items, including:
Five (5) firearms
Sixteen thousand three hundred and thirty-seven (16,037) rounds of .22 calibre ammunition
Two (2) firearm scopes
Forty (40) fireworks
Police say the seized items were recovered during ongoing investigations, some of which are now at advanced stages and approaching their first court hearings.
Other investigations have only recently begun.
Tonga Police emphasised that they continue to work closely with the Ministry of Customs and Revenue, as well as other partner agencies, to prevent the unlawful possession, importation and use of firearms and related materials.
They say these joint efforts are essential for maintaining community safety and upholding the law across Vavaʻu.
“Tonga Police remain committed to protecting the public and will continue to take firm action against illegal activities that put the safety and security of our communities at risk,” the statement said.
The operation forms part of a broader national strategy to reduce the availability of illicit firearms and ensure compliance with Tonga’s firearms legislation.
Two Auckland students were taken to Starship Hospital with moderate injuries after being struck by cars in separate incidents on Monday during the first full week of the school term.
The first crash happened shortly after 8am on Whangaparāoa Rd, near the Karepiro Drive intersection.
Police said they were alerted at 8.18am after an intermediate-aged Whangaparāoa College student was hit while attempting to cross the busy road.
The child was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Principal Steve McCracken said the student was transported to Starship by ambulance with their mother.
Local resident Livy Gledhill said she heard sirens and was not surprised to learn of the crash, describing the area as dangerous due to the lack of a pedestrian crossing. She said many schoolchildren are forced to run across the road during peak times, calling the situation “scary” and urging action such as installing traffic lights.
A second incident occurred about 8.26am on Onewa Rd near Northcote College.
Police confirmed another intermediate-aged student was hit after crossing the road to get to school. St John sent an ambulance and a rapid response vehicle, and the student was taken to Starship Hospital in moderate condition.
Northcote College later informed parents that the student had been discharged and was recovering at home.
The school urged families to remind children to cross only at traffic lights, saying it held particular concern about safety along Onewa Rd.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
A 13-year-old boy has died following an electrical accident at a family property in Holonga on Saturday, 7 February, Tonga Police have confirmed.
According to a police statement, the incident occurred at a chicken coop located on the family’s land.
Police said the boy came into contact with an exposed electrical source.
Family members immediately rushed him to hospital, but he was later pronounced dead by the attending doctor.
Tonga Police conveyed their condolences to the grieving family, acknowledging the difficulty of their loss.
Authorities also used the opportunity to remind the public about the importance of maintaining safe electrical systems.
Police urged households to ensure all electrical installations are properly maintained and to report any unsafe conditions to the relevant authorities.
A video circulating on social media shows what appears to be a Chinese store owner in Tonga inspecting packs of kava during a transaction, before discovering that at least one of the packs contained a white powder suspected to be flour rather than kava.
Photo shows a man standing by the counter as a Chinese store owner inspects kava packs during a transaction later found to contain suspected flour
In the video, the shop owner is shown inspecting several packs of kava before selecting one he appeared to suspect was not genuine.
He then opened the pack and smelled its contents before stating that it was flour rather than kava.
The dealer initially rejects the claim, responding in Tongan that it was not flour.
However, the shop owner proceeds to open the pack further and smell the contents, after which he reiterates that the substance is flour, not kava.
The moment appears to mark the point at which the alleged deception is uncovered.
As the situation unfolds, the dealer’s reaction suggests he may not have been the original source of the fake product.
In the footage, he appears to indicate that he himself may have been misled by another party who supplied the packs.
The dealer then asks the shop owner to return the kava packs so they could be taken back to the alleged owner, as the transaction comes to an abrupt halt.
The development follows earlier reporting by Kaniva Newson a viral social media post that sparked widespread public concern over the possible adulteration of kava in Tonga.
In that report, Veiuto Manuofetoa shared images on Facebook that purported to show a kava product mixed with an unknown white powder. Manuofetoa claimed the substance had an unusual taste and lacked the distinctive flavour normally associated with kava.
He suggested the apparent adulteration indicated that some sellers may be prioritising profit over public safety.
Havelu, Tonga — Tonga Police have made further drug-related arrests in Havelu, charging two additional suspects in a separate operation carried out days after an earlier methamphetamine arrest in the same village.
Tonga Police
The latest arrests were made on 29 January 2026, when police detained a 36-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man, both from Havelu, following an operation targeting illicit drug activity in the area.
During that operation, officers seized several packs of suspected cannabis, drug utensils, and an amount of cash from the scene.
Both suspects have been charged with possession of illicit drugs and possession of drug utensils, and remain in police custody.
The development comes after an earlier police operation in Havelu, in which a 50-year-old man was arrested following information received about the suspected sale of methamphetamine from a residential property.
In that earlier incident, police observed the suspect leaving the residence in a vehicle and followed him to a nearby area, where he attempted to flee but was apprehended without incident.
Officers seized multiple packages of methamphetamine, drug-related utensils, cash, the vehicle involved, and electronic devices believed to be linked to the alleged offending.
The suspect was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug utensils.
Police have not indicated whether the two operations are directly connected, but confirmed that investigations in both cases remain ongoing.
Tonga Police reiterated their commitment to disrupting the supply and distribution of illicit drugs and urged members of the public to continue supporting police efforts by reporting suspicious activities to 922 or to the nearest police station.
Commentary – The political storm unfolding in Britain over approval for a vast new Chinese embassy complex in London has cast an unexpected light on a question many Pacific nations, including Tonga, have largely sidestepped: how much public scrutiny should accompany the expansion of foreign diplomatic footprints—particularly those of major powers such as China.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. Photo: Kransky, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 3.0.
Last week, Britain’s Conservative Party criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government after planning authorities cleared the way for what opponents have labelled a Chinese “super embassy” in central London.
Senior Conservatives accused the government of downplaying national-security concerns and prioritising relations with Beijing over public safety, arguing that the scale of the proposed complex far exceeds normal diplomatic requirements.
The Labour government has rejected those claims, insisting the approval followed established planning processes and security assessments. Even so, the intensity of the backlash has ensured the issue is being debated openly—in Parliament, across national media, and among the wider public.
A debate Britain is having out loud
At the centre of the UK controversy is the issue of scale and purpose. Critics argue that an embassy of such magnitude is more than a diplomatic mission, raising concerns about its potential strategic function.
Some have warned of intelligence-gathering risks, language that UK Labour has dismissed as speculative and exaggerated.
Regardless of where the facts ultimately settle, the significance lies in the process.
In Britain, the construction of a foreign embassy has become a matter of public accountability: who approved it, on what basis, and what safeguards are in place.
The debate is visible, contested, and ongoing.
Thousands of kilometres away in the Pacific, that openness stands in sharp contrast to how similar questions have been handled—or quietly bypassed.
Tonga’s quiet precedent
For Pacific observers, the debate has a familiar undertone. As far back as 2018, veteran Pacific journalist Michael Field questioned the scale of China’s expanded embassy compound in Nukuʻalofa, describing it as unusually large for a country with a small population and limited consular demand.
At the time, the observation prompted little sustained discussion. There were no notable parliamentary debates, no detailed public explanations, and minimal scrutiny in local media. The buildings were completed largely without public interrogation.
In seeking balance, Kaniva News has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Nukuʻalofa for comment, asking about the purpose and scale of the compound, the planning and approval process, staffing levels, compliance with Tongan law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and how the mission compares with Chinese embassies in other Pacific countries.
No response had been received at the time of publication.
When Familiarity Mutes Scrutiny
China’s presence in Tonga has been a source of domestic division since the early 1990s, when hundreds of Chinese passport holders arrived following the collapse of the Kingdom’s passport-sale scheme of the 1980s, which generated about US$26 million later lost in a US investment.
Some locals and critics viewed the newcomers’ business-oriented approach and rapid adaptation to Tonga’s limited economic environment as a threat, arguing that they came to dominate local commerce and lease a significant share of commercial land in Nukuʻalofa and Vava‘u.
However, after nearly half a century of the Chinese community’s presence in Nukuʻalofa, there has been a noticeable growth in public trust, particularly in the operation of wholesale and retail businesses. Their extended trading hours—often operating six days a week, as Tonga restricts Sunday trading—along with full-time owner involvement and proactive customer service, have contributed to a perception among many consumers that Chinese-run businesses are among the most reliable in the country.
That shift—from early suspicion to everyday reliance—may also explain why China’s expanding diplomatic footprint drew little public attention. As Chinese-run businesses became a normal part of Tonga’s commercial life, China itself was increasingly perceived as familiar rather than foreign.
In that context, questions that might have arisen elsewhere about scale, purpose, or transparency were largely muted. What was accepted on the street was rarely interrogated at the state level.
Scale, perception, and transparency
That familiarity, however, does not remove the relevance of scale.
While everyday economic interaction may dull public curiosity, the size and visibility of diplomatic infrastructure raise a different set of questions—ones that go beyond trust and into governance.
Embassy scale is not merely symbolic; it shapes perception, accountability, and the public’s understanding of how foreign power is exercised within national space.
There is nothing inherently improper about large embassies. Major powers operate globally and require substantial diplomatic infrastructure. China, like others, has legitimate reasons to maintain a strong overseas presence.
But perception matters. When an embassy appears disproportionate to its surroundings—whether in London or Nukuʻalofa—questions inevitably arise. Such questions do not presume wrongdoing; they reflect a public interest in transparency, proportionality, and governance.
In this sense, Britain’s controversy is less about China itself and more about how democratic societies explain sensitive foreign-policy decisions to their citizens.
A mirror, not a verdict
Britain’s parliamentary battle will not determine policy in Tonga. But it does offer a mirror.
If a proposal in London can provoke intense national scrutiny, it is reasonable to ask whether Pacific publics should have been afforded greater opportunity to understand and debate similar developments closer to home.
In London, the argument is unfolding in real time.
In Tonga, it may have arrived late—but it has arrived nonetheless.
Vava’u, Tonga — The village of Tu’anuku celebrated a significant milestone in early childhood education yesterday with the soft opening of its brand-new kindergarten facility.
The project, spearheaded by the US-based non-profit Friends of Tonga, marks the culmination of an international effort to provide the village’s youngest learners with a modern, resilient, and safe environment.
The ceremony reached its highlight when Peace Corps Volunteer Maya Manaster officially cut the ribbon, declaring the school open to the cheers of students, parents, and community leaders.
The event was well-attended by local representatives from the Ministry of Education, whose presence underscored the vital importance of this facility to the national educational landscape.
The construction of the kindergarten was made possible through a unique blend of professional athlete advocacy and international non-profit cooperation.
Funding for the project was bolstered by high-profile support from the Tongan diaspora, including Charles Piutau, who facilitated a generous donation from the Bristol Bears during his tenure with the rugby club, and Giovanni Manu, who now plays on the big stage for the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
Reflecting on his motivation for the project, Manu shared:
“Tonga will forever hold a special place in my heart since I grew up there and shared countless great memories with my family. I told myself as I embarked on this journey of American football that if I ever made it to the big stage—the NFL—I would give back to the small nation that shaped me into the person I am today.”
Beyond the fundraising efforts, the physical realisation of the school relied on a robust network of partners:
Schools for Children of the World (SCW) supplied the architectural designs and technical oversight for the project, ensuring compliance with modern safety standards.
Funding for the project came from The Atlas Foundation and Edrington, supplemented by furniture donations from Perfect Beginnings Montessori Children’s House and contributions from hundreds of individual donors globally.
The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) served as a primary local partner, ensuring the project remained aligned with the community’s needs.
“This facility represents a successful collaboration between the Tongan diaspora and our international partners to address a critical need in early childhood education,” said Dr. Michael Hassett, President of Friends of Tonga. “This structure is built to last. It provides Tu’anuku with the security of knowing that, regardless of the elements, the children will always have a stable and secure place to learn.”
Tuesday’s soft opening provided a first look at the facility for local families and staff. While the official academic term is set to begin shortly, the event served as a celebration of the partnership between athletes, non-profits, and the people of Vava’u.
Two men linked to the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, a gang that has attracted attention in Tonga, are facing serious drug and firearms charges following police raids in south‑east Auckland.
Photo/NZ Police
A 33‑year‑old patched Comanchero member has been charged with conspiracy to deal methamphetamine.
A 30‑year‑old associate of the gang is facing multiple charges, including possession of methamphetamine for supply, unlawful possession of a pistol, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Both men are expected to appear in the Manukau District Court this afternoon.
Detective Inspector Gray said the Comancheros continued to have a damaging effect on communities across the country.
“It’s no secret that the Comancheros gang continue to impose suffering and a negative influence on many communities across this country,” he said.
“Police remain committed to using every opportunity to prevent and disrupt this criminal activity from occurring, and today’s enforcement is a good example of that.”
“Today’s enforcement activity targeted a patched member and an associate of the Comancheros,” Gray said.
During the searches, police located a press believed to have been used to compress bricks of cocaine, along with other items linked to drug distribution. Officers also seized a loaded pistol from one of the properties.
At another address, police discovered nearly one kilogram of a cutting agent, commonly used to dilute illegal drugs, as well as approximately 64 grams of methamphetamine.
Why the case matters to Tonga
As Kaniva News reported recently, Eneasi Taumoefolau, a senior figure associated with the Comanchero gang in Australia, was sentenced in Tonga to life imprisonment after being convicted in a major drug trafficking case.
In 2024, Tonga Police revealed that a deportee from Australia had attempted to establish a local Comanchero branch in the kingdom. Taumoefolau was reportedly the man who attempted to establish the Comanchero gang in Tonga.
At the time, police carried out drug raids across Tongatapu, targeting methamphetamine distribution networks.
Then Police Commissioner Shane McLennan said the raids delivered a significant blow to the gang’s ambitions in Tonga and reinforced the country’s stance against organised criminal groups.
The president of the New Zealand Comanchero gang, Tongian national Pasilika Naufahu, was sentenced in Auckland in 2022 to nine years and three months’ imprisonment after being convicted of money laundering, participation in a criminal gang, conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, unlawful possession of a firearm, and common assault.
He has a final release date in July 2028.
Community and regional concerns
Tonga Police and regional security experts have warned that organised criminal groups are increasingly attempting to extend their reach into Pacific nations, often through deportees with overseas gang ties.
Authorities have repeatedly stressed, however, that such criminal activity involves individual offenders and does not reflect the values of the wider Tongan community.
Police in both New Zealand and Tonga say they remain committed to sharing intelligence and disrupting transnational drug and firearms networks to prevent gangs from becoming entrenched in the region.
A United States federal court has brought to a close a church arson case that was closely followed by Tongan communities both in Tonga and overseas, particularly in Utah, home to one of the largest Tongan populations in the United States.
According to ABC4, a Mississippi man who deliberately set fire to a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, following his conviction on multiple serious charges.
Details of the crime and court outcome
The defendant, Stefan Rowold, 37, was sentenced on Tuesday to 360 months, equivalent to 30 years, in federal prison after a jury found him guilty in September 2025 of six counts of federal arson and civil rights violations.
According to the United States Department of Justice, evidence presented during the trial showed that Rowold deliberately targeted the LDS meetinghouse in Wiggins, Mississippi, because of his hostility toward what he believed were the church’s religious beliefs.
On July 5 and July 7, 2024, Rowold broke into the church building, vandalised the walls with hateful messages, and set fires inside the property.
The Department of Justice said Rowold admitted to police that he ignited the fires using church hymnals, paintings, and other religious materials as kindling in the building’s multipurpose room. After learning that the first fire had not destroyed the structure, he returned two days later to ignite a second fire, even after police had attempted to secure the scene.
As a result of the damage, members of the local LDS congregation were unable to hold worship services in the building for several months. During sentencing, the federal court ordered Rowold to pay US$176,564 in restitution to cover repairs and property damage.
Federal prosecutors told the court that the offence represented not only the destruction of property, but a direct violation of religious freedom and civil rights, which are protected under US federal law.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Field Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner of the Southern District of Mississippi, alongside trial attorney Chloe Neely from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
The case attracted widespread attention after news and images of the burning LDS church circulated online in 2024, prompting concern among Tongan church members in Utah, California, Hawai‘i, and Tonga, according to posts seen by Kaniva News at the time.
Many Tongans living overseas have close family and church ties to LDS congregations in the United States, and the attack was widely shared within the community.
In Utah in particular, LDS churches often function not only as places of worship, but also as important cultural and social centres for Tongan families.
