Tonga Fire Service CEO Lofia Heimuli has died in Australia, reports said this afternoon.
It is understood Heimuli was currently on holiday leave when he died.
He was expected to retire from his job in March 2019, a reliable source told Kaniva news.
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Tonga’s Miss Heilala 2019 pageant kicked off in New Zealand last week with Tuitui and Brilliant Star Fashion Show selecting its contestant for the kingdom’s beauty competition.
Miss Soana Falahola ‘Aleva, 23, will represent the Fashion Show in Nuku’alofa in about seven months time.
The double major Bachelor of Arts student works as a creative member for Do Good Feel Good, a dance tutor for Selwyn College and the Youth Town Parnell. She is a professional hip hop dancer, a youtube vlogger (as ‘Jojo’) and a krump dancer.
‘Aleva also worked as a radio announcer for Niu FM and is a Tongan youth show host for Radio 531PI. She also worked as a Youth Co-ordinator for the Tongan Youth Trust and graduated from Radio Training School with a diploma in Journalism, Multimedia and radio broadcasting.
The daughter of Tongan choreographer and Radio 531 PI Tongan producer Losalio Milika Pusiaki, ‘Aleva was selected during the Fashion Show’s catwalk exhibition which was held at the Otara Community hall on Friday night.
Brilliant Star Fashion Show is not new to the Miss Heilala competition and other New Zealand and international beauty pageants.
The first time it participated in the Miss Heilala competition in 2017, its contestant, Miss Titania Tiara Monic Matekuolava, became the first runner up.
She came second to Ophelia Kitiliti Kava who was crowned Miss Heilala 2017.
Matekuolava later in 2017 was sponsored by the Tuitui Fashion Show to join New Zealand’s Face of Beauty International Ltd’s Super Model competitions in which she was crowned as Miss International Supermodel Tonga 2018. This gave her an opportunity to travel to Thailand and represented Tonga during the Face of Beauty International 2018.
The Fashion Show sent another contestant to Miss Heilala 2018, but she was unsuccessful.
Fashion designer Tuitui Folauhola Tonbar, the Director of Tuitui Fashions Show and Brilliant Star, said she willingly supported beauty contests and fashion shows because they helped her talent and her business a lot.
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(Stuff, Fairfax Media) A man has been taken to hospital after being stabbed at a south Auckland address.
Police were called to a “disorder” at a property in Wyllie Rd, Papatoetoe at 1.30am on Boxing Day.
When police arrived quite a few people were drinking at the address, a spokeswoman said.
The injured man was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition.
A police spokeswoman said inquiries were ongoing and police were talking to multiple people, but no one had been arrested.
The alleged theft of two decorative lights from the grave of the Prime Minister’s wife’s Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was disrespectful, a daughter of Hon. Pōhiva said.
The incident occurred just four days after the body of Tonga’s First Lady was buried on December 19.
The Prime Minister’s daughter ‘Ana Koli Fifita said the family had decided not to lodge a complaint with the Police.
She said if such robbery had happened while her mother was still alive Neomai would not complain, implying she was a woman who had a great sense of patience.
Koli said she went to the cemetery early on Sunday morning, December 23, and realised the lights had gone.
She told Kaniva news the lights had been put on top of the grave as a dedication by Neomai’s grandchildren.
She said she regretted this kind of disrespectful behaviour.
As Kaniva news reported last week, Neomai was laid to rest at Telekava 1 community cemetery in Kolomotu’a, Nuku’alofa.
The Prime Minister’s 70-year-old wife, who bore him seven children, “died peacefully” after a long battle with cancer.
Koli also posted her complaint on Facebook.
A commentater on her post said the same thing had happened to her husband’s father’s grave after July.
She said they installed a memorial stone, a banner and decorated the grave with lights but when they visited the cemetery again in September the lights had all gone.
Another online writer said the same thing had happened to a relative’s grave nearby.
Another person said Neomai had suffered during the political struggles she and her husband had gone through during her life and now she was dead some unscrupulous people continued to harrass her.
Online comments have denounced the theft of the lights as “evil.”
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Queen Nanasipau‘u leads mourners at First Lady of Tonga’s funeral services
A 6.4 earthquake has rattled residents across Tonga.
USG said the earthquake strikes 82 kilometres north north east of Nuku’alofa at 11.08am (UTC Time). It was 100.2 kilometres depth.
Our correspondent in Tonga said he ran outside of his house when the quake hit.
He said it went on for about less than a minute.
There was no casualty reported or tsunami threat alert issued.
There was also no report of damage.
Tonga’s earthquake came after Indonesia’s disaster agency said 222 people were dead and hundreds more injured after a tsunami struck coastal areas around the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java on Saturday (Dec 22) night.
“222 people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing,” Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday evening.
“This number is predicted to increase because not all victims have been successfully evacuated, not all health centres have reported victims and not all locations have got complete data.”
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/tsunami-indonesia-168-dead-beaches-volcano-krakatoa-11057318
(Stuff, Fairfax Media ) Tonga Rugby League officials are disappointed at their poor return for their historic test against Australia in Auckland last October.
A TVNZ One News report on Sunday said the Tongans received “virtually no proceeds” despite the sold-out game attracting 26,214 mainly Tongan fans.
The match was organised by Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) organisation, who reaped the majority of the profit.
Tonga Rugby League (TRL) president Semisi Sika told One News his organisation saw little of it.
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“Once you feel you are being used and abused, that’s when things are going to start changing.”
The TRL were also aggrieved at not being given VIP tickets for their sponsors, who support the Mate Ma’a Tonga team.
Melino Maka of the Tongan Advisory Council says the NRL needs to change its attitude.
He said it “should treat Mate Ma’a Tonga with respect.”
The NRL told One News it only made a “small profit” from the game but, the television network claimed it had received a confidential independent analysis which had estimated the match made around $1 million, after expenses.
The NRL statement said many of its other international matches, including mid-year Pacific tests, ran at a loss, so surpluses from matches like the Tonga-Australia test underwrote poorer performing events.
One News said the leaked report also stated the Tongans were treated in an “unfair and likely underhand manner,” and an inquiry was warranted.
Its report said the Australian players were paid $5000 each, but the Tongas got $3000 per man.
“Tonga desperately wanted to have a match against Australia,” Maka said.
“Australia NRL took advantage of Mate Ma’a Tonga.”
The Supreme Court has discharged a man after serving 32 days of a sentence for theft.
In his judgement Judge L.M. Niu said the man, Paula Misieli Moala, had pleaded guilty, together with another accused person, to theft of a generator valued at TP$4500.
They were sentenced by the Magistrate Court to 12 months imprisonment reduced to nine month on account of their guilty pleas and having had no previous conviction.
Neither of them had legal counsel.
On November 24, an appeal was filed on the grounds that the sentence should have been fully suspended because the accused had no previous conviction and was likely to take the opportunity to rehabilitate himself.
On December 7 the Lord Chief Justice granted bail and the appellant was released from prison on the same day.
Judge Niu said the whole of the nine months imprisonment sentence ought to have been suspended.
“However, because the appellant has already served 32 days of that sentence in prison before he was granted bail, both counsel, and the appellant himself, and I, agreed that because imprisonment has been served for 32 days, his sentence should simply be those 32 day,” the judge said.
He said Moala should not have served any sentence and there should be no further penalty hanging over him.
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The Supreme Court has sentenced Christopher Ta’ufo’ou to more than two years in jail for possession of marijuana.
Ta’ufo’ou was sentenced to two years and three months for possession.
He was arrested on March 17, 2017, after being found in possession of a substantial amount of cannabis, totalling 635.54 grams.
This comprised one bag containing cannabis found on the front lawn, one cannabis branch with leaves found in the living room and one bag with cannabis seeds found in the first bedroom.
Police also found three bundles of cannabis plant branches found in the ceiling and four cannabis branches found in the ceiling.
In addition, seven bags containing small plastic bags suitable for packaging small amounts of cannabis were found.
He was charged with possession of illicit drugs and possession of a 22. 22 calibre long rifle live ammunition without a licence.
On July 14, 2017, he pleaded not guilty to both counts, but shortly before the trial he pleaded guilty to count one and the Crown withdrew a charge of possession against his wife and offered no evidence on the second count.
Judge Cato said he would suspend the last year of Ta’ufo’ou’s sentence on condition that he not commit any offences punishable by imprisonment for the term of his suspension;
He would be placed on probation for the period of his suspension;
He would also be required to undergo a course on drug abuse with the Salvation Army.
“Although not a first offender, this is the prisoner’s first conviction of drugs,” Judge Cato said.
“His plea of guilty was not a timely plea, being on the point of trial, but I take into account that the Crown withdrew a second charge of possession of ammunition and a charge of what would have amounted to joint possession against his wife, also at this late stage.
“I will accordingly give him full credit for his guilty plea and expression of remorse. I also take into account, but only to a limited degree, that he is the breadwinner for his family and they will be deprived of his maintenance whilst he is in custody.”
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King Tupou VI has reappointed Kanitesi Mahe to the noble title Niukapu today Wednesday 19, 2018 and effective from 30 November 2017.
The family of Lord Niukapu have celebrated the reappointment during a cultural ceremony and entertainment at Bay of Manumataongo in Nuku’alofa, a family spokesperson said.
It is understood Mahe held the title previously and became a Member of Parliament in 1990s before it was removed from him following a review of his rights to the title.
The Lord Chamberlain Viela Tupou attended the ceremony and read out the Letter of Appointment from HM King Tupou VI.
Niukapu is one of the ‘Ulu Tolu or the Three Heads which consisted of Lord Nuku, Lord Niukapu and Ngata, who is now His Majesty King Tupou VI.
The appointment was officially announced in the government of Tonga gazette in September.
It said: “Kanitesi Mahe is the lawful successor to the hereditary noble title and estate of: Niukapu and shall possess and enjoy the hereditary estate appurtenant to the title to which he has succeeded together with the rents and profits thereof and all other rights and privileges attached to the title as from 30 November 2017.”
Niukapu’s hereditary estate is Fangale’ounga in Ha’apai.
The Queen and the Prime Minister’s family shared a touching moment, as foreign dignitaries turned out to commemorate the life of Tonga’s First Lady.
Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was laid to rest at Telekava 1 community cemetery in Kolomotu’a, Nuku’alofa this afternoon.
Her funeral service was held at the Free Wesleyan church in Sopu, where she worshipped, this morning.
Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau’u attended the services.
As Kaniva news reported on Monday, the Prime Minister’s 70-year-old wife, who bore him seven children, “died peacefully” after a long battle with cancer.
Tributes
Following the news of her death, thousands took to Facebook to show their respects for the woman most regarded as the “mother of democrats” in Tonga.
She has been described as “a kind-hearted lady” who always stood by her husband until the end of her life in his long time fight to bring democracy to Tonga.
The late King George V relinquished his executive powers in 2010, allowing an MP elected by the people or nobility to be elected by Parliament and become the Prime Minister for the first time.
Neomai’s contributions
In an interview Hon. Pōhiva said more consultation with the privy councillors were needed as the king still held some key powers of the executive roles.
He regarded these powers as being vital for the daily operations of the government which were now no longer within the king’s power.
King George V’s move has been seen by many as the royals’ response to a more than two-decade push led by Hon. Pōhiva to change the feudal political system into democracy.
Some commenters used the well-known English phrase “Behind every great man there’s a great woman” as a tribute to Neomai, referring to her motherly role which contributed to Hon. Pohiva’s political stance.
Favourite hymn
Yesterday her daughter ‘Ana Koli Fifita revealed Neomai’s favourite hymn.
It was the Free Wesleyan Church hymn 604, the lyrics of which were apparently written by the late Dr James Egan Moulton in the 1890s.
The hymn, ‘Tu ‘Oku Fa’a ‘A’ahi Mai’ has six verses.
Koli said she wanted to quote “her favourite hymn” as a farewell message to her beloved mother.
The funeral services were attended by members of the nobility including the Speaker of Parliament, Lord Fakafanua and Lord Nuku.
Cabinet Ministers and government CEOs also attended, along with many government senior officials.
Foreign diplomats at the services included the Chinese and Japanese Ambassadors and the New Zealand and Australian High Commissioners.
The prayer services were led by the president of the Free Wesleyan Church, Dr Ahio.
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Tonga’s Prime Minister’s wife Neomai dies
