Tongan Police were investigating a double accident in Nukuʻalofa this afternoon.
No reports of death or injuries and the identities of those involved have yet to be released.
According to local news reports two cars crashed at ʻAlaivahamamaʻo road.
Another car crash on Taufaʻahau road in Fanga was also reported.
A Canadian archaeologist who has spent nearly 30 years researching Tonga’s past has discovered traces of previously unknown buildings and fortifications using airborne lasers.
Professor David Burley from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver found the remains of fortification ditches, a remnant of the Tongan civil war which occurred near the turn of the 19th century.
Many of the sites Burley and his team found were undocumented and even families who had lived near them for generations did not know about the earthworks.
Burley called many of the discovered fortifications “spectacular.”
At one location, the archaeologist found evidence of an underground cave system, most likely used as a last-ditch defence effort
The Canadian team has been using Light Detection and Digital Ranging (LiDAR) which emits a laser beam from equipment carried underneath an aeroplane. It measures distance according to how much, and how quickly, that beam of laser light bounces off the ground and returns.
As a result, land formations that would otherwise be occluded by thick vegetation are revealed.
Tongans began using burial mounds and digging ditches about 1000 ago. Without LiDAR, the impressions left behind by burial mounds and ditches are almost impossible to pinpoint.
Working with PhD student Travis Freeland, Burley discovered and documented several thousand burial mounds on Tongatapu.
Burley said that knowing the location, size, and condition of the ruins paved the way for the Tongan government to safeguard them for future study.
As Kaniva News reported in 2014, Tonga has sought to protect at least part of its archaeological heritage by seeking to have the kingdom’s largest ancient royal tombs, the ‘Otu Langi at Lapaha, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Birthplace of Polynesia
Burley has been conducting archaeological field research in Tonga since 1989.
In 2011 his investigations of the origins of Polynesia led him to declare that the Tongan village of Nukuleka was the first place settled in Polynesia by the ancient people known as the Lapita nearly 3000 years ago.
This was done by carbon dating pottery found on the site and superceded claims made by Samoa and Fiji to be the cradle of Polynesia.
Since then 31 sites on more than 12 islands have been recorded and/or excavated throughout the kingdom.
The main points
For more information
New Tech Used to Literally Throw New Light On Tongan Ruins
Real Tonga could not be able to convince the government to help fund the Chinese MA60 aircraft so it could return to services but the plane resumed operations and landed safely in Vavaʻu yesterday.
The national airline’s CEO Tevita Palu has confirmed today his company had received no help from the government but the aircraft was back into the air.
Palu told Kaniva News he had asked the government for help, but nothing had happened.
We reported previously the airline needed $TP400,000 to prepare the aircraft for services.
The aircraft was supposed to be properly certified to meet the requirements of New Zealand and international air safety regulations.
The MA60 had been grounded after pressure from the New Zealand government after concerns over its safety record.
It is understood Real Tonga had signed a four-year contract with the Tongan government to operate the 56-seater MA60 aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Division of Tonga’s Ministry of Infrastructure issued an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for the Chinese-built MA60.
According to a recent report in the American newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, there has been a pattern of safety problems with the MA60 involving landing-gear malfunctions, braking failures and steering loss.
One accident involving the aircraft killed 25 people.
The newspaper said less than half of the 57 MA60s exported from China in the past 11 years were still flying.
According to the Journal, at least 26 of the aircraft were in storage because of safety concerns, maintenance problems or other performance issues.
A total of six others had been damaged beyond repair
Palu told the Journal Chinese Civil aviation authorities had told him the plane was safe.
He said officials told him accidents involving the MA60 were “only caused by pilot error.”
A Tongan graduate at the AIS St Helens said courses from the Auckland institute taught at Tonga Institute of Higher Education (TIHE) helped ease the financial difficulties his parents faced in paying for his studies.
Setefano Leilua Fūnaki was one of dozen Tongan graduates who graduated from AIS yesterday in a ceremony at the Bruce Mason Centre at Takapuna.
Fūnaki was awarded with a Bachelor of Information Technology.
He said his parents, Nasa and Seiloni of Tofoa, had paid more than NZ$10,000 a year for his studies in New Zealand but it was cheaper in Tonga when they paid for his diploma programme.
After completing his diploma in Tonga on Information Technology he was enrolled with the AIS to study for his BA.
He said students from Tonga who came to AIS can look for works while they were studying.
“This also helps cover our expenses on accommodation, transport, food and school materials”, he said.
According to AIS, it has supported 213 Tongan graduates in a range of fields including Business, IT, Tourism and Hospitality.
This year 55 Tongan students studying towards various qualifications at AIS.
“Looking forward, AIS is focused on developing further relationships in Tonga to allow more students the pathway through to AIS programmes”, it says.
A six-year-old boy has drowned at a swimming pool inside a West Valley hotel, Utah despite being rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to local media Police arrived shortly and pulled out a six year old male from the water.
Police believed Jordan Kalapa was under water for at least five minutes.
A doctor staying at the hotel attempted to give Jordan CPR. He was rushed to the hospital where he died.
His mother was not there but a family member was in charge, Good4Utah reported.
“I don’t know the circumstances as of yet,” she said. “But i do know who was there.”
Police are still investigating Jordan’s death and will review surveillance footage of the hotel. For now are calling it an accident.
In July, Kalapa’s sister, Ofa Kinikini was killed when a Frontrunner train hit her SUV.
Her sister said she was pregnant and in her third trimester.
“Her baby lived and we were so happy,” said Kalapa. “We call her our miracle baby. We named her Ofa and that means love in Tongan.”
Ofa Kinikini’s child was adopted by Kalapa’s younger sister, but she said the entire family shares in her life.
Kalapa now believes Jordan is with his aunt taking care of him in heaven.
“I would like to believe my sister has taken my son and we have taken her daughter. and we are going to take care of her and she is going to take care of my son until we meet in the end,” she said. “I’m grateful for that, that comforts me.”
Seven years after it began serving readers in New Zealand and around the world, Kaniva Pacific News was officially launched on Saturday night.
Kaniva News founder Kalino Latu launched Kaniva Pacific News and the Ta’angafonua Trust in front of an invited audience during a function held to celebrate his daughter’s graduation.
The star of the evening was Malia Lesina Kelela Latu Jr, who graduated from Unitec with a Bachelor of Communication degree in a ceremony at Auckland town hall on Wednesday afternoon.
In his welcoming speech Latu praised his daughter and her achievements and said that he had created Kaniva Pacific News for her and her brothers and sisters.
“We are here tonight just because of one thing,” Latu said.
“My daughter Malia Lesina Kelela Latu Jr has been successful in obtaining a BA in communication studies based on Public Relations from Unitec.“
He said Lela had been a gift to her parents from God.
“Kelela was given to us with a responsibility to take care of, protect her life and to pave her a way for a prosperous future,” he said.
“I would like to thank you, Kelela, for your obedience and for patience and hard work that has been shown in your success. Our whole family is very proud of you.
“Tonight we talk about Kaniva Pacific News and Ta’angafonua Charitable Trust.
“They are here to serve you with news, education and entertainment. Even though Kaniva has been serving the community since 2009 I have never ever officially announced it.
“I was waiting for this day. I wanted you Kelela to come straight home into a business in journalism your dad and mum have created for you, your sister and four brothers.“
Dozens of guests from Auckland’s Tongan community attended the evening and Latu family members travelled from Tonga and the United States for the occasion.
Music for the evening was performed by the Kaniva Band, with vocals by Maria Angelica ‘Elisiva Jr Latu. Malia joined her on several songs.
During the evening Malia performed a tau’olunga, with members of her family joining her while the fakapale was brought to her.
Guests on Saturday night included Former Deputy Leader of the Tongan Democratic Party, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, Member for Manukau East Jenny Salesa, journalist Tapu Misa and Dr Philip Cass.
Misa, who has had a long career with the New Zealand Herald and other media outlets, spoke about the importance of Pasifika and Maori journalists having a say and represent in their communities in the mainstream media.
She said even though there were now more Pasifika and Maori journalists than when she began working in the media, they were still in a minority.
She welcomed Latu, who studied communication and news writing at Unitec, into the community of journalists and media workers in New Zealand.
Cass said Kaniva News played an extremely important role in the New Zealand Tongan community, by providing news in Tongan and English. This made news about the community and what was happening in Tonga available to the widest possible market.
He said Kaniva stories were carried by local, national and international media, who regarded it is an important and reliable source.
The main points
A petrol shortage in Vava’u could cost the region millions of dollars as businesses close down.
And the head of the Ministry of Tourism’s Vava’u office, Pulono Toke, told Radio Australia this evening that it could be six weeks before the crisis was resolved.
Toke said the government had hired a ship in Singapore to run the fuel service, but it would take a month-and-a-half for the vessel to reach Tonga.
Toke said some petrol and diesel was reaching the island, but not enough to keep the tourism industry going.
President of the Vava’u Tourism Association Calvin Schumaker told Kaniva News tonight the region faced a potential economic shutdown within the next two to three weeks if the situation was not resolved.
“We are in crisis mode here in Vava’u,” Schumaker said.
“Our whale watching industry is pulling boats out of the water and finishing the whale watching industry a full month and a half early.
“This is going to put us at a significant loss, potentially TP$10 million or more.
“The outer island resorts are being forced to possibly close their doors as well. This also is going to lead to a substantial loss in money for this country. Possible losses are upwards of $TP2 million.
“Restaurants are being affected because tourists cannot make it to the restaurants due to taxis not running, food not being brought to the market, and shopping not being available.”
He claimed there were near riots in the street when petrol does leak into the community, with people waiting up to eight hours for $20TOP worth of petrol.
Shumaker blamed the fuel shortage on the loss of the fuel barge that used to bring in fuel from Nuku’alofa. He said the barge had been sold and not replaced.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Schumaker said Pacific Energy has told locals it would have a vessel in Vava’u waters within two weeks.
Other shipping services to the outer islands have been disrupted this year with the government ferry M.V. ‘Otuanga’ofa out of action for five months.
The Tongan government has hired an Australian catamaran to fill in for the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa while it is undergoing service and repair in Fiji.
The main points
For more information
Tonga’s Vava’u running on empty (Radio New Zealand)
No regular fuel service to Vava’u for at least six weeks (Radio Australia)
The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, met Anna Jane Vea of Tonga while New Zealand commemorated the Battle of the Somme in Longueval, France, last week.
Vea was among the young people from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, who were in France to learn more about their countries’ participation in the Battle of the Somme during World War I.
Prince Charles attended the wreath-laying at the New Zealand Battlefield Memorial at the Caterpillar Valley War Cemetery on Thursday last week.
“The Battle of the Somme was New Zealand’s first major engagement on the Western Front.
“Of the 15,000 members of the New Zealand Division, 8000 were wounded and 2111 soldiers were killed.
“The New Zealand Memorial to the Missing in Caterpillar Valley cemetery lists 1205 names of New Zealanders without marked graves.
“New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior was exhumed from this cemetery and reinterred at the National War Memorial in 2004â€.
Anna Jane from Tonga, Sariah from Niue, Aunoa from Samoa & Tama from Cook Islands all met HRH The Prince of Wales pic.twitter.com/wSDCSdo0jT
— MFAT (@MFATgovtNZ) September 15, 2016
One person died in a car crash this morning Sunday 18 at about 4am after his car rammed into a container on the roadside.
The road had been closed and a diversion was in place at By-Pass Rd.
According to local reports alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash.
The road has since reopened, it said.
The fatal crash came after a suspected drunk driver from Vaini lost his life in a fatal car accident on Saturday 10 near Malapo.
Police said a 24-year-old was driving when his 1500 kg pick up van veered off the road and hit a Pulukamu tree.
A 39-year-old Senior Police Constable in Tonga has been suspended from duty on Monday 12 September 2016 while allegations of serious misconduct against him were investigated.
A statement from Tongan Police described the case as “serious breach of the Tonga Police Code of
Conduct”.
“An Investigation is underway into the incident surrounding the Officer’s alleged breach of conduct, which involves a complaint from an 18 year old school girl.
“This is a serious allegation and bad conduct will not be accepted,” says Commissioner of Police Stephen Caldwell.
He is suspended without pay until further notice.
