Nearly two decades after the high-profile Bali drug bust that attracted global attention, Schapelle Corby has reemerged to discuss a new edition of her book detailing her 13-year incarceration in Indonesia’s infamous Kerobokan Prison.
Schapelle Corby’s relative caught up in the biggest ever drug bust
The 47-year-old was convicted on May 27, 2005 for bringing 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) of cannabis into Bali.
The Denpasar District Court sentenced her to 20 years in prison; however, she received a pardon and subsequently returned to Australia in 2017.
Indonesian customs discovered the marijuana hidden in her boogie board bag upon arrival at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Tongan connection
Born in Australia but with Tongan family ties through her half-brother James Kisina, who accompanied her on the ill-fated 2004 trip, Corby’s case drew international attention and diplomatic tensions.
Now living a low-profile life, her recent comments on social media mark one of the few times she has publicly reflected on the prison experience that defined a decade of her life.
Corby reposted a photo on Instagram Stories on Tuesday comparing the national and international versions of her 2006 autobiography, which tells of her world-famous ordeal, according to Sky News.
Entitled My Story in Australia and No More Tomorrows internationally, Corby’s book recounts her survival in Bali’s notorious Kerobokan prison.
The national cover of her book shows her dressed in a floral shirt and standing before the barbed wire walls of Kerobokan.
The international version has a photo taken during her arrest in which then-27-year-old Corby looks alone and terrified behind the bars of her prison cell as she awaits trial.
She maintained the drugs were planted in her body board bag and that she did not know about them.
Auckland’s Polyfest, the world’s largest secondary school Polynesian festival, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week.
This year’s event host, Western Springs College – Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, has a proud history of representing at the festival. It has been the defending champion of the Māori stage for the last six years running.
Tiakina Te Kare tutors Ngā Puna o Rehu, one of four Ngā Puna o Waiōrea kapa haka that compete across four divisions. She said it was a challenging job when she first started 10 years ago, but it was beautiful to see how much tauira have grown over the years and now thriving.
“It makes me feel grateful that I was part of the journey of theirs to be able to get to perform across all three rōpū, especially getting into [senior group] Ngā Puna o Waiōrea.”
She was one of a number of the school’s former students returning to tutor the next generation of haka performers. The school’s reputation in kapa haka has flourished over the past decade and Polyfest played a big part in providing a platform for development.
The event involved more than 70 schools represented across six stages – Māori, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands and Diversity – over four days.
It’s a far cry from its humble beginnings in 1976 where there were only four schools – Māngere College, Aorere College, Hillary College (now Sir Edmund Hillary College) and Seddon College (now Western Springs College – Ngā Puna o Waiōrea).
Ngā Puna o Rehu would use its performance to mark the 50th anniversary of Polyfest and the school’s participation in the event.
“The main kaupapa of our bracket is about Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, so our whakapapa, our hitori; and then our whakawātea is about celebrating the 50 years.”
Kianu Enoka-Rupapera tutored another of the school’s groups, Ngā Oho o Waiōrea and, like Te Kare, was once a student who performed at Polyfest.
“Polyfest, for me, definitely helped me grow as a performer, grow as a person, specially being here at Ngā Puna o Waiōrea.”
He said he owed a lot of what he learned from the experience to his own tutors. Now he was teaching a new wave of kapa haka performers and encouraged young people to “just jump in and have a jam”.
This year’s theme for Polyfest would pay tribute to the past five decades: He oha nō tua, he taonga tuku iho! It is Legacy – a treasure handed down.
The event would be launched on Tuesday with a flag-raising at dawn and pōwhiri later in the morning. Performances would begin the following day.
Public Enterprises Minister Piveni Piukala has publicly revealed that an alleged $7 million cost overrun was discovered after completing Tonga Power Limited’s (TPL) newly constructed headquarters.
In a startling allegation, the minister claimed the discrepancy pointed to potential corruption, though he did not name specific individuals involved.
He claimed the building estimate was $4.8 million, but it ballooned to $11 million after the work was completed.
Piukala is currently reviewing the government’s public services as part of the Eke government’s commitment to assess all government sectors.
The headquarters in Poutaha is now at the centre of a growing financial scandal.
Kaniva News contacted TPL for comment.
Piukala also claimed that Tonga Power had undergone upgrades costing around $28 million.
He said he was concerned that “many aspects of the expenditure were neither useful nor beneficial to the people.”
Long overdue upgrades
Tapu Panuve, the Chairman of TPL’s Board of Directors, has addressed concerns regarding the $28 million upgrades. He confirmed he was not with TPL when the headquarters were constructed.
For the $28 million upgrade, Panuve said: “The reason for this huge amount of capital expenditure is that TPL had not invested in past years into generation (fale misini) or distribution (network).”
He said this had led to many outages and failures when he joined the board in March 2022.
“This was further negatively impacted by the Tsunami and volcanic explosion of HTHH in January 2022 which resulted in ash fall build up in transformers and the generation building resulting in blown transformers and damaged generators”, Panuve told Kaniva News.
Several generators in the company’s generation building were from the 90’s (shoreline days) and were long overdue for replacement, according to Panuve.
“Instead of investing in upgrading generators and strengthening the distribution lines (transformers, reclosers, high voltage lines etc.) TPL embarked on spending money on office buildings and other areas. This was before our time”, Panuve said.
“When we started in March 2022 we were faced with aging infrastructure and volcanic ash that had severely impacted TPL’s ability to provide ongoing stable power.
“We were essentially ‘fighting fires’ on all fronts – generators struggling and distribution lines failing and transformers blowing.
“At the same time we were stuck with repaying past loans for TPL (over $30M). We started planning to ‘fix’ the generation and distribution arms of the business.
“This plan is represented in the Capex spend of around $50M – it is a ‘catch up’ to bring TPL back to where it should be to provide a sustainable, affordable and stable power supply for the Kingdom”.
He also said: “I should also note that about half of the $50M is funded by the Australian High Commission after we presented our plans to them on how to fix TPL’s power problems they came up with about half of the funds required. They have been TPL’s true partner in our plans.”
Former Minister of Police Siaosi Sovaleni Hu‘akavameiliku and current Minister of Police Piveni Piukala clashed in Parliament this morning over an aircraft flight that occurred on Sunday.
The questions follow footage of the Lulutai aircraft leaving the Fua‘amotu domestic airport yesterday, Sunday, 30 which triggered debates on Facebook.
The Parliament of Tonga reconvened this morning.
Piukala confirmed in the House that the flight was emergency-related, heading to one of the Niuas to medevac a patient who was in emergency.
Piukala recently denied authorization for a foreign air ambulance to evacuate two patients from Tonga.
Following the flight’s cancellation, Piukala said that his investigation of the application allegedly revealed no tourists requiring medical evacuation, contrary to the original claim.
Hu‘akavameiliku’s questioning revived controversy surrounding his 2024 decision to authorize Lulutai Airlines flights on Christmas Day.
Businesses and trading services are illegal in the kingdom on Sunday, Christmas Day and Good Friday.
As Kaniva News reported at the time, the national airline was accused of breaching the Christmas Day trading ban after reports that it conducted passenger flights on Christmas Day.
At the time, we said that Neiafu town officer had protested at the Vava’u police station after the police arrested his son for illegally swimming in the sea on that Christmas Day.
Lapota told Kaniva News that the Lulutai aircraft flew back and forth from Vava’u and questioned why they were allegedly allowed to conduct business on Christmas Day, at the same time the police arrested his son for swimming in the sea the same day.
We contacted Hu’akavameiliku at the time for comment.
During a press conference, at the time, where he was asked to address the legality of the government airline’s Christmas Day passenger flights, Hu’akavameiliku declined to provide a clear justification for the operations.
While confirming that a ‘provisional permit’ had been issued, he did not explain how passenger services qualified under Tongan law, which only permits Christmas flights for emergencies.
Four guns were located inside a guitar case after an armed call out in Auckland yesterday.
A rifle, a shotgun, and two pistols were found inside a guitar case in a vehicle parked outside an address in Auckland’s Ōrākei. (Source: NZ Police)
Police received a report of a person in possession of what appeared to be a firearm outside a property in Kitemoana St, Ōrākei at around 2.10pm.
Auckland City East Area Prevention Manager Inspector Rachel Dolheguy said police arrived and located the firearms inside a vehicle parked at the address.
She said an armed approach was made but that all parties were cooperative with police.
“A search of the vehicle located a guitar case with four firearms inside, including two pistols, one shotgun and one rifle.”
Dolheguy said taking the firearms out of circulation from the community was a “great result”.
“We continue to be committed to holding people to account and delivering on our intent to keep people safe.”
A 29-year-old man will appear on Auckland District Court on April 4 charged with three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Tongan authorities have lifted the tsunami warning issued after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Ha‘apai in the early hours of Monday morning.
The earthquake prompted widespread evacuations on the main island of Tongatapu as emergency sirens sounded throughout coastal communities.
The quake hit at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles) and was centred about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Hours later, a second 6.1 magnitude quake hit in the same area.
Lotu Tupou, a terrified resident of Tongatapu, took to social media to describe the violent shaking that seemed to “go on forever” before tsunami sirens began wailing across the island nation.
MetService had advised residents, especially those in the Ha’apai island group, to move inland as a precaution.
Video shared on Facebook showed long lines of vehicles on roads as they made their way to higher ground inland.
No injuries or significant damage have been reported as of press time.
Debates
Both Tonga Broadcasting Commission (TBC) and Broadcom FM 87.5 remained operational during the tsunami warning, broadcasting live updates and fielding calls from residents.
They routinely intersperse emergency updates with hymns and religious songs.
While some callers offered evacuation advice, others sparked debate, including one who urged listeners to “stay home” on religious grounds.
“It’s Sunday—God has prepared everything for us”, he said.
“The tsunami won’t come,” insisted the caller, dismissing evacuation orders.
In stark contrast, another listener countered: “This is an emergency. We must obey the police and authorities now,” emphasizing the need for immediate action.
The divide highlighted tensions between faith-based trust and official disaster protocols as coastal communities fled to higher ground.
This latest dispute echoes tensions during last year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga, when a powerful earthquake triggered a midday tsunami alert.
Local radio broadcasts shifted to playing hymns, but this decision was met with criticism on social media.
Some commenters expressed concerns that the sound of hymns heightened anxiety among children as they attempted to make their way home.
However, proponents of the religious practice argued that Tongans are deeply religious and view God as their saviour.
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Tonga this morning, Monday, 31, sending panicked residents fleeing inland amid fears of a potential tsunami.
The quake which hit at 1.18am Tonga time was centered 90.3 kilometers southeast of Pangai, Ha’apai and 168.8 km east north east of Nuku‘alofa, at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Terrified Tongatapu residents reported hearing emergency sirens blare within minutes, prompting swift evacuations to higher ground.
Many took to social media describing violent shaking that seemed to “go on forever” before tsunami sirens began wailing across the island nation.
MetService has advised residents, especially those in the Ha’apai island group, to move inland as a precaution.
No injuries or significant damage have been reported as of press time.
Former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku took to social media this morning with targeted evacuation advice following the earthquake, urging vulnerable groups to seek specific safe zones rather than rural areas.
The ex-PM’s Facebook post directed Nuku’alofa families to flee to Pili, Fangaloto or Popua.
People were advised to evacuate to the New Zealand High Commission in Popua or Funga Sia mountain.
The absence of early damage reports comes as a tentative reprieve for a nation still traumatized by January 2022’s Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha‘apai eruption, which unleashed a deadly tsunami killing five and displacing thousands.
The National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) and the Tonga Meteorological Services have activated a red alert tsunami warning for all coastal areas of Tonga.
Residents are instructed to move immediately inland.
NDRMO said all coastal communities from Niutōua to Kolovai must seek higher ground immediately.
It advised to avoid Vuna Rd, Hala Taufa‘āhau waterfront and Fanga‘uta Lagoon shores.
Three decades after Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s tragic murder, her haunting ballad “Dreaming of You” remains a cornerstone of Latin pop history, but newly revealed details about its origins expose a parallel story of cultural preservation.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
The song was initially written for the Tongan-American sibling group the Jets, but their father-manager, Maikeli Wolfgramm, rejected it.
Francine Vicki Golde, the song’s writer, revealed something this week that had not been made public since her 1989 ballad was released.
“We thought it would be perfect for them,” Golde said on her website, recalling how she and collaborator Tom Snow composed the song in a Laurel Canyon studio, imagining The Jets’ harmonies over its yearning lyrics, Golde reportedly said.
However, she said their father “didn’t think it was right for them”.
After the Jets turned down the song, Golde visited a friend, publisher and A&R exec extraordinaire Nancy Brennan, who introduced her to Selena in 1993.
“She told me about a young girl she was really excited about, who would soon be recording her first English album and needed songs. She then played me a video of The Barrio Boys featuring this young singer, Selena Quintanilla”, Golde reportedly said.
Dreaming of You, Selena’s fifth and final studio album, is a triumphant milestone and a haunting farewell.
EMI Latin and EMI Records released the album posthumously on July 18, 1995. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first predominantly Spanish-language record to achieve this feat.
Its success cemented Selena’s crossover legacy, blending Tejano soul with pop ambition.
The track was recorded just weeks before Selena’s tragic death at the age of 23, following her shooting by her former fan club president and manager, Yolanda Saldívar, in a motel room in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The Jets
Saldívar, who was convicted of first-degree murder later that year, remains imprisoned at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where she was denied parole this week after serving 30 years of her life sentence.
Editor’s comment:
During the Jets’ 1989 homecoming to Tonga, the Tonga Broadcasting Commission interviewed Maikeli. He shared what he said were the challenges encountered by the band as they sought to balance their burgeoning success in the United States with preserving their Tongan cultural values.
At the height of their success, with popular songs such as “Crush on You,” Maikeli declined career-defining opportunities to uphold the veitapui cultural practice. The band’s promoters wanted to change the singers’ performances and styles by using edgier outfits and more provocative lyrics to attract a broader audience.
Nevertheless, he adhered to the cultural standards and said they should not be compromised.
The veitapui practice prohibits physical contact between siblings and cousins of the opposite sex, which may appear culturally unnecessary to some. Additionally, it restricts discussions to topics deemed appropriate solely for romantic partners.
This week, as we observe the 30th anniversary of Selena’s death, I analyzed the song “Dreaming of You” to understand why the Jets declined it, apart from their father’s statement that it was not suitable for them.
When I read all the lyrics, I immediately remembered Maikeli’s interview.
The lyrics may seem harmless in English, but from a Tongan perspective, the siblings’ intended performance could be viewed as contrary to the veitapui practice.
This may explain why Maikeli declined the song, reflecting Tongan cultural values.
Lyrics – Dreaming of You
Late at night when all the world is sleeping I stay up and think of you And I wish on a star That somewhere you are thinking of me too
‘Cause I’m dreaming of you tonight ‘Til tomorrow, I’ll be holding you tight And there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be Than here in my room dreaming about you and me
Wonder if you ever see (see me) me, and I Wonder if you know I’m there (am I there? Am I?) If you looked in my eyes Would you see what’s inside? Would you even care?
I just wanna hold you close But so far, all I have are dreams of you So I wait for the day (wait for the day) And the courage to say How much I love you (Yes I do)
I’ll be dreaming of you tonight ‘Til tomorrow (’til tomorrow) I’ll be holding you tight And there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be Than here in my room dreaming about you and me
Corazón, I can’t stop dreaming of you No puedo dejar de pensar en ti I can’t stop dreaming Cómo te necesito I can’t stop dreaming of you Mi amor cómo te extraño
Late at night when all the world is sleeping I stay up and think of you And I still can’t believe That you came up to me and said I love you I love you too
Now I’m dreaming with you tonight ‘Til tomorrow and for all of our lives (’til tomorrow) And there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly
Dreaming with you tonight ‘Til tomorrow, I’ll be holding you tight (’til tomorrow) And there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly (I’ll be dreaming)
Dreaming of you tonight Endlessly And I’ll be holding you tight (’til tomorrow) Dreaming with you tonight (endlessly) Endlessly Endlessly Dreaming
Six years after his controversial exit from Australian rugby, Israel Folau has publicly staked his claim for a shock recall to face the British & Irish Lions during their highly anticipated July tour.
The 34-year-old dual-code star, now playing in Japan with the Urayasu D-Rocks, confirmed his desire to join the combined Australia-New Zealand XV side, a move that would cap one of the sport’s most polarizing redemption arcs.
The former Wallabies star has sensationally gone public with his hopes of ending a six-year exile from playing rugby in Australia after his bombshell lawsuit against Rugby Australia (RA) in 2019.
The former Waratahs fullback settled his wrongful dismissal lawsuit against his former employer out of court for an undisclosed amount. According to reports at the time Folau had been seeking $14 million in compensation after the governing body tore up his contract for an Instagram post in April, 2019, in which the dual-code international said “hell awaits” gay people.
Fox Sports reported that he reportedly walked away with $5 million. The case divided the country.
Folau has repeatedly said he has no regrets about the Instagram post, which many found offensive.
Now one of the most famous scandals in Australian sport has twisted again with Folau sharing his dreams of playing for an Australian invitational team to face the British and Irish Lions on July 12 at the Adelaide Oval.
“If I do get the opportunity to play and my kids and my wife get to witness that, it would be definitely pretty special,” he said.
According to Code Sports, Folau will need special clearance to be eligible for selection because he switched his allegiance to Tonga in 2022 after being blacklisted by Rugby Australia.
According to the report, the British and Irish Lions will also need to tick off his selection — if it eventuates.
In a powerful celebration of their Tongan roots, American singers Iam Tongi and Dinah Jane—both of Tongan heritage—joined voices in a stunning medley that included the beloved Tongan song Si‘ete Konga Koula kuo Tō ‘i Moana.
Iam Tongi and Dinah Jane
The heartfelt duet, recently shared in a viral Facebook clip, showcases their cultural pride and musical artistry, resonating deeply with Tongan and Pacific Islander audiences worldwide.
Fresh off his American Idol victory, Iam Tongi has become a beacon of pride for the Tongan community, openly honoring his heritage on a global stage.
Long before she became a global star, Jane—a proud Tongan-American—stood nervously on The X Factor stage at just 15.
Her audition launched her into Fifth Harmony, one of the decade’s biggest girl groups, and made her a trailblazer for Pacific Islander representation in mainstream music.
Tongi and Jane were performing a heartfelt duet of Counting Stars (cover) and Si’i Konga Koula, a classic by fellow Tongan-American artist Junior Maile.
Their collaboration arrives at a meaningful time when Tongan diaspora communities, particularly in New Zealand and the U.S., are increasingly embracing cultural traditions.
Some observers note that this renewed engagement may even surpass participation levels in Tonga itself.
This cultural resurgence is vividly embodied in events like New Zealand’s ASB Polyfest—the world’s largest Pacific festival, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Jane’s most recent release is the single “Let’s Go” featuring Young Go and JKing, which was released on August 21, 2024.
Tongi released several singles, including “Monsters” (2023), his emotional Idol audition song, now on streaming platforms. He also recorded and released “I’ll Be Seeing You” (2023), a tribute to his late father.
