A teacher in Tonga’s island of ‘Eueiki is being investigated after a man’s finger was bitten off during an altercation Thursday 28.
The 35-year-old man was taken to hospital while an internal investigation is being conducted by the Ministry of Education.
The details of the incident were still unknown.
According to Radio Tonga Police said there was no formal complaint lodged in relation to the incident.
Two drivers of double cab vans and an elderly woman were lucky to escape unharmed after their vans crashed causing one of the vehicles to flip and landed on its roof at about 9am today.
The elderly woman was a passenger in the van which turned upside down.
Both vans were damaged but no injuries reported.
The incident occurred in Liahona at the intersection of Hala Loto Rd and Hala Sia’atoutai Rd.
Police arrived and controlled the traffic until the vehicles were removed from the road.
Tupou College has scooped the most medals during the 2016 Intercollegiate Sports in Tongatapu, with 39 gold medals.
Tupou College also won 20 silver and 21 bronze medals, with sister college Queen Salote in second while Tupou High School came in third.
The top result has been applauded by thousands of supporters from the Free Wesleyan Church and ex-students as their boys boarding school is commemorating in June the 150 years since it was first established in 1866.
Two colleges from the outer islands were performing outstandingly during this year’s competition were Ha’apai Secondary School and St Peter Channel College from Vava’u.
St Peter Channel College is celebrating its 50th anniversary in December and they made a great performance during the competition winning 45 medals altogether.
Two brothers Pita Latu, 34, and Maka Latu, 31, of Mataika, Tongatapu were allegedly drunk while they were fighting on Tuesday 26.
Pita was injured and he was later confirmed dead at Vaiola hospital.
The family reported the fight to Police at around 11pm.
Police immediately arrested Maka and he was charged in relation to the death of his older brother.
He remains in Police custody.
The Wallabies former number eight Toutai Kefu is ‘highly likely’ Tonga’s new rugby union head coach, a reliable source who wished not to be identified told Kaniva News this evening.
We undertand the selection of Kefu was confirmed in a Tonga Rugby Union meeting this evening.
It is understood TRU and Kefu are in the final stage of their negotiation before signing the contract.
In 2011 Kefu was Tonga’s assistant coach in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Kefu is Tongan and he has won 60 caps playing at number eight for the Australian rugby union side.
A Tongan science student has been awarded one of Massey University’s top honours.
Siaosi Koloamatangi was named a Massey Scholar when he graduated in Auckland last week with a Bachelor of Science.
The title ‘Massey Scholar’ is awarded only to the top 5% of students and provides funding for further study.
Siaosi says science wasn’t his first love. “At school I was into english and history but everyone in my family is into that so I decided to try something different in my final year and switch to science. It was hard at first put I’ve really grown to enjoy it.” Going to University was always on the cards for Siaosi whose father is well known academic Associate Professor Malakai Koloamatangi, Pasifika Director at Massey. “Mum and Dad didn’t pressure me but they did encourage me to create my own pathway.”
After high school at St Thomas of Canterbury College in Christchurch, Siaosi started his Bachelor of Science at Canterbury University, but switched to Massey University after moving to Auckland.
The change in University also led him to move from biochemistry to genetics, a field he’s now thriving in.
Very few of his fellow students are Pasifika or Māori and that’s something he’d like to see change. He helps tutor at homework centres in South Auckland where he encourages students to try science. “I think there are misconceptions about science. Kids think it’s too hard without really knowing much about it.” Siaosi also believes some Pasifika people may worry that science conflicts with their religious beliefs. “I think it can strengthen your faith especially when you see there are still things that can’t be explained by science”.
Siaosi is continuing his studies with an honours year at Massey University where he’s looking into specific proteins that could be useful in cancer research a field he hopes to continue to work in.
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Growing up in poverty and lessons at ‘Unuaki ‘O Tonga drove academic success
Student who thought she was no good at accountancy celebrates outstanding awards
Growing up in poverty and lessons at ‘Unuaki ‘O Tonga drove academic success
Apparently stung by media criticism of his part in the suspension of Tonga Broadcasting Commission journalist Viola Ulakai, Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s office said today his action was not an attack on media freedom.
In a statement released this afternoon, the Prime Minister’s office said media operators inside the kingdom and abroad had levelled ill-informed criticism at Hon. Pohiva for expressing his disappointment at Mrs Ulakai’s claim that she was asking for a press conference on behalf of the Tonga Media Council.
“The TMC has denied Mrs Ulakai’s claims, noting serious misconduct and breach of the ethical code of basic journalism,” the Prime Minister’s office said.
It said the Media Council had confirmed that the Tonga Broadcasting Commission was not a financial member of the TMC, and therefore Mrs Ulakai’s claim that she was a Director of the TMC is false.
“It is a universally accepted principle that journalists must not obtain or seek to obtain information through misrepresentation or subterfuge,” the statement from the office said.
“Deception in journalism is unprofessional and morally wrong.”
It is believed Mrs Ulakai’s suspension followed a recommendation to the board by the Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Poasi Tei, who in turn was acting on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Earlier this month Hon. Pohiva said he suspected Ulakai of acting as a mouthpiece for his political opponents.
It is understood the government believes Ulakai’s style of interview and requests for press conferences were aimed at discrediting the government and not producing fair and impartial news reports.
However, yesterday Mrs Ulakai told Radio New Zealand International that she had not been suspended and that she remained a Radio Tonga and Television manager.
She continued to claim that she was acting as a member of the Media Council.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. Everything that I did was in the law and also according to our policy,” she told RNZI.
Criticism of the Prime Minister has come from across the Pacific.
The Samoan Observer quoted veteran local journalist Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia as saying Hon. Pohiva’s actions were surprising given that the Prime Minister had once been jailed for leaking information to the media.
Tongan publisher Kalafi Moala took the same line, declaring that Hon. Pohiva had breached media freedom.
However, not all Tongan media have been so critical of Hon. Pohiva’s actions.
Kaniva News has argued that many people will see the TBC and Mrs Ulakai as having politicised their jobs and these are serious matters that need to be dealt with. We have argued that the TBC needs to recognise and deal with the often very negative public perceptions of bias in its news and current affairs reporting.
The Nuku’alofa Times said the Tongan media needs to shape up and be on par with the rest of the media in the region and the world at large.
“What transpired between the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva and long-time Tonga Broadcasting Commission journalist Viola Ulakai must be a lesson for everyone in the media industry in Tonga,” an opinion piece written by Ileisi Tora said.
“The Tongan media needs to shape up and practise to be fair, factual and balanced.”
The main points
For more information
Viola Ulakai suspended from Radio and TV Tonga the day after PM questions her integrity (Kaniva News)
Tonga TV programme manager upsets government (RNZI)
Radio Tonga manager rebuts PMs gripe (RNZI)
Media needs to shape up (Nuku’alofa Times)
Tongan Government Suspends Journalist Over ‘Hard Questions’ (Samoan Observer)
Prime minister violates media freedom over questions (Pacific Media Watch)
Clarifications for queries raised in the media (Ministry of Information and Communication)
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Mele Lokalesia Fifita hated dancing when she was growing up, but it has helped put her through university and now she is performing as part of the Living Legends show that opens in Auckland tonight.
Fifita, whose mother comes from Matahau and whose father is from Kolovai and Fo’ui, grew up in California.
Her mother lived in Auckland for a while before her family moved her to Long Beach, California. Her grandmother was raising her children on her own and the move was for a better life.
She is a Communications major specialising in public relations at Brigham Young University in Utah.
It is the third time the 20 year-old has been in New Zealand.
“I love New Zealand,” Fifita said.
“It’s nice to be surrounded by Polynesians. It’s nice to be able to see family and also the land, it’s so beautiful.
“California’s full of buildings and dirt but the land here is green and very beautiful.”
Fifita has been back to Tonga for the past three years and her brother served in the kingdom as a Mormon missionary.
Being part of Living Legends has made her appreciate her culture.
“Growing up I hated dancing and every family function my Mom would make me do a ta’uolunga and I never really appreciated it until I joined the group,” she said.
By joining this group, she had been able to show people the importance of the grace and beauty of the ta’uolunga.
“It’s just nice to share my culture and have the rest of the world appreciate our grace and beauty more,” she said.
“I love my culture and I hope that our people take pride in it and use it as motivation to continue doing their best in life.”
But the dancing has also become a second life for her.
“People ask me to tau’olunga and that’s how I pay for my books,” she said.
“It’s funny, people don’t think you can do anything but I’ve been paying for my schooling by doing a tauʻolunga.”
Living Legends opens in Auckland tonight
Living Legends, a performance of Polynesian, indigenous American and Latin American dance opens a two night run in Auckland tonight.
Featuring students from Brigham Young University in Utah, Living Legends will be held at Holy Trinity cathedral in Parnell tonight (April 28) at 7pm and at the BNZ theatre at 7pm at the Vodafone Events centre tomorrow night (April 29).
“Each year, hundreds of BYU students audition for the opportunity to pay tribute to their ancestors through music and dancing,” a statement from the promoters said.
“The audition process is competitive, accepting only the best singers and dancers, but all Living Legends members are of Native American, Latin American, or Polynesian heritage.
“This year’s Living Legends performance reflects the cycle of civilizations through the portrayal of changing seasons and weaves together legends of the past with the reality of today.”
Last year the show toured British Columbia in Canada, Alaska and New Mexico. It previously toured Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Apart from New Zealand, this year Living Legends will also tour Samoa and Tonga.
Living Legends originates in the Department of Dance, College of Fine Arts and Communications, at Brigham Young University, which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The main points
Two flats at ‘Apifoʻou College were not burnt to the ground but the interiors were completely gutted after the building was engulfed in flames on Wednesday afternoon.
It is understood the teachers at the school were at Teufaiva Park to attend the four-day intercollegiate atheletic competition which began yesterday.
No report of injuries and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder after a brawl at Mataika, in Nuku’alofa, yesterday.
The victim was a 34 year old man and Police said his death was confirmed after a fight broke out yesterday evening.
Police could not release further details about the incident.
“As the matter is now before the court Police will make no further comment”, Police said.
