Lord Tu‘i‘āfitu remains the official Minister of Lands despite reports he was planning to resign.
Lord Tu’i’afitu
This has been confirmed to Kaniva News this morning by the Ministry’s chief executive Taniela Kula.
Mr Kula said if the Minister had resigned, the Prime Minister’s office would have announced it.
In Tongan, he said: “Officially, ‘oku kei Minisita pe kae ‘oleva kuo Tukuatu he PMO ‘a e tu’unga ‘oku ‘iai.”
Last month, the Prime Minister said during a press conference in Nuku’alofa that he was “having conversations” with the king’s noble about his resignation from his ministerial portfolio.
As we reported previously, a leaked internal memo seen by Kaniva News indicated that the king had lost confidence in the Minister. Mr Kula later confirmed that the memo was from him.
The king does not have constitutional power to dismiss or pressure Cabinet Ministers to resign.
The Prime Minister and his former Minister of Foreign Affairs previously resigned from their respective positions in the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries after the king expressed his lack of confidence. However, their resignations were only due to pressure exerted by the king’s nobles in Parliament, citing Tongan faka’apa’apa (cultural respect) for the king.
The Prime Minister retained his responsibilities for the other portfolios within the government, while Utoikamanu was reassigned to oversee the Ministry of Communications and Technologies (MEIDECC).
Criticisms
As we previously reported, the noble faced criticisms following his globetrotting with Ministry officials to hold meetings with Tongan diaspora members, including visits to Australia, the United States, and New Zealand.
Critics said the meeting agendas may have effectively been conducted online and through social media platforms to minimize expenses.
Lord Tu’i’afitu justified the necessity of the trip by highlighting the manual processes involved in handling land issues, such as administering oaths. He mentioned seeking advice from the Minister of Justice.
Tonga’s Director of Public Prosecutor, James Lutui, has determined that the government’s Friendly Islands Shipping Agency (FISA) will not face prosecution following the imprisonment sentence of former captain Viliami Makahokovalu Tuputupu.
Tonga’s Director of Public Prosecutor James Lutui. Photo/Facebook
Mr Lutui was responding after Kaniva News asked whether FISA should be held to account for allowing Mr Tuputupu to operate the vessel without a valid license.
As we reported last week, Tuputupu was sentenced on November 18, 2024, after being convicted of two charges related to his role on the government’s MV Otuanga’ofa vessel. He was found guilty of violating maritime regulations by setting sail with excess passengers on board and operating the vessel without a proper certificate.
The news sparked public outrage, with many on social media being quick to link the incident to the MV Ashika tragedy, which sank a few kilometres away from the capital, Nukua’ofa, claiming 74 lives in 2009.
Mr Tuputupu was the captain of MV Princess Ashika. However, many of the online community’s concerns target FISA’s role as operator of the MV Otuanga’ofa.
Many asked why FISA initially permitted Mr Tuputupu to sail the vessel.
Responses
Mr Lutui said that after reviewing the information from the police investigation into Tuputupu’s offence with the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa, it had been established that there were no grounds to hold FISA accountable.
In Tongan he said: “na’e fakahoko ‘a e sio ki he ngaahi fakamo’oni na’e tanaki mai mei he fakatotolo ‘a e kau Polisi, ke vakai’i ai pe ‘oku ‘iai ha fakamo’oni fe’unga ke faka’ilo ‘a e kautaha vaka (FISA) ki he hia tatau pea moe ‘Eikivaka. ….’i he hili ange ‘a e vakai koia, na’e aofangatuku ai ‘oku ‘ikai ke ‘iai ha fakamo’oni fe’unga ke kaunga faka’ilo pea moe FISA”.
Chairman of the Shared Board Transport Sector (PAT, TAL, FISA), Dr. Sione Ngongo Kioa
He provided no further details.
Meanwhile, FISA’s boss, Dr Sione Ngongo Kioa, told Kaniva News that the government’s shipping agency was taking action after Mr Tuputupu’s sentencing, but without giving any further details.
It is unclear whether he was referring to an appeal against Mr Tuputupu’s sentencing or any other legal procedure.
In 2020, Tonga’s Supreme Court found the Master of the MV Onemato, a private vessel owned by the people of Eua Island, guilty of allowing the vessel to sail with excess passengers.
Kaniva’s comment:
Tonga has faced criticisms regarding its track record in handling shipping and maritime activities.
The sentencing of the former MV Otuanga’ofa captain last month was the latest episode in a troubling pattern of necessary changes not being implemented.
As we reported recently, Tonga’s former Ombudsman reported that FISA purchased a 34-year-old vessel with “17 deficiencies” and paid the owner “three times” its worth.
The then Ombudsman ‘Aisea H. Taumoepeau said that in February 2014, Pacific Royale Shipping, owned by the Ramanlal brothers, who were close friends of the late King George V, sold the former St Theresa vessel to FISA for NZ$936,500. The vessel was then renamed the MV Niuvakai.
The MV Niuvakai became a financial liability after it became clear there were insufficient goods to transport, which was its primary purpose.
After three years of the purchase, the Niuvakai was finally put up for sale.
As we reported last year after a crew member came forward, Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni was allegedly on board MV St Theresa to check whether the old ferry was fit for purchase.
Despite repeated mechanical failures during the voyage from Nuku’alofa to the Ha’apai group, Sovaleni, who was not Prime Minister at the time, and his delegation still recommended that the government purchase the St Theresa. We contacted Sovaleni for a comment.
The vessel has been anchored near Pangaimotu Island opposite Queen Sālote Wharf in Nuku’alofa for over a year.
It is understood it is no longer operational, but there are staff working there as security guards.
Residents in Sydney were shocked to discover mysterious red water in a bay that runs into Sydney Harbour, leaving experts puzzled about its cause.
The ruby red water was discovered on Careening Cover, flowing through Milson Park in Kirribilli on Monday.
Residents in Sydney were shocked this morning to discover mysterious red water in the bay that runs into Sydney Harbour, leaving experts puzzled. Picture: 7News
The wine-coloured water was reported to the North Sydney Council, and while there is no known source for the change in colour, the council suspects it was caused by plumbers’ dye.
“Council is aware of the red water flowing into the harbour from Milson Park, and officers have investigated but have not been able to find the source,” a spokesperson explained.
The incident has been reported to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority.
An investigation by the EPA is currently underway to locate the source of the dye.
“North Sydney Council alerted us to what appears to be red plumbers’ dye in a drain at Kirribilli this afternoon and we are currently investigating the potential source,” a spokesperson for the EPA said.
It’s believed the red was caused by plumbers’ dye, also known as fluorescein, a solution commonly used in plumbing or drain testing that dissipates quickly once diluted.
“Fluorescein has low toxicity but even small amounts can be highly visual and for this reason its use should always be minimised,” the spokesperson told NewsWire.
People using raw eggs in their smoothies, salad dressings or desserts need to think again now that bird flu has been detected.
Photo: Morgane Perraud / Unsplash
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has confirmed 80,000 birds will be culled at an Otago farm after an outbreak was announced on Monday.
Six other farms in the area are being tested, and a 10km buffer zone had been placed around the infected farm.
Bird flu is not a food safety concern, as long as products such as eggs and any foods containing eggs are properly handled and cooked, MPI says.
Bird flu viruses were killed by cooking, its NZ Food Safety deputy director director Vince Arbuckle said.
“Raw eggs have always been considered a high-risk food. Our advice remains not to consume or serve raw eggs, especially to those with low or compromised immune systems, as the eggs may contain harmful pathogens, including salmonella.
“Our robust food safety system ensures that only healthy animals and eggs enter the food chain, so it’s highly unlikely that any infected products will make it into our food supply.”
People will not be infected if eggs are thoroughly cooked which means heating food to an internal temperature of:
75deg Celsius for at least 30 seconds
70 deg C for 3 minutes or
65 deg C for 15 minutes
The advice is not new – it was included in the response to a salmonella outbreak in 2021, a spokesperson told RNZ on Tuesday.
MPI has a fact sheet about the latest strain of avian influenza here.
An Australian food safety body also advises against the consumption of raw eggs.
Earlier this year, more than one million chickens had to be culled in Victoria after bird flu was detected at seven farms.
The NSW Food Authority says the chance of any poultry products from birds affected by bird flu entering the food chain is very low. This is because of the measures in place to prevent sick animals from entering the food chain.
Also, avian influenza usually stops birds laying eggs, and the few eggs that are laid generally would not get through egg washing and grading because the shells are weak and irregularly shaped.
However, scientific evidence shows the virus responsible for bird flu is killed through careful cooking – it is destroyed at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.
Its advice:
Keep eggs in the fridge in their carton
Cook them until the white is completely firm and yolk begins to thicken
Always use clean eggs, free from dirt and cracks
Keep hands, surfaces and utensils clean and dry before and after handling eggs
Consume eggs within the recommended date on the carton
By Iliesa Tora, of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Tongan bowler Milika Nathan created history in Auckland on Saturday, winning the women’s singles title at the World Bowls Champion of Champions in extreme conditions at the Browns Bay Bowling Club in North Harbour.
Milika in action at the Browns Bay Bowling Club. Photo: David Allen / Inside Bowls Magazine
The Northcote Intermediate School teacher proved her winning skills to claim the title, coming from staying within the top eight to upset defending world champion Anne Nunes of the United States of America.
She joins outstanding Australian Lee Schraner who claimed the men’s title for the second time in edging out New Zealand champion Aiden Takarua in a tightly fought final 6-4 4-4.
New Zealand Bowls said over 50 champion bowlers from 30 nations competed in the 22nd World Bowls Champion of Champions Singles tournament.
The weather turned for the worse at the weekend, after a week of superb conditions, with light and persistent rain throughout the day.
Nathan, who competed for Tonga at last week’s Oceania Challenge in Auckland, won her quarterfinal clash, with a dominant performance over Teokotai Jim from Cook Islands.
She beat Stefanie Branfield (England) in the semi-finals, bouncing back with a remarkable 14-2 advantage to win the second set, and winning the tiebreak with her final bowl.
Meanwhile Nunes, attempting to become the first person to successfully defend their title, edged Ireland’s Sarah Kelly 10-3 7-7 and Lainie McGorman (Australia) in a tight semi-final.
New Zealand Bowl said the pair battled the conditions during the final with Nathan the stronger in the wet, winning 5-4 5-3 in a brilliant match.
“At the start of this week I was just trying to make it into the top eight,” Nathan said.
“It was like using a drive and upshot every time and make sure I was up in those conditions.
“I didn’t think about playing Anne in the final and just tried to focus on my own game. It is a bit crazy to think I am a world champion. I never thought that would happen, ever. It is funny that I will walk back into my classroom on Monday.”
Nathan defeated England’s Stef Branfield in the semi-finals.
Niue’s Joy Preyoux, who was among the five women who remained unbeaten after the first three days of competition, did not make it into the last eight.
A ceasefire deal to end 13 months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has taken effect.
Displaced people returning to their homes in the town of Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP
The US and France said the agreement would “cease the fighting in Lebanon, and secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations operating from Lebanon”.
This resolution follows intense negotiations led by the United States and France, who have emphasized the importance of stabilizing the region.
According to their joint statement, the agreement is designed to halt hostilities in Lebanon while providing Israel with enhanced security against threats posed by Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations that operate within Lebanese territory.
The deal is seen as a significant step toward restoring peace and preventing further escalation in the already volatile area.
However, Hezbollah claimed that it has achieved a significant victory against Israel, citing tactical successes on the battlefield and bolstered morale among its ranks.
The group claims that its operations have successfully countered Israeli military actions and assert dominance in specific engagements, framing this as a significant accomplishment in the ongoing conflict.
Hezbollah had set one task for itself when it launched rockets at Israel on 8 October 2023: force a ceasefire in Gaza. On Wednesday, after more than 13 months of fighting, Hezbollah stopped firing rockets and signed its own ceasefire with Israel – and Israel’s campaign in Gaza raged on.
When Hezbollah entered the fray last year, alarm bells began to ring across the region. The largest militia in the world boasted of 100,000 battle-hardened fighters, and western thinktanks estimated it had an arsenal of 150,000 rockets pointed at Tel Aviv.
In his first televised appearance after starting a war with Israel, Nasrallah explained that he had opened a “support front” to put pressure on Israel and draw its resources away from Gaza. He spoke of an equation which was to govern the tit-for-tat fighting that Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in for the better part of a year. A missile for a missile, a fighter for a fighter.
From the start, the proportions of Nasrallah’s equations seemed tipped against him. Tallies showed that for every rocket Hezbollah lobbed over the border, Israel responded with four strikes. The number of dead Hezbollah fighters climbed into the hundreds, while the number of Israeli soldiers killed remained at a dozen.
Still, he seemed to be in control. The world watched as Hezbollah slowly unveiled a new arsenal of weaponry it had been building since 2006, including drones that evaded Israel’s famous Iron Dome missile defence system, and an anti-aircraft missile that forced an Israeli jet to retreat. This was only “10%” of Hezbollah’s capabilities, Nasrallah promised.
A Tongan man with convictions against two female victims will likely be deported to Tonga after groping them at a bar in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Samiuela Vatuvei will likely be deported to Tonga after groping two women in an Octagon bar. Photo/Otago Daily Times
Samiuela Pauni Koula Vatuvei, 25, had his application for a discharge without conviction on two charges of indecent assault rejected by Judge Mark Callaghan in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, the Otago Daily Times reported.
The women were at the Octagon bar on December 10 last year.
In the first incident, Vatuvei approached from behind and grabbed the woman’s buttock, moving his fingers towards her genitalia. The woman turned and “threw her drink over him”, the report said.
In the second incident, Vatuvei approached the other woman and “forcefully” ran his hand over her genitalia.
The woman slapped and berated him as he walked away.
The defence team pleaded with the judge to have mercy on Vatuvei as an immigration lawyer had advised that if convicted Vatuvei would likely be deported to Tonga. The judge declined it.
The court was told that Vatuvei had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, rendering him significantly intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Counsel for Vatuvei said he was a member of the Methodist Church and a fine young man of excellent character.
The judge ordered Vatuvei to pay each victim $750 as “a token of gesture”.
A robber responsible for stabbing a man and leaving him to die in his terminally ill mother’s arms is set to spend decades in jail.
Viliami Taufahema was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday after a jury earlier found him guilty of murdering 29-year-old Luke Lembryk during a botched home invasion in Sydney’s west in 2019.
Two co-offenders – Bilal Rahim and Lisa Anne Price – who were involved in the armed robbery were also jailed, while Joseph Nehme remains waiting for his sentence after also being found guilty of murder and assault with intent to rob.
Luke Lembryk, 29, was allegedly killed by two intruders in a botched home invasion. (9News)
The incident stemmed from a Tinder date between Price and Lembryk four months earlier, when the woman spotted bundles of cash and drugs in his property.
After Price told Nehme about the money and drugs along with how to enter the house, he recruited Rahim to drive Taufahema there and help him attempt the theft.
Stabbed five times after he refused to hand over the money, Lembryck died in the arms of his mother.
She later died from cancer.
Justice Sarah McNaughton could not determine which of the two home invaders inflicted the fatal stab wound.
But Taufahema clearly foresaw the prospect of inflicting grievous bodily harm when he broke into the house late at night, she said, making him liable for the murder.
Justice McNaughton noted Lembryk’s final words to a police officer were, “I’m dying, they stabbed me.”
Lembryck died in the arms of his mother at the Condell Park home. (Nine)
Taufahema was sentenced to 23 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 16 years and six months.
Price, who was found guilty of manslaughter, assault with intent to rob and aggravated breaking and entering, received eight years in prison with a non-parole period of four years and six months.
One of the aggravated breaking and entering charges related to an assault on Lembryk’s mother during the home invasion.
After meeting Lembryk on the Tinder date four months before the attack, Price spotted bundles of cash worth between $10,000 and $20,000 at his home, along with a “golf ball-worth” of cocaine.
She was desperate for money and was about to be evicted from her own house when she passed on the information to Nehme, Justice McNaughton said.
Rahim, who drove Taufahema to the job and acted as a lookout throughout, was sentenced to eight years and six months in jail, with a non-parole period of five years and two months.
Lisa Anne Price was previously found guilty of manslaughter over Lembryk’s death. (Nikki Short)
He was found guilty of manslaughter, assault with intent to rob and aggravated breaking and entering.
Rahim showed an “unconditional and immediate” willingness to be involved when Nehme asked him, likely due to his drug addiction, Justice McNaughton said.
She found Rahim would have foreseen possible resistance once inside the house and knew Nehme was carrying a knife.
Lembryk’s father previously told the court there was no adequate sentence that would right the wrong of his son’s death.
It was particularly heartbreaking that his terminally ill wife spent her final days mourning the 29-year-old, he said.
Nehme’s sentencing submissions will be heard on Monday.
A new search warrant was executed at Tonga Development Bank (TDB) as the final court decision regarding directives to remove its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman was still in progress.
Tonga Development Bank.Photo/Kalino Lātū
The TDB issued a statement last week reassuring its customers about the security of their personal information. The statement emphasised that all customers’ records remain secure and have not been compromised.
The statement comes after the Police “execution of search warrant 58/24” it said.
“We undertake to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information and are taking all the necessary steps to uphold these standards.”
The search warrant also comes after Police searched the bank in May after a complaint regarding an alleged breach of the Banking Act. The National Reserved Bank of Tonga (NRBT) likely made that complaint.
At the time, TDB said it had received grave concerns from its customers and the public regarding the search warrant executed on its premises.
The police actions against TDB come after the NRBT sought to override the TDB by issuing directives that, among other things, removed its CEO, Emeline Tuita and board chairman Penisimani Vea.
Court decision
In a decision in September, Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop KC said that the NRBT’s actions were designed to ensure that it closely controlled the TDB and had a veto on any of that bank’s activities.
Mr Malcolm commented after the TDB asked for an interlocutory mandatory injunction restraining the NRBT from enforcing its directives.
The Lord Chief Justice said: “I am in the doleful position of concluding that whatever order I make some harm will irreparably follow.”
“If I restore the CEO and the chairman there is inevitably a danger of friction and unfavourable working conditions.
“Thus, what I have to consider is not the balance of convenience but the balance of inconvenience. What is the least worst solution?
“I am on the current state of the evidence and material before me not persuaded that the supervisory role of the reserve bank excludes supervision of the economic activities of the Development Bank.
“I accordingly order that will be the basis that the CEO and chairman continue in place pending the resolution of this matter at trial.
“I am entirely conscious of the fact that this may make for friction and difficulty but that responsible people, as I accept those in the employ of the Development Bank and the National Reserve Bank are, will be dealt with in a grown-up way.”
A search for a missing person who fell into a stretch of water that has a history of drownings on Tongatapu continued this afternoon.
Social media reports confirmed the incident but provided no other details.
Police have yet to comment.
Livestreamed videos shared on Facebook showed an emotional scene characterized by tears and lamentation as those affected grappled with their emotions.
Laulea Beach is one of the most dangerous places in Tonga to go swimming due to powerful rip currents and waves known to sweep people out to sea.
Some residents voiced their frustrations, asking how such an event could have occurred given the spot’s notoriety, which was widely publicised on social media.
Critics have urged swimmers to prioritize safety and heed warning signs to prevent further tragic accidents at the spot.
In May 2024 Puli ki Puloti Jr Afu dies at Laulea before his body was found.
In January 2024, Selomiti Tufui, a young policewoman, died at the beach.
In 2018 Viliami Vaka’uta, 24, was presumed dead after he attempted to save her wife in the water.
In 2017 Soane Tangipa ʻAtaʻata died after he went swimming at the beach.
In 2015 ‘Inoke Mapaleve Mo’unga, 32, of Kolonga drowned at the beach after visiting there with his wife and friends.
In 2012 Catholic priest, Father Mikaele Mateo , 37, died at Laulea Beach while helping to rescue his five young nephews who were swept out to open sea by the strong currents.
