The Tongan and Fijian prime ministers are among the first Pacific Island leaders to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump.
Photo: JIM WATSON
Trump, 78, returned to the White House on Wednesday by securing more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, according to Edison Research projections.
Tonga’s Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who is also the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum said on X, formerly Twitter, that he is looking forward to advancing Tonga-US bilateral relationship and the Pacific interests and initiatives.
Fiji’s Sitiveni Rabuka said it is his sincere hope and prayer that Trump’s return to the White House “will be marked by the delivery of peace, unity, progress, and prosperity for all Americans, and the community of nations.”
Rabuka also said Fiji is looking forward to deepening bilateral ties with America as well as furthering shared aspirations including, promoting peace and economic prosperity in the Pacific and beyond.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minsiter James Marape on Thursday congratulated Trump, saying: “We look forward to reinforcing the longstanding partnership between our nations, grounded in shared values and mutual respect.”
Marape also expressed gratitude for Joe Biden’s service and Kamala Harris’s “spirited challenge” for the presidency.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said the American people “have spoken to through their ballots” to give Trump “his resounding election victory”, stressing the “special bond of friendship” between the two nations.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said both the Democrats and Republics have similar policies on the Indo-Pacific and he does not expect much change.
“The US has reengaged with the Pacific in terms of diplomatic representation and increased people to people engagements,” Brown was quoted as saying by Cook Islands News.
“From a bipartisan perspective I don’t see any drastic changes in US policy on what they have termed as the Indo-Pacific strategy. Both Dems and Rep have similar policies on the Indo-Pacific. I don’t expect much change.”
Tonga assistant coach Dean Young believes the side is primed to carry out a historic victory in the Pacific Championships final on Sunday.
Photo: NRL
The Australian Kangaroos and Tonga will battle for the Pacific Cup after finishing top two in the standings.
Tonga heads into the match the fan favourites after stunning scenes in Auckland saw them defeat the Kiwis 25-24 to book their place in the final.
Speaking to 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio from camp, Young did not downplay the chance for Tonga to win its first piece of silverware.
“It’s been a really enjoyable camp. We’ve performed well in this tournament,2 he said.
“Although we didn’t get the result we wanted against Australia in the first game, we felt like we did a lot of good things in that game and took some key learnings out of it for the next one against the Kiwis, and got away with a one-point win there.
“It’s a great opportunity on Sunday to go out there and show our fans — and not only our fans but ourselves — what we’re made of and we’re looking forward to it.”
Reflecting on how the international game has expanded since rugby league’s Pacific revolution at the 2017 World Cup, Young acknowledged the sacrifice from past stalwarts that has gone on to inspire players to represent their heritage.
“I’ve been involved in this team since 2019 and when I think of Tonga I think of sacrifice,” he said.
“That started with Sika Manu and Jason Taumalolo, and then Andrew Fifita.
“I remember Andrew Fifita knocking back [the opportunity] to play Origin when New South Wales Origin payments were about $30,000 a game. So, he could have played the three games in that series and he walked away from $90,000 to represent the small country of Tonga and it’s just grown ever since that.
“[Coach] Kristian Woolf has done an incredible job, along with the playing group, to get Tonga into the position where we’re now playing Australia in the Pacific Championships final.”
A former Dragon, Young is also an assistant coach under Shane Flanagan at St George Illawarra.
With Clint Gutherson set to join the Dragons on a three-year deal after being officially released by the Eels on Thursday, Young was unwilling to shed any light on the situation.
“I’m not sure [Gutherson’s signing with the Dragons] is confirmed yet,” he said.
“I speak to Shane quite regularly but he hasn’t told me that that’s confirmed.
“My focus at the moment is to do my best to prepare the Tonga boys to go out there and put on a good performance on Sunday. Once that’s done, I’ll go back to training with the Dragons.”
Pressed further as to how the Dragons could use Gutherson, Young did not submit to the rumours.
“I’ve had lots of discussions with Shane but I’m not going to be telling anyone what those discussions are about. That’s a private matter and everyone will find out in due course.”
In its first game, Tonga was handed a heavy 18-0 loss by the Kangaroos in Brisbane. Australia and Tonga will meet again in the final at 4.05pm AEDT on Sunday in Sydney’s west.
The Tonga XIII rugby league team won against the Kiwis in Auckland tonight.
Tonga XIII perform The Sipi Tau. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Tonga avoided an upset and edged New Zealand 25–24.
Tonga has secured a spot in the Pacific Championships final after a dramatic and hard-fought battle against the Kiwis, winning the match at Mount Smart Stadium.
The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, with both teams displaying impressive skill and determination.
In a closely contested encounter, Tonga managed to edge out their rivals with a last-minute score that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The victory marks a significant achievement for the team as they advance to the championship final, ready to compete for the title.
Twenty-year-old Isaiya Katoa nailed a field goal for Tonga from 30 metres in the 76th minute, sparking a frenetic last couple of minutes as the Kiwis tried to get in front.
Their goal attempts went astray to the delight of the Tonga’s red-and-white flag-waving, hymn-singing supporters, who dominated the 22,000-strong crowd.
The result means Tonga will play Australia in the final next weekend, while the Kiwis will have a promotion-relegation match against the winner of the match between Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea on Sunday.
The Tongan team first defeated the Kiwis during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Team lists
Kiwis: 1. Keano Kini 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Peta Hiku 5. Will Warbrick 6. Charnze Nicole-Klokstad 7. Shaun Johnson 8. James Fisher-Harris (C) 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Scott Sorensen 13. Naufahu Whyte
Semisie Pomale, 35, was the last of four defendants to plead guilty to participating in the May 2021 attack, which ended at 2.54am on a Sunday morning after Vake fell to the pavement and hit his head, causing unsurvivable brain damage.
While previous sentencings have attracted large crowds to the High Court at Auckland that included Kiwi UFC stars Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker, this week’s hearing was a quieter affair. Pomali sat in the dock of a small, nearly empty Auckland District courtroom as Judge Peter Winter evaluated the discharge without conviction request.
The courtroom scene was reflective of Pomale’s lesser role, defence lawyer Mark Ryan suggested, pointing out that his client was the only defendant to have his charges severed and returned to the District Court. While co-defendants faced manslaughter and assault with intent to injure convictions, Pomale was only ever charged with two counts of common assault, which carries a maximum possible sentence of one year’s imprisonment.
“He says as a result of what happened to Mr Vake, he was shocked to the core,” Judge Winter said, noting that the defendant claims he has stopped drinking alcohol altogether since the incident. “I assess him to be genuinely remorseful.
“I do not consider that he would have been aware of the likelihood of the incident elevating to the extent that it did, where a blow was administered by another person which caused the victim to fall to the ground and suffer the fatal injury he did.”
Police investigate the scene in Auckland Central where MMA fighter Fau Vake (inset) was hit with a fatal “coward punch”.
Vake, whose full name is Lifau Tu’iha’aingana Vake, was with sibling Ika Vake on Symonds St when the confrontation occurred between them and four strangers, according to court documents. The Vake brothers did not throw any punches themselves and were not the aggressors, prosecutors have repeatedly pointed out at previous hearings.
Fau Vake, 25, was known for training alongside New Zealand’s top martial arts fighters at City Kickboxing, but the brothers were outnumbered and he was blindsided with the fatal punch, authorities said. He was taken off life support at Auckland City Hospital nine days after the incident.
Outnumbered
Because of the previously pending charges against Pomale, the media had not been able to give a full account of what happened that morning – until now.
Pomale was the first to resort to violence, according to the agreed summary of facts. He told police he did so because Fau Vake’s brother had verbally threatened to give him a hiding as they passed on the street. He had recently left nearby Edinburgh Castle bar at closing time alongside co-defendants Daniel Havili, Ofa He Mooni Folau and Siofilisi Paongo when the words were allegedly exchanged. It sparked three minutes of violence, caught on CCTV, in which the other three men also jumped in.
Semisie Pomale, one of four men who participated in an Auckland Central scuffle that resulted in the death of MMA fighter Fau Vake, leaves Auckland District Court in June 2021. He’s pleaded guilty to common assault. Photo / Dean Purcell
Pomale and Folau first turned their attention to Ika Vake, with Folau at first attempting an open-handed slap as Ika Vake was picking up his shoe.
“Ika Vake fled to get away from Mr Folau,” court documents state. “Mr Folau chased after him and squared up to him, goading him to fight. Ika Vake backed away from Mr Folau, who continued to advance, until Ika Vake found himself pressed in against the alcove of a barber shop doorway and could go no further.”
Folau then threw a grazing punch at Ika Vake’s head before grabbing his clothes and following up with an uppercut. As Ika Vake “strained to move away from the alcove towards an open area”, Pomale stepped in and blocked him.
“Ifa Vake bent over in a defensive guard position with his forearms protecting his head,” documents state. “Mr Pomale, gripping his clothing about the shoulders, pulled Ika Vake upright and, in a continuous action, pushed him hard against the barbershop door. The push was sufficiently forceful that the double doors were forced inwards, breaking their lock, and Ika Vake fell back and onto his backside on the floor of the shop.”
Ofa Folau was sentenced at the High Court in Auckland in 2021. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Folau, meanwhile, pulled off his shirt and ran to Fau Vake, who was being held by another person in their group. He punched Fau Vake three times in the head, including an uppercut.
Paongo entered the skirmish as Ika Vake was attempting to walk out of the barbershop, grabbing him and throwing two punches.
“At this stage, Ika Vake was doubled over and kneeling on the ground in a guarded position, with his hands gripping Mr Paongo’s legs,” according to the agreed summary of facts. “Mr Paongo was standing over Ika Vake’s head.”
He threw three more punches before he was pulled out of the barbershop. Ika Vake gathered his scattered belongings and started to walk away from the group, but Paongo pursued him and threw another punch.
Siofilisi Paongo, one of four men who participated in a fatal attack on popular MMA fighter Fau Vake and his brother, leaves Auckland District Court in June 2021. Photo / Dean Purcell
Fau Vake caught up with his brother and began pushing him away from the strangers. This time it was Pomale, the most recent defendant, who gave pursuit. Fau Vake stood between Pomale and his brother to separate them as they exchanged words. Pomale twice started to walk away, but Ika Vake said something that prompted Pomale to return. The words that were exchanged aren’t known.
“Liufau Vake intervened again, putting his hand on Mr Pomale’s chest to stop him going any farther towards Ifa Vake,” documents state. “Mr Pomale used his open right hand to cuff Liufau Vake once across his face.”
That “cuff” was when the fourth defendant, Havili, approached Fau Vake from his side and without warning threw a left hook – the “coward punch” that caused his death.
“Liufau Vake fell backwards,” documents state. “Mr Havili’s strike meant that Fau Vake could not move his feet to keep his balance or use his hands to brace himself. His hands remained by his side as he dropped and he hit the pavement without breaking his fall. The back of his head heavily hit the asphalt road surface.”
Ika Vake ran to his brother but was attacked again, this time by Havili, who threw two punches then briefly dragged him along the ground by his feet after he had fallen.
“Ika Vake got to his feet and, in a crouch, grabbed Mr Havili by his legs and pushed them both into a nearby car,” documents state. “Mr Havili pushed Ika Vake down towards the ground and using his closed right fist punched him once to the head and kneed him to his head.”
At some point during the confrontation, Ika Vake had also suffered a concussion.
Folau pleaded guilty to two representative charges of assault with intent to injure just months after the incident and was sentenced in August 2021 to six months’ home detention – an outcome that an irate Dan Hooker later described outside court as “an absolute joke”.
Several years before the incident, Pomale, who has no previous convictions, had started a business exporting goods to Tonga, and then later to other Pacific islands.
His lawyer presented the judge with copies of 178 airline tickets, proof of his extensive international travel over the past several years as he accompanied goods to overseas destinations.
That business initially was the basis for him seeking a discharge without conviction. If he was to have a conviction on his record, he would have to disclose it to border officials every time he entered Australia and could be turned away, which would have a crippling effect on his business, his lawyer argued.
Fau Vake died on May 23, 2021 from injuries sustained in an attack on Symonds St.
But on Friday, after the sentencing had been postponed multiple times over the past year, Pomale arrived with a new argument in favour of a discharge without conviction. He had been hired in April to serve as deputy manager for the Tongan national rugby team and part of his three-year contract involves travelling the world with the team. His lawyer pointed to the especially rigid border conditions for the United States and Canada, which are among the countries the team is likely to visit.
He included in his submissions an affidavit from head coach Tevita Tuʻifua, who said Pomale’s roles include team management, logistics and strategic planning. Travel restrictions for Pomale would “significantly impact the team’s performance”, the head coach was quoted as saying.
Those travel difficulties, Ryan argued, would result in a punishment out of all proportion to the gravity of the offending.
Crown prosecutor Vanshika Sudhakar opposed the defence request, urging the judge not to view the common assault charges in a vacuum. Even though Pomale didn’t deliver the fatal blow, he should be held to account for contributing to the “tragic circumstances”, she explained.
“The context of the offending must be viewed in its entirety and it can’t be isolated from that situation,” she argued.
But the defence disagreed, and ultimately so did the judge.
“I am not satisfied he was aware such a blow would be inflicted on the victim or he appreciated the consequences that could occur,” Judge Winter said, noting that Pomale has demonstrated his remorse by taking courses to deal with anger management and alcohol abuse. “This offending is out of character for him.”
As a condition of the discharge without conviction, the judge ordered Pomale to donate $2000 to either Auckland City Mission or the Salvation Army within the next month.
Family absent
While the Vake family has provided victim impact statements in the past, they did not contribute ones for Pomale’s sentencing. They have not kept in contact with police as of late, the judge noted, explaining that he did not know if they would have objections to a discharge without conviction.
At Havili’s sentencing two years ago, a statement from Fau Vake’s sister was read aloud in which she recounted grabbing the first flight from Australia to New Zealand after being woken up by a call from her crying mother.
Mourners gather at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland to farewell MMA fighter Fau Vake. Photo / NZME
“Why would this happen to such a loving soul?” she asked. “His death was so sudden and uncalled for, which has made it so difficult to accept.”
She described the pain of trying to explain her brother’s absence to his young child.
“It’s the sadness in her eyes when she looks around wanting to see her real-life superhero,” she said, describing her brother as the “heart” of their family and someone who had worked hard to pursue careers in MMA fighting and being an electrician.
“He was taken away from us by a gutless act,” she said. “The hole in our hearts can never be filled.”
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
Tongan boxer Tonga Tongotongo has improved his record with another win, achieving a dominant seven-round stoppage victory over Sebastian ‘The Sniper’ Singh of Fiji.
Tongotongo and members of his camp. Photo/Supplied
Throughout the match, Tongotongo displayed exceptional technique and power, continually pressuring Singh and landing effective punches.
According to Fiji media, this victory solidified Tongotongo’s status after winning the Asia Pacific IBO Super Cruiserweight title in the South Pacific Boxing Promotion event.
“The bell rang, and the tension in the air thickened. Tongotongo charged forward, fists like hammers, but Singh danced out of reach, his movements fluid and precise”, the Fiji Times reported.
With each round, the Tongan boxer’s power became evident. He landed a few heavy blows, causing the crowd to gasp.
But Singh, undeterred, countered with quick jabs, targeting Tongotongo’s vulnerabilities.
He remembered his training, the countless hours spent honing his skills. Each missed swing from Tonga was an opportunity for Sebastian to exploit.
As the fight progressed, the momentum shifted. Tongotongo’s endurance began to wear on Singh, who grew slower and more frustrated.
With a fierce determination, the Tongan executed a well-timed uppercut, stunning Singh momentarily. Seizing the moment, he followed with a rapid series of punches that sent Singh sprawling to the canvas.
The crowd watched in despair as the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round.
Singh succumbed to the canvas, and Tongotongo stood victorious, arms raised high. The night belonged to him, a testament to resilience and skill in the face of overwhelming odds.
The win sees Tongotongo climb up in the world rankings to 42.
A man is expected to be sentenced next month in Tonga after receiving a stolen rental car from Australia.
Siosio Mālohi Vea
His ex-wife in New South Wales reportedly stole the car and then shipped it to Tonga.
Siosio Malohi Vea, 40, pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering and receiving stolen property.
However, the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa found him guilty and will sentence him in November.
The prosecution argued that Vea had concealed the actual ownership of the MG motor car and knew it had been stolen or obtained under such circumstances.
“First, he in the knowledge or suspicion that the car in question was criminal property that is to say it was derived directly or indirectly from the commission of a serious offence, he converted the car to his own use concealing its true origin”, the court judgement said.
The illegal action constitutes a money laundering offence, the court document shows.
The vehicle was rented to the convict’s former wife Kasanita Vea in the state of New South Wales Australia.
“In this case the thief is alleged to be the Defendant’s former wife, Kasanita”, the Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop said, noting that the correspondences submitted to the court show “not only that the vehicle was originally rented by Kasanita ….. she had no intention of complying with the agreement or restoring the vehicle to its lawful owner, Ride Solutions”.
Mr Bishop also said he was satisfied with the evidence that Kasanita appropriated the car, and this was to the defendant’s knowledge.
The vehicle’s removal from that state is prohibited unless prior authorization had been obtained.
No such written authorization was made.
After failing to pay up for the rent on a number of occassaion Kasanita ceased to get in touch with the renting company.
This resulted in a number of increasingly anxious communications taking place, eventually including a publication on social media of the loss of the vehicle.
This resulted in information being communicated to Ride Solutions that the vehicle was in Tonga.
Tonga Police executed a lawful search warrant and as a result the vehicle was located at the defendant’s premises and confiscated pending the outcome of these proceedings.
The vehicle was registered at the Tonga Ministry of Infrastructure, where the owner is asserted to be Siosio Vea.
Mr Bishop also said: “It seems to me that this is a clear case made out on the indictment and I so find. I conclude that the indictment has been proved to the criminal standard and that the Defendant is guilty of both counts 1 and 2”.
A Tongan mother in New Zealand has been remembered by her kāinga and friends as “the most helpful, caring and loving person” following her death this afternoon.
Emergency services were dispatched to the isolated location around 3.30pm.
A witness reportedly described hearing “lots of sirens driving through” and said paramedics appeared to be trying to resuscitate somebody.
“Attempts to resuscitate the woman were unsuccessful and she died at the scene.”
It is understood, Hato Hone St John sent an ambulance, rapid response unit and first response unit to the scene after being called at 3.17pm.
A rescue helicopter was also dispatched.
A Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman confirmed fire crews were helping Hato Hone St John with the incident, saying they were called at 3.20pm.
Meanwhile, the Tongan online community in New Zealand took to Facebook to express their shock at the fatal incident.
A commenter reported after attending the scene.
“We were there. We did everything to pull her out. The sea currents were coming so strong such a tragic loss condolences to her husband and babies who witnessed this tragedy”, the commenter wrote.
“I got to her son bringing him out of the hands of a young man who was struggling as well while my partner is trying to help the other man fighting the waves as he tried to hold her up”.
“Oh what a tragic loss I really feel for her children”, another wrote.
Kaniva News understand the woman is survived by her husband and four children.
Tonga Women Rugby League authority is under fire after Fiji men and Tonga women were involved in a mixed-gender training session, causing some to express concerns about the unusual arrangement.
As they prepare for a brutal Pacific Championship clash against PNG, Fiji have taken the extraordinary step of running an unconventional opposed session against the Tongan women’s side. SUBSCRIBE for the full story. Photo/Foxsports
Foxsports reported last week that “Fiji’s men’s team have used an unconventional opposed session with the Tongan Women’s team as they prepare for their Pacific Championships clash with Papua New Guinea”.
It alleged that a Tongan official had asked “for an opposed session with the men, and Fiji officials agreed.”
Samoa ended Tonga’s World Cup hopes last week with a 30-16 Pacific Championships win at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
However, the Tongan Independent webpage has criticised the move, stating it goes against young women’s dignity and Tongan culture and traditions.
The criticisms mentioned an incident in 2018, when an official directive from Tonga’s Ministry of Education reportedly prohibited female students at the country’s state school from participating in rugby and boxing. However, women’s rights activists strongly criticised the letter, saying it was “archaic” and “backwards.”
The Tonga Independent reported that the recent session had faced extensive criticism from members of the Tongan online community.
Foxsports said Bulldogs star Kikau revealed that the different training methods worked well for both sides.
“It’s obviously a bit weird but it was really good,” Kikau said.
“The Tongan coach was telling us to go hard, tackle and get some time on the ground.
“They were really good talkers and were loud the whole session. They helped us a little bit and hopefully we helped them in their preparation for this weekend.”
The head-to-head training session went for nearly 40 minutes with onlookers surprised at the competitive collisions between the men and the women, Foxsport said.
Tonga co-captain Natasha Penitani, who plays NRLW for Wests Tigers was excited by the challenge of facing the male players.
“It was really amazing for the men to let us have an opposed session against them,” Penitani said.
Tongan officials could not be reached for comment.
The progress of a bill that will, if ultimately passed, provide a pathway to citizenship for a group of Samoans, is another step towards Pasifika justice, the Green Party says.
There was some surprise support from the opposite side of the chamber for Green MP Teanau Tuiono’s Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill as it passed its first reading, 10 April 2024. Photo: Johnny Blades / VNP
Its spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Teanau Tuiono’s Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill has just passed its second reading in Parliament on Thursday morning.
The Bill was supported by all parties, including the National Party which did not support it during the first reading.
National supported the Bill this time on the provision that only those born between 1924 and 1949 will be offered citizenship and not the descendants of the group.
Tuiono said it marks another momentous step on the journey towards justice in Aotearoa.
“The progress of this Bill so far couldn’t have been achieved without the inter-generational efforts of the Samoan community who shared their stories with the select committee,” he said.
“Among those in the public gallery today were members of the very community whose right to citizenship was removed. I hope the passage of my Bill goes some way to atoning for past wrongs by the state.”
About 25,000 public submissions were made during the select committee process, with about half of those coming from Samoa.
A person has died following an assault on an Auckland bus and a manhunt is now underway.
Police officers, some in white forensic suits, collecting samples from the scene of the assault. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia
Hato Hone St John said one ambulance and three rapid response units responded to reports of an assault in Onehunga at 2.30pm today.
Police confirmed that a person had died following the incident.
They said they were trying to locate the offender who had been identified through CCTV footage.
A senior detective at the scene told RNZ a weapon was involved.
Earlier, the person was taken to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition.
The number 74 bus service in Onehunga. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia
A police spokesperson said they were working to figure out the circumstances surrounding the assault.
In a statement, police said parts of Captain Springs Road and Church Road remain closed while emergency services respond.
“Motorists are asked to avoid the area and expect delays while the incident is resolved.”
Police have closed parts of Captain Springs Road and Church Road after an assault on the number 74 bus service in Onehunga. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia
Auckland Transport confirmed the assault took place on board the number 74 bus service in Onehunga.
AT director of public transport Stacey van der Putten said: “We are working with our bus operator to provide support to the bus driver who witnessed this incident as well as our other customers who were onboard at the time.
“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and bus drivers is our top priority and we are engaging with police and our bus operator to fully understand this afternoon’s incident.”
