A woman from Lakepa was ordered to pay reparation after her car was crashed into a power pole on September 16 causing power outage in the area for three hours.
A judge at the Nukunuku Magistrate court yesterday ordered Losaline Tonga Ma’ata, 45, to pay for the damages she caused.
The court was told Ma’ata crashed into the power pole after she attempted to overtake a vehicle infront of her at Fatai.
She was uninjured and was charged for reckless driving.
Source: AAP – The international team monitoring Fiji’s historic election has declared the poll free but have questioned whether it was fair.
The multinational observer group, co-led by Australia, on Thursday announced Fiji’s first election in nearly a decade was “credible” and broadly representative of the will of voters.
But the group was less glowing about the electoral environment preceding the September 17 poll, particularly limitations placed on news organisations and democratic institutions.
“Civil society participation in the process was restricted,” the group stated in its preliminary report.
“The restrictive media framework, including potentially onerous penalties, limited the media’s ability to examine rigorously the claims of candidates and parties.”
Counting is still underway but the political party of Commodore Frank Bainimarama is on track to win a majority of seats in the new parliament.
The military strongman turned interim prime minister had promised a free and fair election as part of a pledge to return democracy to the Pacific nation.
This week’s election was the first time Fijians have gone to the polls since Commodore Bainimarama seized power in a military coup in 2006.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop congratulated Fijians on what was an historic day for their nation.
“Australia looks forward to working with the new Fiji government when it is formed,” she said in a statement.
The federal government invested quite a bit in the poll, including paying for six Australian election experts in the Fijian Elections Office.
It also began a diplomatic thaw with Fiji as a goodwill gesture ahead of the poll, lifting travel bans on senior military and government figures.
The observer group noted some difficulties with pre-polling and voter registration but overall didn’t register “any significant irregularities” in the counting process.
Shadow parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs Matt Thistlethwaite, who was part of the observer team, said the poll had broadly been a success but there had been problems leading up to voting day.
“There’s more to democracy than holding elections,” he told AAP from Fiji.
The former Baltimore Raven Ma’ake Kemoeatu has saved the life of his young brother Chris Kemoe‘atu by giving him one of his kidneys.
Ma‘ake, 35, stepped in to rescue his brother after learning Chris, 31, ended his career as an ex-Pittsburgh Steeler in 2011 because he suffered a kidney disease.
Chris was lucky because Ma’ake’s organ was a “99 percent match”.
In a press conference at the University of Maryland Medical Centre on Wednesday, Ma’ake said: “I’ve seen him struggle and the last three years of his career, fighting through a lot because of his kidney. When we found out he needed a transplant, we had to stop our careers because his health was most important to us.”
Ma’ake quit football back in 2012 so that doctors could start processing the transplant.
The Bleach report says. “The process of getting Chris a new kidney certainly wasn’t easy. Between the weight loss and the heart complications, it was a long process. However, he eventually received the kidney that saved his life—all thanks to his brother”.
On March 13, 2010 Ma’ake signed a two year agreement with the Washington Redskins for US $7 million contract.
The Kemoeatus are two of the six siblings of Reverend Siketi and Ahea Kolovetekina Kemoeatu.
Four people have been injured following a massive crash that invloved a car and two vans on Taufa’ahau Rd this morning Wednesday 17.
The accident happened between Vaini and Nualei.
Police said a van from Kahoua was speeding and overtook another vehicle while a taxi van was coming the opposite direction.
The van crashed into a tree while the taxi driven by a 70-year-old man swerved to avoid collison but collided with a tree on the road side.
A 60-year-old Japanese worker was a passenger in the taxi.
Kaniva News understands the 70-year-old man was Sione Keni Kolo from Tofoa
Kolo was taken to hospital and was in stable condition while the Japanese passenger who suffered head injuries was flown to New Zealand for medical treatment.
The 26-year-old driver of the van was taken to hospital with one of his passengers for treatment.
He faced charges for speeding and drink driving.
A three-day workshop opened today at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre in Nuku’alofa will end with a thanksgiving service to mark the International Day of Peace 2014.
Her Royal Highness Princess Pilolevu Tuita in her key note speech while opening the National Strategic Planning Workshop said: “Peace building strategies that go hand in hand with God’s words in the bible will ensure a sustainable way forward for Tonga”.
A Prayer Breakfast will be held on Saturday 20 September, 2014 to mark the International Day of Peace, and will conclude with a Church Thanksgiving service at the Nuku’alofa Church of Tonga to be led by the President, Rev. Semisi Fonua.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 and it is observed around the world on 21 September.
The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is the “Right of Peoples to Peace”.
In his vote of thanks, Speaker of Tonga’s Legislative Assembly and Honourable Chair for CPAD Tonga, Lord Fakafanua said:
“I want to also thank the district and town officers and participants here today. This is an opportunity to share recommendations that will map out the direction for Tonga’s future. We hope you will have a good and fruitful meeting this week and that you will return to your communities and share this good work and the lessons learnt.
Tupou Tertiary Institute has awarded 162 students with bachelor and diploma certificates on September 13 at the Free Wesleyan’s Centenary Church in Kolomotu’a.
The institute offers New Zealand accredited study programs in cooperation with Whitireia New Zealand, Wellington Institute of Technology and Bethlehem Tertiary Institute.
The graduation ceremony brought hundreds of students, family members, teachers and guests together.
Her Royal Highness Priness Pilolevu Tuita was the guest of honour and gave this year’s graduation speech.
Students were awarded in the following area of studies:
Whitireia New Zealand Programmes
Certificate in Office Administration and computing Intermediate
Certificate in Office Administration and computing Advance
Certificate in Information Technology
Diploma in Information Technology Level 5
Diploma in Information Technology Level 6
NZ Diploma in Business
Wellington Institute of Technology
National Diploma in Architectural Technology
Bethlehem Tertiary Institute
Certificate in Teaching Studies
Diploma in Teaching Studies
A 37-year-old man from Otara who punched, kicked and stomped on a police officer’s head last year has pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm, the High Court in Auckland has heard.
Walter Geroge Tau’atevalu has pleaded not guilty to his charge of attempted murder.
Sergeant Simon Tate was left with facial fractures and a throat injury and has no memory of the assault after he was bashed by Tau’atevalu last year. He has just recently returned to full time work with the police.
Crown prosecutor Robin McCoubrey said a witness saw Tau’atevalu continued to attack and keep kicking Sgt Tate as he lay on the ground.
He suffered a brain bleed, head injuries, and broken bones on his face and throat from several blows.
The jury of nine women and three men will decide if Tau’atevalu is guilty of attempted murder.
But the defence councel Graeme Newell told the jury Tau’atevalu could only be found guilty if the prosecution proved he had intended to kill.
The court was told police were called after Tauatevalu became angry at his wife during an Otara Scorpions rugby league club function at the Manukau Velodrome before they left.
The officer followed their car and stopped it in Sandrine Ave in Manukau. Tate got off and went to speak with the passenger and it was then that he was attacked by Tau’atevalu who had got out of the vehicle.
Newell told the jury the event happened very quickly and in the dark. He said this would cast doubt on the accuracy of the witness’ evidence.
The trial continues.
Six people were taken to hospital after a deck they were on collapsed in West Auckland yesterday afternoon.
A Tongan family gathered at a Covil Ave address in Te Atatu South for an 80th birthday celebration but it ended up in disaster when thirteen people, including eight children, plunged to the ground. They suffered minor injuries.
Ola Mahe, 40, said his family and other family members had just finished saying grace and when they went out to partake in a buffet set up in the deck it suddenly collapsed.
His 8-year-old son James who suffered a sore bum said the incident was a shock.
“We said our family prayer in the living room, and after doing the birthday song and blowing out the candles, then family [members] started to walk to get the food [on the deck]”, he told Herald.
It is understood the patients had been discharged from the hospital last night.
Price and tax cuts, a review of Asian immigration, an end to the issuing of Tongan passports, curbs on travel expenses by government ministers and the establishment of a marketing authority will be on the agenda for Tonga’s Democratic Party if it is elected in November.
Party leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva said his party’s immediate priorities would also include checks on the licenses of overseas fishing vessels and a ban on fishing sea cucumbers.
Other long term party goals include increasing the fisheries budget by TP$1.3 million (NZ$834,000).
Democratic Party candidate for Vava’u 15, Kulufeinga ‘Anisi Bloomfield, said his party would prioritise people’s needs and make sure the private sector operated effectively so it could boost government revenues.
The Party would cut water and power prices by 15 percent and would increase provision of solar power in villages and outer islands.
As a majority of Tongans relied heavily on their families overseas for food, groceries and meat, the Democratic Party would reduce charges on freight and cargoes on individual goods sent from overseas.
The Democratic Party has also said it would limit the ability of overseas businesses to send money out of the kingdom.
The issuing of Tongan passports to foreigners has been a major issue in the country since the 1980s and the Party has promised to put an end to it.
Many problems, including not paying civil servants’ salaries on time, had remained unresolved for many years. The party recognised that sorting them out was essential to the smooth running of a democratic government.
Democratic Party leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva announced the party’s policies at a retreat for party members at Nuku’alofa on September 4-6.
In his keynote speech Pohiva spoke about the vision that inspired the party in 2010.
That vision included a government run by elected members of parliament, all of whom were voted into office by the people.
Pohiva said if the Democratic Party was elected to government in November its long term goals would include:
Pohiva said that if the party was elected, within six months of achieving government it would take action in the following areas:
The Retreat was opened with a prayer led by President Semisi Fonua of the Siasi Tonga Tau’ataina.
The main points
Sam Tu’ivailala has become the first Tongan to be promoted to American baseball big league.
The 21-year-old pitcher from San Mateo started the season at Class A Palm Beach before joining AA Springfield and then moving to AAA Memphis.
This week he was called up by front rankers the Cardinals.
Tu’ivailala tweeted earlier this week about how he received the great news.
“Greatest feeling in the world telling my mom “I did it, I’m going to the big leagues!” Thank you everyone for all the love & support!” he tweeted.
“It was just a crazy feeling as soon as I heard it,” Tuivailala told the American Daily Journal.
“I knew in the back of my head … maybe there’s a chance, but obviously I didn’t want to look into the future and get my expectations up there. I knew if I just competed one day at a time, maybe I’d get my chance.”
Tuivailala only began pitching professionally two years ago.
He was originally an infielder.
The Journal has described him as having “an electric right arm” and he has been recorded at pitching up to 160kmh.
After his major league debut on Tuesday, Tu’ivailala told the Journal:
“I felt good,” Tuivailala said. “I was relaxed a little bit, just kept breathing. I was just trying to soak it in and just trying to have fun out there. I feel like I pitched well. I was just glad to get my feet wet.”
His mother Julie is Hispanic and his father Sione Latu Tu’ivailala comes from Houma, Tongatapu and Matamaka through his father, Samiu Tu’ivailala.
The main points
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