A 23-year-old man charged with the alleged murder of ‘Alai ‘Ahio during a targeted home invasion in Sydney is expected to reappear in court next month.

The man, who was refused bail, is scheduled to appear in Parramatta Local Court on 17 September. He has been charged with murder and two counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol.

Police arrested him at Sydney International Airport at about 6.30pm last month following an investigation into the fatal shooting at a Canley Heights home on 19 May.

Investigators allege that two gunmen entered the house at about 8.20pm and opened fire on five men inside.

Mr ‘Ahio, 28, who reportedly had links to the Australian drill-rap group OneFour, and a 32-year-old man arrived at Liverpool Hospital suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Mr ‘Ahio died shortly after reaching the hospital. The 32-year-old man survived a gunshot wound to his neck.

Two other men, aged 23 and 22, later arrived at Fairfield Hospital with gunshot wounds and received treatment. One had also been shot in the neck.

A fifth man, aged 19, arrived at Liverpool Hospital at about 9.50pm with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

Police were not called to the Canley Heights property and became aware of the shooting after the wounded men began arriving at hospitals.

NSW Police Detective Superintendent Craig Middleton previously described the shooting as “a very brazen, violent attack”.

Detectives also searched a home in Moorebank on the day of the arrest and allegedly seized about 10 grams of cocaine and several electronic devices.

The investigation by Strike Force Valko is continuing.

Two candidates have withdrawn from the Tongatapu 2 by-election, including one who has stepped aside to support Dr Malakai Koloamatangi.

Soane Patita Vakautafefine Fifita announced this week that he was withdrawing his candidacy and would instead support Dr Koloamatangi’s campaign for the vacant parliamentary seat.

Another candidate, Ringo Fa‘oliu, also announced his withdrawal after meeting with Tonga’s Supervisor of Elections. Fa‘oliu said he was unable to fulfil the requirements for candidacy.

Dr Koloamatangi is the Registrar of Tonga National University and has held several senior academic and management positions in New Zealand.

He previously served as Associate Professor in Pacific Politics and director of the Pasifika Directorate at Massey University. He was also acting assistant vice-chancellor in the university’s Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori and Pasifika.

Dr Koloamatangi has served on several advisory boards, including as chair of the Taupulega, the Pacific advisory group to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

The Tonga Electoral Commission has scheduled by-elections for Tongatapu 2 and ‘Ongo Niua 17 for 8 October, with candidate nominations taking place on 2 and 3 September.

The two seats became vacant after former Tongatapu 2 MP Sēmisi Sika and former ‘Ongo Niua 17 MP Lataifaingata‘a Tangimana were found guilty by the Supreme Court in Nuku‘alofa of electoral offences arising from the 2025 general election.

Sika was found guilty of failing to report full election expenses, while Tangimana was found guilty of bribery.

Parliament formally unseated the pair on 3 August, disqualifying them from contesting an election for five years.

A livestreamed video appearing to show a teacher pointing a handgun at a female student, who then tried to grasp his gun hand and push it away as other students watched and reacted in a classroom in Tonga, has prompted sharply divided responses online.

The teacher, dressed in formal vala faka-Tonga, appeared to repeatedly move closer to the girl as she reacted and attempted to push away the hand holding the gun.

The footage circulated widely online, prompting contrasting reactions to the teacher’s conduct and the presence of what appeared to be a firearm in the classroom.

The circumstances surrounding the incident—including whether the handgun was real and why it was displayed before the students—were not immediately clear.

Kaniva News was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Some Facebook users cautioned against drawing conclusions, suggesting it might have been a toy gun used as part of a lesson.

“Wait! We never know—it might be a demonstration of the disadvantage of using a gun,” one commenter wrote.

Others were unconvinced.

“That’s stupid. No matter what, he cannot do that to students in a classroom,” another commenter wrote.

“Not funny at all. This is foolishness in its ultimate sense,” one commenter wrote.

Others said that even if the incident formed part of a lesson, it should not have been demonstrated in that manner, particularly as the girl appeared to react nervously.

This year’s Tongan Language Week theme in Aotearoa has brought renewed attention to King George Tupou II’s contribution to hiva kakala or kakala songs, an important creative legacy that appears to have received limited scholarly attention compared with that of his daughter, Queen Sālote Tupou III.

The theme, “Ko ʻetau hiva, ko e feʻunu mahuʻinga ia ki he moʻui ʻa e Tonga’—Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture,” was chosen as part of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ efforts to preserve and sustain Pacific languages in Aotearoa.

One composition that illustrates the importance of songs as rich repositories of language and artistic creativity is the King’s well-known ʻIseʻisa, also known as Louʻenisolo.

King George Tupou II originally composed the five-verse song with no chorus for his Queen Consort, Queen Lavinia, the mother of Queen Sālote in 1903, a year after Queen Lavinia’s death in 1902.

Its verses express King George Tupou II’s longing for his beloved wife.

Years later, Queen Sālote added a chorus expressing her inability to remember her mother clearly, former Royal Palace Office records keeper Masiu Moala said in an interview.

Queen Lavinia died when Sālote was only two years and one month old.

The chorus read:

While Queen Sālote is widely recognised as Tonga’s greatest punake, ʻIseʻisa also reveals her father’s remarkable creative and musical talent.

This is particularly evident in his skilful transliteration of foreign terms in the lyrics, including moniumēniti from “monument”, tilani from “tillandsia”, and lēveni losa from “raven rose”. He also published his own music booklet.

The king also composed several anthems, including Sikaiona, a transliteration of “scion”—a shoot or twig cut from a plant for propagation—and ʻAlamoti, transliterated from “alamoth”, meaning “maidens”.

ʻIseʻisa reflects the royal household’s important involvement in the genre, while also showing how Queen Sālote inherited and further developed her father’s exceptional musical and lyrical talents.

Its revival during Tongan Language Week highlights both a celebrated composition and the shared musical legacy of King George Tupou II and Queen Sālote.

‘Ise’isa (also known as Lou’enisolo) by King George Tupou II and her daughter Queen Sālote Tupou III

You can listen to the song here:

Reverend Simote Vea, who devoted much of his life to Christian ministry and the advancement of democracy, human rights and political reform in Tonga, has died.

Rev Vea was a prominent member of Tonga’s pro-democracy movement during the decades-long campaign for greater public representation, government accountability and constitutional reform.

He was a founding member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement and held several senior positions within the organisation, including chairman, general secretary and acting director at different times. He also served for several years as general secretary of the Tonga National Council of Churches.

His political advocacy was particularly visible during the early 2000s, when Tonga remained governed under a system in which the monarch appointed the prime minister and Cabinet and held extensive executive authority.

Following the dismissal by royal command of Police Minister Clive Edwards, Labour and Commerce Minister Masaso Paunga and Justice Minister ʻAisea Taumoepeau in 2004, Rev Vea publicly condemned the manner in which the ministers had been removed.

He described the dismissals as a violation of human rights and an abuse of power, arguing that such action was possible under a political system that vested absolute authority in one person.

Rev Vea also criticised the government’s failure to provide a clear explanation for the dismissals and called on then prime minister Prince ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata, who was responsible for the government’s information services, to inform the public about the reasons behind the decision.

The Human Rights and Democracy Movement maintained that the three ministers should have been consulted, informed of the allegations against them and given a fair opportunity to respond.

Rev Vea later said a television interview with Edwards had helped clarify some of the unanswered questions surrounding the dismissals. Edwards claimed that tensions had developed over the government’s one-airline policy and the awarding of services to Air Peau, in which the then crown prince reportedly held a major business interest.

Further disagreement reportedly arose after Edwards presented a critical Royal Commission report on the collapse of Royal Tongan Airlines, whose board had been chaired by the prime minister.

Although Rev Vea was a firm critic of the concentration and exercise of political power, he also recognised and welcomed meaningful steps towards reform.

When the Tongan government later presented its own political-reform proposal, departing in several respects from the recommendations of the National Committee for Political Reform, Rev Vea described it as a positive sign of change.

He estimated that the government’s proposal represented between 60 and 70 percent of the reforms sought by the public. He particularly welcomed the proposal for elected members of Parliament to form a majority of Cabinet, describing it as a significant new development for Tonga.

His involvement in the democracy movement was not without personal and institutional opposition. Academic accounts record that Rev Vea and other Free Wesleyan ministers who supported political reform faced criticism from people who regarded their activism as opposition to the monarch, government and established social order.

Despite that resistance, he continued to advocate for social justice, political accountability and the right of the Tongan people to participate more fully in governing their country.

Service to the Free Wesleyan Church

Alongside his public advocacy, Rev Vea devoted much of his life to Christian ministry. He served as a minister and senior leader of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga before retiring from active ministry.

Even in retirement, he remained engaged in church and community affairs. In 2024, he participated in interdenominational meetings in Nukuʻalofa, where he joined other Christian leaders in discussing faith, family life and challenges affecting Tongan young people, including drugs, crime, technology and the prolonged separation of married couples caused by overseas employment.

Rev Vea’s life brought together two forms of service that he regarded as closely connected: Christian ministry and the pursuit of justice. His willingness to challenge political authority distinguished him as one of the church figures who gave moral and religious support to Tonga’s movement for democratic reform.

His death marks the passing of an important figure in Tonga’s modern political and religious history—a church minister who spoke publicly for human rights, accountable government and a more representative political system at a time when doing so attracted considerable opposition.

Details of his age, the circumstances of his death and funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

KEARNS, Utah — Distressing photographs and videos shared on Facebook have captured scenes of horror and devastation as family members reacted to the deadly shooting outside a Tongan funeral at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Utah.

The footage showed a visibly devastated mother crying at the scene, while another grieving person, believed to be a sibling or close relative of one of the victims, fell to his knees and lowered his head to the ground in apparent shock and anguish.

The emotional scenes unfolded after gunfire killed a man and injured others outside the church in Kearns.

A livestream obtained by Kaniva News captured the moments before and after gunshots were heard during the funeral at the Kearns stake centre. Chaos and panic erupted as mourners rushed to safety without knowing what was happening outside.

The video initially showed a woman delivering a eulogy before someone was heard screaming in the background. Seconds later, people inside the church began shouting in alarm and running towards the exits.

As mourners rushed outside, someone was heard shouting, “No! No!” while others yelled, “Get out!” and “Call 911!”

No one inside the church was injured in the shooting or the panic that followed.

Police identified the man killed as 18-year-old Vilisoni Angilau. A 17-year-old and another 18-year-old were critically injured and transported to hospital.

Other livestreamed footage later shared on Facebook captured the immediate aftermath outside the building. A man believed to be Angilau was seen lying on the ground as emergency personnel attempted to treat him.

Further footage showed family members and relatives weeping and visibly overcome with grief.

Afuhia Masiu Manatau, 45, was arrested following the shooting and faces charges of first-degree felony murder and felony discharge of a firearm.

Police alleged that Manatau supplied a gun to his 17-year-old son, who then shot Angilau and the other 18-year-old during an altercation. The teenage suspect was subsequently shot during a struggle for the weapon and remained in critical condition.

The allegations against Manatau and his son have not been proven in court.

A funeral flyer indicated that the service was being held for 23-year-old ʻOfaʻatangikivaha Angilau, who was fatally shot at a Riverton petrol station on August 7.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Two Tongan men accused of participating in a large-scale methamphetamine supply and money-laundering operation uncovered through an international police sting have been publicly named.

Fine Steve Lapuaho and Siaki Lavaki had been granted interim name suppression but abandoned their applications for continued suppression when they appeared in the Auckland District Court.

The men faced charges of supplying methamphetamine, money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group. The allegations had yet to be proven in court at the time.

Lapuaho and Lavaki were among those arrested during Operation Trojan Shield, a global investigation targeting organised criminal networks in 16 countries.

The operation resulted in more than 800 arrests worldwide after law-enforcement agencies secretly monitored communications exchanged through ANOM, an encrypted platform developed and operated by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Users allegedly believed the devices provided secure and impenetrable communications. However, the FBI was able to monitor their messages for 18 months and share intelligence with law-enforcement agencies in other countries.

New Zealand Police began working with the FBI on the operation in January 2020. Investigators obtained thousands of messages allegedly discussing drug trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activity.

More than 300 New Zealand police officers later executed 37 search warrants across Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Central and Wellington districts.

Police arrested 35 people and laid more than 900 charges during the coordinated enforcement operation.

According to New Zealand Police, authorities seized more than nine kilograms of methamphetamine, large quantities of cannabis, four firearms, 14 vehicles and motorbikes, and an estimated $1 million in cash.

The total value of assets seized was reported at $3.7 million.

The New Zealand investigations targeted the alleged importation and distribution of methamphetamine and other drugs, as well as money-laundering networks linked to organised criminal groups.

The international operation involved New Zealand Police, the FBI, the Australian Federal Police, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and Europol.

Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, then director of the New Zealand Police National Organised Crime Group, said transnational criminal organisations caused extensive social, health and financial harm, particularly among vulnerable individuals and families.

Police described Operation Trojan Shield as one of the world’s most sophisticated law-enforcement operations against organised crime.

KEARNS, Utah — A 45-year-old Tongan father has been charged with murder after his teenage son allegedly used his firearm during a shooting that killed one person and critically injured two others at a Tongan funeral in Utah.

Afuhia Masiu Manatau was taken into custody and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail following Monday’s shooting outside a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kearns.

He faces charges of first-degree felony murder and felony discharge of a firearm.

According to court documents, the violence began after Manatau was allegedly assaulted in the church car park, triggering a physical fight.

Witnesses told investigators that Manatau produced a firearm during the confrontation and that his 17-year-old son took the weapon from him.

The teenager allegedly shot one man twice before another man rushed towards him and struggled with him for control of the gun.

Investigators alleged that the second man gained control of the firearm and shot the teenager. That man was also shot during the confrontation, although authorities said it remained unclear how he sustained his gunshot wounds.

One of the victims died, while the 17-year-old and another injured man were taken to hospital in critical condition.

Manatau and his son allegedly left the church following the shooting, prompting a brief police pursuit that ended near 4100 West and 4700 South.

Officers found the wounded teenager inside the vehicle.

Court documents said another vehicle then arrived at the scene and its occupants allegedly attempted to confront Manatau and his son while claiming that the shooter was inside the car.

Monday’s shooting occurred during the funeral of 23-year-old Tongan man ʻOfaʻatangikivaha Angilau, who had been fatally shot at a Riverton petrol station the previous week.

Police had been asked to attend the funeral because authorities had received warnings that trouble could occur.

The latest violence follows another deadly shooting involving Tongans outside an LDS meetinghouse in Salt Lake City in January.

Sione Vatuvei, 38, and Vaea Tulikihihifo Jr, 46, were killed outside the church on Redwood Road, while six others were injured.

Police have not indicated that the two incidents are connected.

The investigation into Monday’s fatal shooting remains ongoing, and the allegations against Manatau have yet to be proven in court.