Lotto’s Powerball jackpot has rolled over after no ticket holders won the $30 million prize this evening.
The winning numbers were: 08, 17, 25, 36, 33, 31, bonus ball 18, and power ball 04.
Two players have won $500,000 with Lotto First Division.
Strike has also rolled over.
A Tongatapu man who threatened to beat his neighbour with an aluminium pipe to death has avoided a term of imprisonment.
Viliami Kioa, 43, of Sopu, appeared before the Supreme Court recently and pleaded guilty to the charge of causing serious bodily harm contrary to section 107(1), (2)(b) and (c) of the Criminal Offences Act.
He was convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
The two-year sentence was suspended for three years.
The court was told that Toti Muimui Folau Viau, a 45-year-old woman residing in Sopu, with others were doing some outdoor cleaning at the house of Mele Tatu Fusimalohi
Kioa lives next door to Mele’s residence, and he had used her property to park some broken-down vehicles.
Sometime during the cleanup, Vīau walked to Kioa’s place and asked him to remove his broken-down vehicles from Mele’s property because Mele had already told him to do so.
Kioa swore at Vīau, and Vīau responded by saying she had been authorised by Mele to be the caretaker of her property.
Kioa swore at Vīau again then a verbal altercation occurred.
At this time, Vīau’s 12-year-old daughter cried and called out to Kioa that he was swearing at her mother.
Kioa walked towards Vīau with a 4-feet-aluminium pipe, and he used it to hit Vīau on the left side of her torso.
Vīau tried to reason with him, but Kioa did not listen and continued to repeatedly hit Vīau with the pipe on her head and the back of her neck while saying, “I will beat you to death so you will know who I am.”
Vīau used her hands to shield herself from the blows and told Kioa to stop.
The daughter ran home to call her father. When he arrived, the Accused had already stopped beating Vīau.
Kioa picked up the pieces of the aluminium pipe and left.
Later that evening, Vīau went to Vaiola Hospital. On the same day, she lodged a complain with Tonga Police.
By Lauren Crimp of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
A Taranaki woman called police after discovering what she thought was a headless body on a beach, which turned out to be a “very realistic” sex doll.
Alice Cowdrey was walking her dog Sadie at Tapuae Beach, south of New Plymouth, on Tuesday. She was already feeling on edge that morning after coming across two dead goats on the beach just a few days prior.
“I’d sort of been thinking about how odd that was, and how it made me feel a little bit uneasy. I had… when I first got out of the car, been thinking about bodies, which is totally bizarre.”
Cowdrey noticed Sadie sniffing around a form on the beach, and walked closer to see what it was.
“I just sort of froze, and felt sick,” she said.
“I could see it was definitely the shape of a torso, face down, and I could tell it was a woman’s figure. I could see it had fingernails and the toes were really realistic, so it really looked like a human figure.”
Sadie did not seem overly concerned – but Cowdrey was “freaking out” after realising it had no head, so she ran down the beach to get reception and dialled 111.
A headless sex doll inexplicably found on Tapuae Beach, Taranaki. Photo: Alice Cowdrey / supplied
As she waited for police to arrive, she began worrying there could be “a murderer on the loose”.
The three officers who responded were also convinced it was real when they first saw it, she said.
“And then I sort of saw one of the cops nudge it with his foot, and I thought, he’s not going to nudge it if it’s a body.
“And then he sort of flipped it over, and it was even more realistic when it was on its back, it had everything… it was very realistic… but obviously you could tell it was a sex doll.”
Cowdrey said she was relieved, but felt bad she had called police about a sex doll, although they reassured her she had done the right thing.
It took all three officers to drag it back down the beach to their car, such was its weight, she said.
As for how a headless sex doll came to be lying on a quiet Taranaki beach, Cowdrey said she had more questions than answers.
Some online research showed a doll like that was worth thousands of dollars, she said.
“It’s quite a major investment for somebody… it could have been stolen, somebody’s not just going to chuck it on the beach and leave it there.”
The police declined to comment, saying they were prioritising “urgent incidents”.
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says now is not the time for tax cuts that will not bring much benefit to households.
New tax thresholds will come into effect on Wednesday, the government saying they will increase the take-home pay of 83 percent of New Zealanders and 94 percent of households.
The cuts are estimated to cost $3.7 billion a year, and have been funded by savings and revenue initiatives, including cuts to public services. It is the first adjustment to tax brackets in 14 years.
Hipkins told Morning Report he questioned the timing.
“For most households, any benefit they get from the tax cuts they’re going to find, actually, it disappears because other costs going up. So by the government cancelling affordable water reform, they’re sending rates bills through the roof. Insurance costs are going up. The cost of transport is going up.”
Hipkins said government revenue was trending downwards, meaning tax cuts were not sustainable.
“It’s a question of when you do tax cuts and at the moment, doing tax cuts when the government revenue is already going down and you’re funding that by borrowing more money and by cutting spending on areas that desperately need it, that’s not a sustainable way of delivering tax cuts.”
Personal income tax thresholds will rise from $14,000 to $15,600 (10.5 percent); from $48,000 to $53,500 (17.5 percent); and from $70,000 to $78,100 (30 percent). Income earned over $180,001 will remain at 39 percent for now.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said “727,000 households will benefit by at least $75 a fortnight, and 187,000 will benefit by at least $100 a fortnight”.
“On average, households will benefit by $60 a fortnight, and households with children by $78 a fortnight.”
Independent analysis has found thousands of families will be worse off under the changes, and the top 40 percent of earners will get nearly two-thirds of the money.
More than 6000 public servants have been dismissed, and the government has raised the cost of staples like prescriptions and public transport by removing subsidies introduced by the previous government.
“Across the board, you see examples of where the government aren’t funding the services New Zealanders rely on adequately, and the result is that New Zealanders will pay more or get worse service,” Hipkins said.
Willis said not only were there tax cuts, but also “the new FamilyBoost payment, which reimburses families for a portion of their early childhood education fees, up to $150 a fortnight, was launched on 1 July”.
“Families with children in ECE can find out if they are eligible at IRD.govt.nz.
“I encourage everyone who hasn’t already done so – and over 560,000 people already have – to go to budget.govt.nz/taxcalculator to find out how much tax relief they will get, based on their personal and family circumstances.”
Elsewhere in the interview on Morning Report, Hipkins discussed the crisis in health and changes to how councils can establish and disestablish Māori wards.
By Anneke Smith of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
The government’s roadside drug testing scheme could penalise people using prescription substances, warn drug experts.
The coalition is progressing a law change that will give the police the power to randomly saliva-test drivers for drug use.
Under the proposed scheme, motorists who test positive in two tests will be immediately banned from driving for 12 hours.
All positive tests will go to a lab, and drivers will be fined and issued demerit points if qualifying drugs are found at levels that indicate recent use.
The scheme is still light on detail – such as what drugs qualify and at what levels – but Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the changes will make roads safer.
“This is about setting a line, having a standard and saying that people who have more than that certain amount of that substance in their system are considered to be impaired and we will hold them to account.
“Ultimately, the message is very clear: we do not want people taking drugs and driving on our roads and killing people.”
The Labour Party supported drug-testing, having started a similar process last term, but experts have told RNZ roadside testing was not a simple fix.
Massey University senior research officer Dr Marta Rychert – who specialises in drug policy and medicinal cannabis – said the government’s policy was light on detail, like how police officers would test if someone was actually impaired by drugs.
Research had shown cannabis typically slowed down users’ reaction times, but this did not necessarily apply to regular uses of medicinal cannabis, she said.
“Medicinal cannabis users often develop a certain level of tolerance to the psychoactive effects of THC and therefore they may not be as impaired as infrequent users.
“So despite taking the same amount of cannabis, having the same level of THC in their blood or saliva, they may not actually be impaired. Sometimes they may be okay to work, drive and do all the cognitive tasks that are required.”
New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm uses CBD oil – derived from cannabis – for arthritis to help her gym, play sport and raise her family.
She said herself – and those using other prescription medicines like codeine or tramadol – might be unwittingly be caught in the drug-testing scheme.
“You’ve potentially got somebody who’s taken something according to the prescription. They’ve followed their doctor’s advice, tried to avoid doing anything during the window in which you’re impaired… and still get pulled up and put in that driving ban.
“That driving ban would really adversely affect me and I take it without any impairment whatsoever and follow my doctor’s instructions.”
Helm also raised concerns about the accuracy of the saliva tests as there had been cases in Australia where impaired drivers had been allowed to drive on after delivering a false negative.
On prescription drugs, Dr Rychert said some countries have drug-testing ‘exemptions’ for people who could both prove they had a doctor’s prescription for drugs and were not impaired.
The NZ Drug Foundation supported such a move in lieu of technology capable of distinguishing between drug presence and drug impairment.
Brown said his proposed scheme did not consider where a drug came from.
“The intent of this is not to discriminate between illicit drugs and legal drugs. It’s about making sure that people who are on the road are driving safely.”
Legislation setting up a drug-testing scheme will go to Select Committee for public feedback after it passes its first reading.
Brown said once it was law, the government will start procuring tests.
Tonga Parliament reconvenes
The Legislative Assembly of Tonga is expected to reconvene on Thursday, August 1.
Parliament was deferred since June 26 following the passing of the 2024/2025 Budget Estimate.
Its agenda for Thursday’s sitting includes Government Bills, Committee reports and the Government Ministry’s Annual reports.
Woman charged after alleged smuggling meth from USA
A woman has been charged in Tongatapu after attempting to smuggle 137.35g of methamphetamine into the country.
‘Anita Toutaiolepo, 45, of Kolofo’ou was caught on April 4 allegedly trying to bring illicit drugs through Customs, hidden in a metal drum containing personal items from the USA.
She has been charged with importing and possessing a Class A controlled drug.
‘Dangerous’ huge waves overtopping Haʻapai causeway stop traffic at entrances
Huge waves pounding the Foa-Lifuka causeway this morning, Tuesday 30, have forced drivers and passengers to wait at the entrances.
The causeway links the two most populated islands of the Ha’apai groups’ Foa and Lifuka.
Videos uploaded to Facebook show waves crashing and overtopping the causeway.
‘Isileli Fatani uploaded a video to Facebook saying they were forced to wait as it was “too dangerous”.
By Adam Burns of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
A Canterbury rugby coach has been temporarily banned from coaching after misconduct towards a referee.
A coach had been accused of assaulting a referee in Ashburton on 20 July, at the end of the senior B semi-final match between Hampstead and Celtic.
Celtic B won the semi-final at Hampstead Rugby and All Sports Club 25 points to 20.
Mid Canterbury Rugby Union said a judicial hearing was held last Wednesday.
It found the coach guilty of using threatening words or actions and grabbing the referee’s shirt.
However, it did not substantiate any further allegations of referee assault during or after the match, the union said.
Chief executive Tanya Dearns said according to the New Zealand Rugby Disciplinary Rules, the behaviour could have resulted in a 23-match suspension.
“After considering both the mitigating and aggravating factors, the suspension was reduced by eight matches, resulting in a 15-match ban from coaching or any involvement with teams playing matches,” Dearns said.
“Respect for referees is fundamental to the integrity of the game,” she said.
“We take these matters very seriously and are committed to maintaining a respectful environment for all participants.”
Mid Canterbury Rugby Union said heightened emotions among sideline supporters after the final whistle might have contributed to the incident and this would be addressed directly with the club.
A police spokesperson said officers were called to the ground but no charges had been laid.
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Police have found remains in their search for missing Christchurch woman Yanfei Bao.
While searching private farmland in the Greenpark area in Canterbury on Tuesday, a shallow grave was discovered along the treeline.
Police said the remains could not immediately be formally identified and work is now under way to excavate and forensically examine them.
Police say the news has been shared with Yanfei’s immediate family, and while long hoped for, still comes as a shock.
File photo. Police searching Hudsons Road in Greeenpark in October 2023. Photo: RNZ/ Nathan McKinnon
Bao has been missing since 19 July last year, and despite extensive searches of Christchurch and surrounding areas over the past 12 months, the 44-year-old’s body has never been found.
A 53-year-old Chinese national, Tingjun Cao, has been accused of her kidnapping and murder, with a trial date scheduled for October.
Yanfei Bao. Photo: Supplied
The search on Tuesday involved more than 60 people and was centred around land near the intersection of Hudson Road and Clarks Road.
The farmland has been previously searched, but recent information team prompted the investigation team to return.
An RNZ reporter at the scene of the search said they could see more than a dozen police cars and a van.
Police would continue to be visible in the area.
Cable ship delayed
Work on damaged internet cables in Tonga’s Ha’apai and Vava’u islands was again delayed after a special repair vessel broke down in Fiji.
Tonga Cable Ltd said last week that the damage assessment on Tonga’s domestic submarine fibre-optic cable will be delayed again by at least a week while the repair ship stops in Fiji.
As we reported previously, the ship was supposed to arrive in Tonga yesterday to assess the damage to the cable after the black out on 29 June.
Nearly a third of Tonga’s population still has no internet and is unlikely to have access until mid-August.
There has been little service in the popular islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u following an earthquake on 29 June.
The government has granted a provisional temporary permit to Starlink to operate for a six month period.
Queensland Reds defeat Tonga’s Lofa 65-0
Tonga has lost the women’s rugby game 65-0 to the Queensland Reds at Teufaiva National Stadium on Friday.
Backrow duo Joe Brial and Seru Uru reigned supreme in torrential conditions at Teufaiva Sports Stadium while captain Jock Campbell impressed from fullback in the Reds’ second-half surge to victory.
Veteran flyhalf James O’Connor was substituted for a HIA before halftime in an otherwise unmarred performance against Tonga, who held Queensland 12-all in the shadows of half time before falling away late.
“Obviously a very physical game in the conditions, so I think in the second half we really wanted to play field position,” Campbell told media post-game.
“It was quite a significant wind there so we tried to play down their end and make it hard to exit.
Moana Pasifika star Lotu Inisi opened the scoring after just five minutes with a barnstorming run, carrying three Reds defenders over the chalk to send the crowd wild before Richie Asiata hit back in the 11th minute from a trusty rolling maul.
Tonga team at the Olympics in Paris
The Tonga Olympic team arrived at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, with Tongan boxer Fe’ofa’aki ‘Epenisa bearing the flag for the world to see.
Epenisa made history by becoming the first female to represent Tonga at an Olympic Games in her Paris boxing debut.
Her opponent won by unanimous decision. She said she believed her Olympics debut would have planted a seed for women in Tonga and is just the beginning of the sport.
The Tongan athletes include swimmer Noelani Day, and sprinter Maleselo Fukofuka. Alan and Fe’ofa’aki completed their heats during the weekend, while Noelani and Maleselo will have their competitions on 3 August.
Gun and machete threats amid police arrest
A man purportedly refused to comply with police before he was arrested in Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.
A brief verbal confrontation ensued after two non-uniform officers forced the man to release a baby he was carrying because he was under arrest.
During the argument, words to the effect of “get the machete” and “get the gun” were overheard.
Videos of the incident shared on Facebook yesterday show a police van parking in front of a house. A uniform police officer is seen standing in front of the van before the arrest is made.
A woman was overheard lashing out at the police.
Kaniva News was unable to verify the authenticity of the video.
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
A mother and child are understood to be among the people who died in a “horrific” crash between a truck and a car in Rangitikei on Monday.
(file image) Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The crash occurred on State Highway 1 between Putorino Road and Te Hou Hou Road about 2pm.
Three people were found dead at the scene, and the driver of the truck was taken to hospital for treatment.
The family of the deceased have posted tributes on social media, saying they are heartbroken and devastated by the loss of the mother and daughter.
One of the posts also identifies the mother of the woman’s partner to be the third deceased.
On Monday, police said they were speaking with and arranging support for witnesses of the crash who were first on scene.
“Any fatal crash, but particularly one where multiple people have lost their lives, is confronting even for veteran emergency service personnel,” Central district road policing manager inspector Phil Ward said.
“We will also be making sure our staff at the scene have the support they need following this horrific event.
“Crashes of this nature are confronting for everyone, including those involved, those first at the scene, and emergency responders.”
Police were in the early stages of the investigation to determine what caused this tragic event, Ward said.
The Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination, and the vehicles have been towed from the scene.
