A breathtaking underwater image captured in the waters of Vava’u, Tonga, has been crowned World Nature Photo of the Year.
Mahina, the rare white humpback calf, glows beneath the surface as she swims beside her protective mother in the waters of Vava’u, Tonga. Photo/ Jono Allen/World Nature Photography Awards 2026
Queensland photographer Jono Allen received the top honour for his portrait of the rare white humpback calf named Māhina.
The striking photograph shows Māhina—whose name means “moon” in Tongan—swimming closely beside her protective mother in the crystal‑clear waters of Vava’u.
Allen reportedly said the young whale “glowed like a beam of light through the deep blue,” describing the encounter as one of the most extraordinary moments of his career.
Only one in 40,000 humpback whales is born with this level of depigmentation, making sightings exceptionally unusual and scientifically significant.
Judges praised the image for both its beauty and its emotional depth, noting how the rare calf symbolises resilience within a species that has rebounded from near‑extinction following decades of intensive whaling.
Allen’s winning image also secured gold in the Underwater category, placing him at the top of a competition that attracted entries from photographers across 51 countries and six continents.
The awards’ co‑founder, Adrian Dinsdale, said this year’s entries highlight not only the splendour of the natural world but also the importance of protecting it for future generations.
Reflecting on the encounter, Allen said sharing the water with Mãhina and her mother was deeply humbling:
“Sharing this moment with Mãhina and her protective mother is a memory that will live with me forever.”
The photograph has since become a symbol of both the power of wildlife conservation and the emotional pull of nature photography.
The World Nature Photography Awards is a global competition dedicated to showcasing the beauty, diversity, and fragility of planet Earth.
Founded on the belief that powerful imagery can inspire positive action for the environment, the awards celebrate the world’s finest nature photographers as they highlight the wonders of the natural world.
The competition attracts entries from across six continents and offers a US$1,000 grand prize for the overall winner
New Zealand’s Commerce Commission is appealing to the public to help identify victims of an alleged South Auckland loan shark, saying affected borrowers may be eligible for financial compensation if funds are available.
A promotional banner for Nane Easy Loan Finance Services NZ, used by Ilaisaane Malupo to advertise her loan services before charges were laid.
The call‑out follows charges laid last year against Ilaisaane Malupo and her company, which traded as Nane Easy Loan Finance Services NZ (Nane Loans).
As Kaniva News reported at the time, the Commission alleges Ms Malupo operated as an unregistered lender and targeted vulnerable members of the Tongan community with high‑cost, illegal loans.
According to the Commission, Ms Malupo issued personal loans from March 2024 with weekly interest rates of 15 percent, which doubled after 28 days if borrowers failed to repay their debts.
Additional late fees of $10 per day were also imposed, placing many borrowers under severe financial strain.
‘We need to hear from affected borrowers’
Commerce Commission Deputy Chair Anne Callinan said the Commission is now working to identify victims who may be entitled to compensation.
“Ms Malupo failed to keep accurate records, and destroyed others, meaning we do not have the details of all affected borrowers,” Ms Callinan said.
“This is why the Commission is taking the step of appealing to the public to get in contact with us if they, or someone they know, borrowed from Ms Malupo.
“While Ms Malupo’s financial position is currently unclear, we do need to hear from affected borrowers as they could be eligible for financial compensation if there are funds available for this purpose.”
Unregistered lending and illegal loan terms
One of the charges laid against Ms Malupo relates to the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act (FSPA), which requires all consumer lenders to be registered.
The Commission said Ms Malupo continued to provide loans despite receiving repeated guidance to cease lending or become compliant.
As well as operating unlawfully, her lending practices included:
Interest rates of up to 15% per week
Interest doubling after 28 days
Late fees of up to $10 per day
“These terms placed significant pressure on borrowers who were already facing financial hardship,” Ms Callinan said.
“Some would sell sentimental possessions or miss rent payments to keep up with repayments.”
There were also reports that Ms Malupo threatened to publicly expose borrowers who were behind on payments, using Facebook or Tongan media platforms.
How to contact the Commerce Commission
The Commission is urging anyone who borrowed from Nane Loans or Ms Malupo to contact them before 5pm on 3 April 2026.
A large fire broke out in central Nuku‘alofa overnight, with livestreamed videos showing firefighters battling towering flames and thick smoke rising from what appeared to be a building in the CBD.
Tonga Fire and Emergency Services crews work to contain a large fire in Nuku‘alofa’s CBD as onlookers gather nearby
Footage shared on social media showed flames shooting high into the air as Tonga Fire and Emergency Services crews worked to contain the blaze.
Reports suggest the fire broke out at the Tonga Hou’eiki Church office in Nuku‘alofa.
A livestreamer could be heard saying the fire was “difficult to kill at this stage,” as the flames continued to spread.
Police officers in full Tongan police uniform were seen directing traffic and keeping crowds of bystanders at a safe distance.
The intensity of the fire prompted people nearby to step back as smoke billowed across parts of the central business district.
The exact location of the burning building and the cause of the fire have not yet been confirmed.
Tonga Fire & Emergency Services has not released an official statement.
No injuries have been reported so far.
Kaniva Tonga News will provide updates as more information becomes available.
The name of a Middlemore hospital nurse jailed for drug dealing has been revealed after more than a year, following developments in the investigation into her father’s fatal shooting at the family home.
Ma’ata Vi, 38, had her identity suppressed in a case that added further strain to the Vi family after her husband Samuela Kuki was sentenced to eight years in prison last year.
Her father, 59‑year‑old Paula Tu‘ipulotu Kokohu Vi, was shot outside the Pakuranga home the family shared. Court documents say Ma’ata rushed out after hearing the gunfire and tried to give first aid.
The injuries were too severe and her father died at the scene.
The shooting occurred while Ma’ata was already before the courts on serious drug charges.
In June, she was sentenced to four years and five months in prison after admitting in late 2024 to importing methamphetamine — an offence carrying a potential life sentence — along with 15 counts of money laundering, the NZ Herald reported.
Her offending was uncovered during Operation Worthington, a long‑running police investigation targeting a major methamphetamine supply network.
Thirty people were arrested when officers executed multiple search warrants in 2021. Among them were Ma’ata and her husband of around 14 years.
More than a year after Paula Vi’s killing, police arrested a 23‑year‑old man and charged him with being a party to the murder. A hearing on the case is scheduled for October.
Suppression lifted despite hardship plea
The suppression lapsed after Auckland District Court Judge Claire Ryan considered several factors, including arguments that the family had already endured significant hardship following the police raid on their home, the fatal shooting of Vi’s father, and the earlier imprisonment of her husband.
She also weighed the potential impact of further publicity on the couple’s five children.
Judge Ryan acknowledged that the couple’s children would face a “devastating” impact from having both parents imprisoned, and she granted Ma’ata a 15 percent reduction in her sentence to reflect that hardship.
However, the judge ruled that the real source of the family’s suffering was the seriousness of the offending itself, not any potential publication of the defendants’ names.
“I can do nothing about that. I didn’t compel these two people to offend,” Judge Ryan said.
“There are consequences for this type of offending, and unfortunately those consequences are imprisonment.”
A historic coconut tree in Tonga, known for its unusually rare formation of three large branches, has been reported as poisoned following new concerns raised today.
From left: the tree after the initial carved ring around its base; centre, the damaged area later covered with tin; right, the tree showing dying, colourless leaves.
The tree at Haʻamea beside Liahona High School — long admired for its unusual shape — first caused alarm last year when residents discovered a deliberate cut near its roots, an apparent attempt to kill it.
According to reports received this afternoon, fresh signs of chemical poisoning are now visible around the base of the tree, suggesting a renewed and intentional effort to destroy it.
Fe‘ofa‘aki Hamala, who reported the latest incident on Facebook, said the attack on the tree reflects a troubling mindset.
“Only in Tonga where hate is normal. Someone poisoned one of our cherished landmarks. It’ll be dead in the next two months. One head is already dead and brown from a ring they gouged around the base to inject with poison,” Hamala wrote, expressing frustration at what appears to be a deliberate attempt to destroy the iconic coconut tree.
Community members were outraged when last year’s attempted killing of the tree was first reported.
Witnesses who photographed the first attempt to kill the tree said it appeared that chemicals had been poured around its roots.
Following that incident, the damaged section was later covered with tin to protect the carved‑out area.
The motive behind the repeated attempts to destroy the tree remains unknown.
Tonga’s National Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed there is no tsunami threat to the country following a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck south of the Fiji Islands this afternoon.
According to the official advisory, the earthquake struck at 3.45pm Tonga time at coordinates 25.18 degrees south and 176.59 degrees west, with a depth of 10 kilometres.
The authority said the quake was felt in Tonga, according to its Tongan‑language advisory.
Despite the strength of the quake, assessments by Tonga Geological Services concluded that a tsunami is unlikely to affect Tonga, and no further warnings are expected unless conditions change.
The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has not been activated, and normal contact procedures remain in place.
Commentary – As Tonga continues to battle the spread of illicit drugs, a warning from Fiji offers a serious reminder: international drug cartels command vast financial resources—enough to bribe key law‑enforcement officials with what experts describe as mere “pocket change.”
Amit Chand, the chief executive of MSG Logistics, warned that drug cartels operating million‑dollar narco‑submarines can easily afford to bribe law‑enforcement officers in Fiji.
He told a recent counter‑narcotics consultation in Suva that placing the wrong people in sensitive positions poses the greatest threat to the country’s anti‑drug efforts.
Fiji faced a major surge in drug‑related operations this year, beginning on 15 January 2026 when police seized 2.64 tonnes of cocaine during a large‑scale raid in Vatia.
The haul—valued at more than FJ$1.1 billion—was linked to a sophisticated trafficking route involving a semi‑submersible “narco‑sub” arriving from South America, leading to multiple arrests including four Ecuadorian nationals.
Around the same period, authorities intercepted another 2.6‑tonne cocaine shipment valued at approximately $780 million, also traced to a suspected narco‑submarine operation in the remote Vatia region. Six men—four Ecuadorians and two Fijians—were charged after police intercepted cocaine‑laden vehicles and raided a vessel at Vatia Wharf.
Their comments focused on Fiji’s policing risks, but the concerns mirror issues now confronting Tonga’s border‑security systems.
Cases echo regional concerns
The parallels became clearer after 58‑year‑old Mosese Katoa, a senior Customs officer, was recently sentenced to four years’ imprisonment—two years suspended—for importing prohibited firearms, failing to declare goods, and attempting to bribe a colleague with a $50 payment to avoid the scanning of a crate later found to contain rifles, shotguns, a pistol and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
In another major case, Tevita Kolokihakaufisi, an officer at the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, was jailed after 15 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in his office in 2024.
These incidents are among several high‑profile cases in which government officials, including police, Customs staff and prison officers, have been dismissed or imprisoned for their involvement in illicit drug activity.
United Nations and NZ Sound Alarm
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, corruption is a critical enabler of the drug trade, with traffickers routinely using bribes to law‑enforcement and customs officials to move illicit goods and evade accountability.
Such collusion—where officials accept payments or look the other way—creates fertile ground for organised crime to operate, a warning highly relevant to Tonga’s ongoing struggle against drug trafficking and local drug abuse.
A report released last year by New Zealand’s Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime warned that corruption linked to organised crime is accelerating across New Zealand and the Pacific.
Chairperson Steve Symon said insider threats are rising, with criminal networks infiltrating border agencies and spreading into sectors such as law, accounting and immigration.
He noted that drug‑transshipment routes through the Pacific pose a growing danger, describing emerging cases of corrupted officials in the region as “the canary in the mine” for New Zealand, illustrating how easily drug traffickers can exploit government insiders to facilitate their operations.
Former ʻīkale Tahi half‑back Manu Vunipola, uncle of England international players Mako and Billy Vunipola, has died.
Manu Vunipola
Details surrounding his death remain unknown.
Manu, 59, was born in Kolomotu‘a and became a key figure in Tongan rugby, serving for many years as a national scrum‑half.
He debuted for Tonga at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, appearing in the match against Wales in Palmerston North on 29 May 1987.
He later represented Tonga again at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, playing against France and Scotland in Pretoria.
His international career concluded with his final Test cap against Fiji in Nuku‘alofa on 26 June 1999.
Beyond his playing career, Vunipola also contributed to the national programme as a Tonga sevens coach in the early 2010s.
Rugby ran deep in his family: he was the brother of fellow Tonga internationals Elisi (fly‑half) and Feʻao Vunipola (hooker), and the uncle of Feʻao’s sons Billy and Mako, who went on to become prominent players for England.
News of Vunipola’s passing has prompted tributes across the rugby community, reflecting on a player who represented Tonga across three World Cup cycles and helped shape one of the Pacific’s most influential rugby families.
Further details are expected as family and officials confirm arrangements in the coming days.
Fiji’s decision to block players from signing any overseas rugby contract without formal approval from the Fiji Rugby Players Association (FRPA) and Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has sent a clear message across the Pacific, spotlighting welfare concerns long faced by Tongan athletes.
Pacific rugby reforms intensify as unions act to protect players from unsafe or exploitative overseas deals.
The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny across the Pacific, following several high‑profile cases demonstrating how Pacific Island players remain vulnerable to unsafe conditions, financial insecurity and coercive contract practices overseas.
The urgency of the issue intensified after the 2025 concussion incident involving Tongan league forward Eliesa Katoa, who required brain surgery following a head knock in a Test match.
An NRL investigation found serious failures in the management of Katoa’s head injuries, including inadequate communication between medical staff and breaches of concussion protocols after he suffered multiple head knocks and later required brain surgery.
As a result, four Tongan officials—including the head doctor, assistant doctor, and head trainer—were issued breach notices and banned from NRL and ARLC competitions for two years, with a formal warning given to the medical assistant.
Across professional rugby—both union and league—Pacific Island players from Tonga, Samoa and Fiji continue to report mounting pressures from overseas clubs.
Wealthy teams, particularly in France’s Top 14 competition, have been accused of discouraging Pasifika players from joining their national sides during international windows, including major tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup.
These pressures often come with implied or explicit warnings that prioritising country over club could place a player’s livelihood at risk.
At the same time, deep financial and resource disparities between Pacific unions and major European or NRL clubs leave many players with little choice but to put their professional contracts first.
Smaller unions, including Tonga, are unable to offer comparable income or long‑term security, resulting in players withdrawing late from national squads simply to protect their economic survival.
These patterns have created a system in which Pacific players often feel they must choose income over identity, health and long‑term welfare.
Fiji Implements Mandatory Contract Vetting
In a landmark policy shift, the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), working with the Fiji Rugby Players Association (FRPA), has introduced a mandatory vetting process for every Fijian player—professional or age‑grade—considering an overseas contract or scholarship.
The move aims to prevent Fijian players from signing exploitative agreements that jeopardise their health, finances, or long‑term prospects.
FRU CEO Koli Sewabu outlined the scale of the problem:
“We have seen cases where players are injured, and clubs stop payments because they are not playing. Too many players are suffering abroad due to loopholes in contracts that were not properly reviewed before signing.”
Under the new system, no player may sign an overseas deal without FRPA review and FRU approval.
The Fiji Rugby Union’s new player‑protection framework introduces strict measures to safeguard athletes signing overseas deals. Under the policy, all contracts must be submitted to the FRU, which will forward them to the Fiji Rugby Players Association (FRPA) for legal and welfare review. Players must lodge their documents two to three weeks before visa processing, and no contract may be signed until the vetting process is fully completed.
The system also tightens control over player representation, allowing only FRPA‑registered agents to act on behalf of Fijian players. Registered agents will be held accountable for any misleading or exploitative contract arrangements.
To further protect welfare, the FRU requires all contracts to clearly outline housing, transportation, medical insurance, and fair salary provisions. A deal is considered valid only after FRPA approval and the FRU CEO’s signature on the official Player Release Form.
The FRU and FRPA have also issued a strong warning after reports that some professional players have been arranging overseas contracts for others. They stress that players cannot act as agents, and only licensed intermediaries may negotiate transfers. Officials warn that bypassing the system could leave players without legal or financial protection if problems arise abroad.
Tongan Olympian Pita Taufatofua has delighted fans once again—this time not from an Olympic stadium, but from home.
Pita Taufatofua. Photo/File photo
In a Facebook post this morning, Taufatofua shared a photo of himself with his sister and nephew, captioned: “Back home and explaining to my sister and nephew about that time I carried the Olympic flag and didn’t drop it!”
The light‑hearted post comes just days after Taufatofua returned to the headlines for his appearance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, officially opened on February 6, 2026, in a historic dual ceremony across Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
During the Opening Ceremony, he carried the Olympic flag as a “messenger of peace,” joining a group of global representatives selected for embodying unity and Olympic values.
Taufatofua’s role in the 2026 ceremony adds another chapter to his remarkable Olympic journey.
He first captured worldwide attention at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he appeared bare‑chested and wearing a traditional taʻovala as Tonga’s flag bearer—a moment that became a viral sensation and an iconic Pacific representation on the world stage.
Although he was eliminated in the first round of the taekwondo competition in Rio, his Olympic journey was far from over.
He stunned audiences again at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, competing in cross‑country skiing and placing 114th out of 119 in the 15km freestyle event—still earning admiration for braving the cold in his cultural attire.
Pita Taufatofua at home sharing the story with his sister and nephew about the moment he carried the Olympic flag without dropping it.
He went on to make a third Olympic appearance in 2020, walking alongside fellow Tongan taekwondo athlete Malia Paseka during the Opening Ceremony, further solidifying his status as one of Tonga’s most recognisable and versatile athletes.
While Taufatofua did not compete in the 2026 Winter Games, his presence as a flag‑bearer once again brought pride to Tongans worldwide.
Media coverage has highlighted him as a recurring symbol of Pacific identity, perseverance, and global representation.
