A direct
service from China to Nuku’alofa could start before the end of this year.
Tongan
tourism authorities have been in talks with Chinese authorities about the possibility
of a service operated by China Southern Airlines.
Representatives
of China southern are expected in Tonga later this month.
The Ministry
of Tourism said in a press release the delegation would meet with government officials.
If
negotiations are successful, a weekly direct service could start later this
year.
The Ministry
said a direct service would bring more tourists to the kingdom and increase
foreign exchange earnings.
It is
understood no additional airport expansion works were being planned for
Nuku’alofa airport.
The airline
is Asia’s biggest carrier, with its main hubs in Guangzhou and Beijing.
If the
project service to Tonga goes ahead, the kingdom will join a number of other
Pacific Islands which have established direct services to the Chinese mainland.
China
Southern already flies to Fiji and the Solomon Islands, as well as to New
Zealand and Christchurch.
Papua New
Guinea, the largest Pacific island economy, launched a direct service to
Shanghai with Air Niuginui last year.
Tourism
According to
the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Chinese tourists account for 21
per cent of global travel spending.
In 2017, 145
million Chinese tourists travelled overseas, the China Outbound Tourism
Research Institute said.
The Australian
Broadcasting Corporation said the annual number of Chinese travellers was
forecast to continue to grow, with overseas trips expected to almost triple to
400 million by 2030.
However, the
Chinese government decides which countries are on its approved list for
lucrative state-run package tours and last year banned the tiny north Pacific
nation of Palau because of its support for Taiwan.
The main points
A direct service from China to
Nuku’alofa could start before the end of this year.
Tongan tourism authorities have been
in talks with Chinese authorities about the possibility of a service operated
by China Southern Airlines.
A number of other Pacific Islands have
already established direct services to China.
Two Utah cousins are petitioning for the right to get wed in their home state after being forced to drive to Colorado to get married.
Michael and Angie Lee, 38, say they have been in love since they were
children but were made to cross state lines to make their union official this
week.
Angie’s dad is the oldest of 12 children, Michael’s mom is his younger
sister.
The couple say their love began with a crush in second grade but they
only decided to make things official after reuniting following 10 years apart.
They now say they do not care what the rest of their family thinks.
Michael, 37, told ABC4:
‘I remember I stopped her mother and said, “I’m going to marry
Angie”. And she said, “No, I’m sorry, you can’t, but you can be
friends”.
‘This is something I’ve always felt very – life was unfair. Why did the
person I want to be with the most and had the most attraction to and the most
natural feelings for? Why did you have to be my cousin?
‘No one I’ve ever been with will make me feel as perfect as she does.
Her being my cousin and some of the responses is a small price to
pay. I’ve always loved you, Angie. You know that.
‘As soon as we crossed over the state border, we’re not married anymore.
‘We would like to have enough exposure to where we can go into a
congressman or senator, someone with political clout and present a case sound
enough to get the law changed.’
The couple – who have no children together –
say the reaction to their relationship has been mixed.
They decided to make things official in January of this year, telling
their friends and family.
Former exotic dancer Angie, who has three children from her previous
marriage, added: ‘We said OK this is crazy but we’re adults now, we’re single
now, we’re just going to go for it and who cares what our family thinks.’
Michael, who says he is a full time model, told DailyMail.com: ‘It has
been a really mixed reaction. My dad is completely fine with it. My mother had
some reservations but she is ok now. The rest of the family has been really
mixed.
‘We told each other how we felt when we were younger and were even
caught kissing a couple of times. But we kept it hidden and we just drifted
apart. We both married other people and didn’t see one another for ten years.
‘Then it was only after we reconnected at our gran’s Christmas party
last year that I could see she was looking at me in the same way and something
was still there.’
The pair would only be allowed to get married in Utah when they are 65
years old or 55 years old if they can prove they are infertile.
First cousins share 12.5 percent of their DNA, research from Columbia
University shows. It means their children face a up to a seven per cent chance
of their child having a genetic disorder. For the average couple it is
between three and four per cent.
Michael, who was married previously, added: ‘The genetic consequences,
the biological consequences are very small. It’s more what people might think
and say.
‘Children of our own is certainly not out of the question. The reaction from
Angie’s children has been mixed. One thinks it is weird, another is happy for
us.’
The couple have now started a
petition to get the law in Utah regarding first cousins and
marriage changed.
On it they write: ‘My first cousin and I have been in love with each
other our whole lives but we are prohibited from marrying in the state of Utah
where we live.
‘We believe that the law is outdated and it needs to be changed so that
we can socially legitimize our love.’
In the U.S. 24 states do not allow marriages between first cousins, 19
allow and seven states allow some marriages between first cousins.
Tēvita Tāufa of Nukunuku was looking forward to a remarkable future with New Zealand’s rugby industry.
He had a dream of attending a rugby union club in Timaru in the south island.
He was expected to arrive in New Zealand on Saturday last week, two days after he was killed in a car crash at Fatai.
A Tongan community leader in Timaru, Sina Mānoa Lātū talked to Kaniva about the arrangements for Tāufa to come to New Zealand.
Lātū was reeling after she received the news.
“ Very sad,
gone too soon,” she said.
She said there was a number of rugby players coming from the village to Timaru.
Tāufa was described by friends and relatives on Facebook as “matakainga” and “mata’ofa”.
As Kaniva news reported last week, Police said speed and alcohol were thought to have contributed to the crash which killed Tāufa.
Early that evening Tāufa and his friends have shared photos on Facebook which appeared to show they were having a party.
A Police release the following day
said the deceased was with friends on a night out, drinking alcohol in
Nuku’alofa before they returned to Nukunuku at about 1am in two cars.
The car in which Taufa was a passenger in crashed and killed him.
Nearly 60
years after it was found, a set of tools discovered on Tonga has been
identified as the region’s oldest tattooing kit.
And it’s
older than an ancient American tool whose identity was announced last week.
The
multi-toothed tools were found on Tongatapu in 1963.
The tools,
made from human bone, have recently been dated as 2700 years old using the
latest radiocarbon techniques.
Tonga was
the first group of islands in Polynesia to be settled about 3000 years ago.
Researchers
from the Australian National University said they were the oldest in Oceania.
Associate
Professor Geoffrey Clark said four bone tattoo combs had been found.
Two of the
combs were made from the bones of a large birds, while the other two were most
likely made from human bones.
The tools
have been in storage for decades.
Clark and
his co-researcher from Griffith University, Dr Michelle Langley, said the basic
design of the tattooing tools had remained the same for thousands of years.
The evidence
indicated that this particular design spread from western Polynesia to the rest
of the Pacific.
Older than America
The Tongan
tattooing kit is 700 years older than what was described only a few days ago as
the oldest tattooing needle in western North America.
According to a report in Science magazine on March 1, researchers determined a pair of cactus spines stained with ink were 2000 years old.
Like the
Tongan tools they had been collected decades ago and had been sitting in a bag
of artefacts at Washington state University for 40 years
The
main points
Nearly
60 years after it was found, a set of tools discovered on Tonga has been
identified as the region’s oldest tattooing kit
The Kiwis will compete in the inaugural Oceania Cup and face the British Lions for the first time in 12 years as part of the 2019 International Rugby League calendar.
New Zealand will play Mate Ma’a Tonga on 22 June at Mt Smart Stadium in the first match of the new Oceania Cup.
The Kiwi Ferns will also play against an unnamed opponent in the double header – they’ll play a second match against Australia in October.
The Oceania Cup will be played in June and November during the international Test windows.
Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji and Australia make up the six-nation competition.
The tournament will be split into two pools – in Pool A are New Zealand, Australia and Tonga while Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea are in Pool B.
In October the British Lions will tour New Zealand, playing Tonga first, then New Zealand twice and Papua New Guinea once in November.
It’s the first time the British Lions have toured in the Southern Hemisphere since 2006.
The British Lions thrashed New Zealand 3-0 the last time the two sides met in the UK in 2007.
On Saturday 2 November, Eden Park will host a triple header – featuring the Lions vs New Zealand, Australia vs Tonga and Samoa vs Fiji.
New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters said: “New Zealand Rugby League is delighted to be bringing such an incredible array of matches to New Zealand that will also benefit the teams throughout the Pacific.”
Rugby League Players’ Association chief executive Ian Prendergast said: “It’s fantastic that there will be significant international content in 2019.”
The events are being supported by the New Zealand government through the Major Events Development Fund.
This article is republished under Kaniva’s partnership content agreement with Radio New Zealand.
A Tongan successful businesswoman died suddenly in Nuku’alofa this afternoon.
Adiloa Fifita Lātū, 59, of Kolomotu’a allegedly collapsed while having lunch with a relative.
She was rushed to hospital but she allegedly died on the way to Vaiola.
Mrs. Fifita Lātū owned two One-Stop-shops at One Way road in Nuku’alofa which sold clothing, shoes, fabric, giftware, homeware, hardware and jewellery for more than two decades.
Mrs. Fifita Lātū was Finland’s honorary consul in Tonga.
She is survived by her husband ‘Atonino Lātū and two children from a previous marriage.
She previously married to businessman Naran Prema.
Two youths
who engaged in what the supreme Court described as a “humiliating, wanton and
degrading” sexual assault on a woman have been sentenced to eight and seven
years’ jail.
Heneli
Valele and Timote Kaufusi were found guilty on a series of sexual assault
charges and other counts involving housebreaking and theft.
The incident
happened on July 18 last year at Holonga.
“This
offending involving two youths may be described quite simply as dreadful,” Mr
Justice Cato said.
The judge
said the starting point for calculating sentences for rape needed to be revised
upward.
“The
starting point which has been applied for rape offending since about 1996 in
Tonga is five years,” he said.
“In my view,
revision of this starting point upwards is required to adequately reflect the
seriousness of rape in the modern age.
“Rape in
Tonga carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. The victim was cruelly treated by
these youths who had no respect or regard for her at all.”
Offences of
this kind must be denounced as reprehensible by this Court.
“Sentences
must reflect the seriousness of this offending as a deterrent and as protection
for woman against predatory sexual home invasions of this kind,” he said.
Both youths
have criminal records and both had consumed alcohol around the time of the
assault and housebreaking.
Valele had
taken a combination of alcohol and cannabis.
“In my
experience of criminal offending this can be a very dangerous combination and
those advocating the liberalisation of cannabis should consider this,” Judge
Cato said.
Mr Kaufusi’s
lawyer suggested his client may have
taken methamphetamine, a drug the judge said was “ sadly becoming increasingly
prevalent in Tonga and more commonly featuring in these courts.”
Kaufusi will
serve eight years for rape with the last 15 months suspended.
Valele will
serve seven years with the last 15 months suspended.
The
main points
Two
youths who engaged in what the supreme Court described as a “humiliating,
wanton and degrading” sexual assault on a woman have been sentenced to eight
and seven years jail.
Heneli
Valele and Timote Kaufusi were found guilty on a series of sexual assault
charges and other counts involving housebreaking and theft.
An unnamed
party was standing behind Tongasat and funding its appeal against a ruling that
the transfer of nearly US$50 million to the company was illegal, the Supreme
Court has been told.
Lord Chief
Justice Paulsen said he inferred this from the evidence placed before him and
was one of the factors in ordering Tongasat to pay a TP$15,000 security deposit
into the court before its latest appeal could be dealt with.
He said
there was a significant risk that if costs were awarded against Tongasat they
would not be paid.
Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, who began the long running legal battle with Tongasat when he was leader of the opposition, asked the Supreme Court to rule that Tongasat must put a TP$15,000 security deposit.
Tongasat has
applied for permission to call for evidence from four witnesses and said if
this was granted it would seek a re-trial.
Lord Chief
Justice Paulsen said the case would come before him again on May 3.
By then he
would have ruled on Tongasat’s request to call further evidence.
As Kaniva Tonga news reported at the time, in August and September last year the Supreme Court ruled the transfer of US$49.9 million to Princess Pilolevu’s company was illegal.
Lord Chief
Justice Paulsen said Tongasat’s appeal was really an attempt to secure a new
trial.
“Tongasat has
already had its case heard and adjudicated upon after a lengthy trial
before the Supreme Court,” the judge said.
“In
addition, the appellant has benefited by the impugned transactions, received a
very large sum of grant aid funds and has divested itself of those funds in
their entirety.
“It has
commercial interests at stake in this litigation.”
In his
evidence to the supreme court, Hon. Pohiva said Tongasat was “an effective
shell…an insolvent and worthless company.”
He said the
company had a history of refusing to honour court orders for costs made against
it.
“I seek an
order staying pursuit by Tongasat of all aspects of its appeal until it has
provided security for my costs,” Hon. Pohiva said.
He said that
based on the evidence, Tongasat had long since been stripped by Princess
Pilolevu of all significant financial assets, including Tongasat’s share of the
first and second tranche payments.
He said the
company’s outside backer would be unlikely to pay costs should a ruling go
against Tongasat.
Judge
Paulsen said Tongasat’s financial condition appeared to be “parlous” and there
was good reason to believe that the appellant would not be in a
position to pay costs on this appeal should it be required to do so.
The Court
therefore ordered Tongasat to pay TP$15,000 to the court as security by March
15.
If the money
is not paid Tongasat’s application to overturn the ruling will be put on hold.
Unlawful
Last week we
reported that former Minister of Finance Sūnia Fili, who leaked the news of the
unlawful transfer of Chinese money to Princess Pilolevu and her satellite
company, has now claimed part of the money was intended for Tongasat.
Fili said
while he was Minister of Finance he was given an agreement document which said
the government of Tonga and Tongasat had agreed to split the TP$90 million 50
percent each after deducting taxes.
The
main points
An
unnamed party was standing behind Tongasat and funding its appeal against a
ruling that the transfer of nearly US$50 million to the company was illegal,
the Supreme Court has been told.
Lord
Chief Justice Paulsen said he inferred this from the evidence placed before him
and was one of the factors in ordering Tongasat to pay a TP$15,000 security
deposit into the court before its latest appeal
could be dealt with.
He
said there was a significant risk that if costs were awarded against Tongasat
they would not be paid.
For
more information
Supreme Court issues declaration on
legal status of main points in Tongasat case
A proposed revamp of the international rugby calendar would “shut out” Pacific Island nations and spell the “death” of rugby in the region, according to leading players and officials.
World Rugby is in discussions to form a 12 team World League from 2020, including teams from the Six Nations, while the USA and Japan would be invited to join the Rugby Championship, at the expense of Pacific Island nations.
That would mean no room for Fiji, who are ranked ninth in the world and stunned France in Paris little over three months ago.
The Flying Fijians upset France in November. Photo: AFP
Akapusi Qera played 65 tests for Fiji between 2005 and 2018 but said if the World League proposal went ahead more Pacific Island players would turn their backs on the international game.
“We will now likely just see more Pacific Island players retiring from test rugby and signing contracts with clubs in France and UK promising not to play test matches because they will not see the benefits or incentive anymore for turning our for their country,” he said.
Georgia and Tonga are also set to miss the cut, despite being ranked higher than Italy, who have only managed 12 wins in 98 Six Nations matches.
Georgia and Tonga are both set to miss out. Photo: Facebook/Georgian Rugby
The Chairman of Pacific Rugby Players, former Tonga flanker Hale T Pole, said: “This proposed format and structure would mean the death of Pacific Island rugby. Let alone this not recognising our contribution to the game historically, this makes us feel as if we are irrelevant to the future of the game at high levels.”
Current ‘Ikale Tahi captain Siale Piutau said: “This competition only entrenches the unbalanced tiered system in rugby and widens the gap between the “haves and have nots”.
“To make decisions like these on a pure commercial basis without considering the wider impact for rugby communities is ridiculous.”
Two-time Rugby World Cup quarter finalists Samoa would also be left in the international rugby wilderness.
Manu Samoa captain Chris Vui said the lack of any promotion-relegation opportunity for countries outside of the invited teams would be extremely damaging.
“For countries in this bracket and for Pacific Islanders in particular, our biggest issue has always been the ‘club vs country’ factor,” he said.
Manu Samoa captain Chris Vui. Photo: AFP
“A 12-year deal is not workable, particularly when it presents no hope of advancement for during that period. This will have a dangerous knock-on effect of luring senior players away from their countries and more towards the clubs, which is the exact opposite of what we’re all trying to achieve.”
Former Manu Samoa midfielder Seilala Mapusua said excluding the Pacific Island nations would send the wrong message to aspiring players in the region.
“There are young 18-year-old Pacific Island players who will look at this and see that they will not be able to play against the big teams in the big stadiums for their whole career,” he said.
“Twelve years locked out of this competition will mean more players choosing to play for New Zealand, England or other, because they will not see as much value playing for their home island nation.”
Fiji and Samoa could miss out on tests against tier one nations. Photo: Facebook/Fiji Rugby
World Rugby Vice Chair breaks ranks to support Pacific teams
World Rugby vice chairman Agustin Pichot has criticised the proposed World League competition and said Pacific Island nations should be included by right.
Responding on Twitter, the former Argentina captain Pichot said he “will never support a league that doesn’t have a pathway for emerging nations” and expressed his support for a two tiered league with promotion/relegation and enough rest periods for the players.
He agreed Pacific Island teams deserved to be involved and emphasised that “nothing has been decided yet” and he doubts it will and he “won’t stop trying.”
The International Rugby Players Association has also hit out at the proposal, which would mean teams playing each other once during the year before semi-finals and a final in the northern hemisphere in December.
“While players gave this idea a cautious welcome when we met at the end of last year, it now seems like a commercial deal on the future of the game is being negotiated at a rapid pace with little consideration given to the important points we raised with World Rugby in November,” said Ireland first five Johnny Sexton, who is the President of the global players’ union.
“To suggest that players can play five incredibly high-level test matches in consecutive weeks in November is out of touch and shows little understanding of the physical strain this brings.”
All Blacks captain Kieran Read said test rugby would suffer if the proposal went ahead and player concerns over workload had to be taken into account.
“We need to be very careful that we balance the commercial needs of the game, with the player welfare needs and ensure the quality and integrity of matches meets expectations,” Read said.
“Fans want to see meaningful games; they don’t want to see fatigued players playing a reduced quality of rugby as part of a money-driven, weakened competition that doesn’t work for the players or clubs.”
Matches like the All Blacks vs Manu Samoa could become a thing of the past. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
This article is republished under Kaniva’s partnership content agreement with Radio New Zealand
