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Injured Mate Ma’a Tonga skipper to miss test against Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
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BBC SPORT / PACNEWS

Hull FC’s Tonga international skipper Sika Manu will miss his country’s Test against Australia – and the Black and Whites’ last two Super League games – with a medial cruciate ligament injury.

Manu, 31, suffered the knee damage in Friday’s 38-12 defeat at St Helens.

“Sika is the latest member of our squad to be ruled out for the remainder of the season,” said coach Lee Radford.

“It’s gutting for us and for him too, because he’ll miss Tonga’s game against Australia next month.”

Hull will go into their final two games of the season against Catalans Dragons and Wigan without Marc Sneyd, Mark Minichiello and Joe Westerman, who have all undergone operations, joining Josh Bowden, Albert Kelly and Chris Green on the injury list.

“Injuries have cursed us,” said Radford. “Not just the amount of injuries, but also the severity of the injuries. But we’ve seen some really outstanding performances from some of our younger players in recent weeks. Jordan Lane, Masi Matongo and Cameron Scott have all had a dig.”

Tonga’s historic first Test against Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos takes place at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand on 20 October.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

Australia bid to beat China to PNG domestic internet cable

By
Kalino Latu
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THE AUSTRALIAN / PACNEWS – Australia is in talks with Papua New Guinea to finance its domestic internet cable network, in a bid to shut out Chinese company Huawei from building the infrastructure amid warnings its involvement would pose an unacceptable cybersecurity risk.

The Australian has learned a taskforce from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on plans to finance the network from a new trilateral infrastructure fund with the US and Japan.

It is understood former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull discussed the proposed support with PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at a July 11 bilateral meeting, before they attended the third State of Origin rugby league match in Brisbane.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop then raised the project with US and Japanese counterparts Mike Pompeo and Taro Kono on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Singapore early last month.

Bishop proposed the network as the first investment of the new Australia-US-Japan infrastructure fund, established this year to counter growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific ­region through its Belt and Road Initiative.

The Australian understands that as a fallback, the federal government is looking at funding the PNG project through a concessional loan with a lower overall cost and better repayment ­arrange­ments than the Huawei proposal, which would be funded by China’s Eximbank.

The revelation follows The Australian’sreport Thursday that Turnbull and  O’Neill had set in motion plans for a joint naval base on Manus Island, edging out Chinese interest in the key port with a facility capable of hosting Australian and US warships.

The move to fund PNG’s domestic cable network follows ­Australia’s $136 million (US$98 million) investment in a 4000km international cable to PNG and the Solomon Islands, which was also set to be built by Huawei until Australia intervened. The 5457km PNG ­domestic network will provide under­sea cable connecting to 14 provincial centres.

It will connect to the ­Australia-PNG-­Solomons cable, which will link to the Australian fibre-optic network in Sydney.

In August, PNG Public Enterprise and State ­Investments Minister William Duma announced that Huawei had been selected to complete the domestic cable project, funded by a $274m (US$199 million) Eximbank loan. Australian sources suggested the contract had not been finalised, and the cost of the Huawei proposal was estimated to be 30 to 50 per cent too high.

Lowy Institute Pacific program director Jonathan Pryke said the reported cost of the Huawei bid “should certainly raise eyebrows”, given the international link cost less that half that amount.

“Considering the PNG government’s current budgetary challenges, they can’t afford to be ripped off,” he said.

Huawei was banned from participating in the rollout of Australia’s 5G mobile network under rules precluding the involvement of any company that could be subject to “extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law”.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute cyber security expert Tom Uren said Huawei’s involvement in PNG’s domestic cable project could open the door to eavesdropping on communications within PNG, and between Australia and its key regional ally.

“If this PNG domestic cable is connected directly to the inter­national cable to Australia, it could potentially provide covert access to communications between Australia and PNG,” Uren said.

“There is no hard proof that Huawei has done this, but Chinese laws essentially compel assistance if intelligence agencies require it. Coupled with China’s voracious appetite for cyber espionage, this definitely represents a risk.”

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was committed to working with PNG to achieve its development ambitions, and to support improvements in security and stability across the Pacific.

“We have a very close and longstanding relationship with PNG and we constantly discuss their priorities for economic growth and development,” Sen­ator Payne said.

In last year’s foreign white paper, the government committed to “stepping up” its engagement in the Pacific, in the face of growing Chinese interest in the region.

PNG has long viewed Australia as its principal security partner but has faced a wave of generosity from Beijing, which has flooded Pacific countries with cheap fin­ance for infrastructure projects.

O’Neill, who enjoys close relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, agreed on a recent trip to Beijing to allow Mr Xi to host a summit for Pacific Island leaders ahead of the APEC leaders’ meeting. For  Xi, the PNG trip will be an official “guest of government” visit, with red-carpet treatment.

Scott Morrison  declined to comment on the prospect of Australia establishing a joint naval facility with PNG on Manus Island, but reiterated Australia’s close relationship with its Pacific neighbours.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

Tonga meet to deal with PICTA agreement legal requirements

By
Kalino Latu
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A government meeting will be held in Tonga to put things together for the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement known as PICTA, the Ministry of Labour and Commerce CEO Edgar Cocker said.

He is expected to meet with Ministry of Justice and the Crown Law Office to incorporate an edited version of a document sent from the Forum Secretariat regarding the agreement.

The meeting is set to discuss legal procedures before bills will be submitted to Cabinet and Parliament which Cocker has described as urgent (“as soon as possible.”)

A PICTA Implementation Committee which will include the Ministry of Customs and Revenue will be formed as part of the preparation process.

“I am expecting to do all of these required actions, and be completed by end of November 2018.” Cocker said.

As Kaniva news reported last week, Cocker was in Samoa to look at a government plan to build a Multipurpose Commercial Facility for accommodation, lodging, mini-conference, selling outlet for Tongan produce (handcrafts and watermelon)  and a small coffee shop on its land there and to discuss plans to export watermelons to the country.

“Tonga is ready to trade with Samoa under PICTA – and in particular with export of watermelon and other commodities to Samoa, and the US (Pagopago) and French Territories of New Caledonia, and French Polynesia,” he said.

“Once we are ready, comply, and agreed to all actions  required under PICTA framework, and with the mandate of our Implementation Committee, we will then work on submission of our Instrument of Acceptance to be accepted by all of the PICTA parties including Kiribati, through our official notification to the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).” Cocker said.

Land Court rejects plea by Lord Nuku over widow’s appeal

By
Philip Cass
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The Land Court has rejected a plea by Lord Nuku to have an appeal against a decision dismissed on the grounds that it was out of time.

The case arose from a deferred application for an allotment.

The allotment was originally held by Tevita Tau’akipulu, who died in May 1994 and no one claimed the land within  year.

The estate holder granted Tevita Koli Tau’akipulu’s application on September 2000,  but a request was made to defer and hold the application  with no reason.

Judge Niu said it appeared the Ministry of Lands did not cancel the application, but simply  deferred  it and dealt with it again in 2006 and again 2011, but continued to defer it. The Minister did not cancel or order the cancellation of the application.

Lord Nuku said ‘Ilaisaane Tupou Tau’akipulu only filed her claim, as the widow of her husband, on September 14, 2017.

He said her application should be dismissed because she was out of time.

However, she argued her right to bring this action only accrued to her when she lodged her claim for the allotment as her husband’s widow on 28 March 2017 with the Minister of Lands. She said she  was  well  within  the  10 years provided in s.170 to bring this  claim.

Judge L.M.Niu said he could not be sure from the evidence and statements provided in court whether the appeal was made out of time.

“I am therefore not in a position to say that the plaintiff’s claim is so hopeless that it  cannot possibly succeed, upon the ground that it is time-barred under  Section 170  of the Land Act,” he said.

“These are matters that can only be decided upon the trial of the issues in this case.”

Lord Nuku’s application was dismissed with costs.

Security fence put up following concerns for public safety in Vava‘u

By
Kalino Latu
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A security fence was constructed around a building site in Neiafu this week after a complaint was lodged with the Ministry of Infrastructure.

There were concerns last month for public safety after construction works began to build a two-storey hotel without having the boundary of the construction site secured to prevent public access.

The hotel is owned by  a man only known to us as Luke,  a Chinese businessman.

Photos from the site seen by Kaniva News in August showed structural steel beams installed by the roadsides and at a corner of a road intersection.

Some steel beams had been laid by a roadside.

Neiafu town officer Vava Lapota claimed he warned the Ministry that he was going to stop the construction because it was dangerous for the public.

The Ministry then cordoned off the border of the site and put traffic cones around it, Lapota said.

He said the construction came to a hold before the fence was put up this week.

The lack of public protection sparked debates on Facebook with some asking about Tonga’s building code and whether it had been applied.

Richard Bloomfield questioned whether the building code had been ignored and asked whether the site had been managed properly.

He asked where the construction site safety boundary was.

He also asked whether the building inspector had checked the occupational health and safety process.

Arrest in relation to death of Whanganui baby

By
Kaniva Staff
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New Zealand – A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of an eight-month-old girl in Whanganui in 2016.

He appeared in Masterton District Court today (Thursday 20 September) and has been remanded in custody.

Bella Richardson died at a property in Whanganui on 7 November 2016.

The accused was known but not related to her.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Baskett says he hopes this charge will bring some closure for Bella’s family.

“This has been a protracted investigation due to the complex nature of the medical evidence.

I would like to thank all those who helped with the investigation.”

Police is not in a position to comment further as the matter is now before the court.

Gunmen attack neighbour before repeatedly shooting victim in Hamilton street

By
Kalino Latu
-

Police investigating the shooting of a man on Derby Street, Nawton last night have established this was a targeted attack.

The 35-year-old victim remains in Waikato Hospital with moderate injuries which are not thought to be life threatening.

We are supporting him and his whanau.

Investigations so far have established a group of offenders arrived at Derby Street and approached a house they believed belonged to the target of their attack and knocked on the door.

A man who lived at the address opened the door and an altercation occurred.

He was uninjured but understandably shaken by the event, Police are ensuring he is supported.

Following this, the group of offenders went to the house next door.

A number of shots were fired and the 35-year-old man they were targeting was hit inside his address.

The group have then fled the scene in vehicles.

A scene examination is continuing on Derby Street today and a number of investigation staff are working on finding the people responsible for this attack.

It is yet to be established whether this incident involves members of organised criminal groups.

We want to reassure the community that they have no need to be concerned following this incident, this was not a random attack.

The fact an innocent member of the public was accidentally caught up in this incident is upsetting.

This kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable and we are determined to find those responsible.

We are concerned that there have been a number of serious incidents involving people being harmed across Waikato in recent months.

At this point in time, there is nothing to suggest these incidents are connected.

Investigations like this are complex and can take time, however we want people to know that we are taking this seriously and are confident we will hold people to account.

We are still in the very early stages of this investigation but the public should be assured that we will tell them anything they need to know.

We want everyone in our communities to be safe and feel safe and we are always working towards that goal.

Police are keen to talk to anyone who was in the area around 10:25pm yesterday who may have witnessed anything suspicious or have information of interest to the investigation.

People can contact Hamilton Police on 07 858 6200 or call Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.

Police appeal after woman grabbed on Rosebank Road in Avondale

By
Kaniva Staff
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New Zealand – Police are appealing to the public for information involving an incident that occurred on Rosebank Road in Avondale on 11 September, where a man attempted to grab a woman from behind.
The victim was walking towards Riversdale Road between 8pm and 9.30pm on Tuesday 11 September, when she was followed by a man driving a black sedan, possibly similar to a Holden.

 

The man yelled out to her, then parked his vehicle on Riversdale Road and as the woman walked past he got out of his car and grabbed her from behind. The victim managed to run away and hide until the man left the scene.

The man is described as being possibly Maori or Pacific Island, in his 30s and around 175cm tall.

“This was a particularly frightening experience for the victim and we are very keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or seen other suspicious behaviour in the area.

“If you have seen a vehicle or person matching this description behaving suspiciously, please call us immediately, even the smallest piece of information may prove valuable to help ensure this man is held to account for his actions,” said Detective Elizabeth Willis.

If you have any information that could help our investigation, please contact Detective Willis from Avondale Police on (09) 820 5776.

Alternatively, information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Bank South Pacific earned 10 per cent of income from customer fees

By
Kaniva Staff
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THE NATIONAL /PACNEWS – About 10 per cent of Bank South Pacific’s income comes from the fees it charges customers but these have dropped over the years, chief executive Robin Fleming says.

He said the revenue went back to the upkeep of the bank’s retail branches and electronic network like automated teller machines (ATMs) and Eftpos.

He was giving an overview of the reduction of bank fees.

The announcement was made last week.

“BSP is also eliminating its dormant account fee whereby customers have been charged a dormancy fee when they have not used their account for the past 12 months,” Fleming said.

“In conjunction with removing the dormant account fee, Bank South Pacific will also stop charging a reactivation fee for customers who commence using their accounts after more than 12 months of inactivity.”

The fee benefit for customers is approximately K920,000 (US$282,000) per annum in total.

“Another fee that is being removed is the over-the-counter deposit fee for deposits to a customer’s own account,” he said.

“Whenever a customer makes a deposit… with their card using an Eftpos device at the teller counter, it will be fee free.

“This benefit to our customers will be approximately K3 million (US$922,000) per annum.

“If someone deposits money to someone else’s account, the transfer fee will be K3 (US$0.98) in lieu of a deposit fee.

“Other fees being eliminated by the bank South Pacific include the statement fee which will be a benefit of K1.2 million (US$368,000) per annum for our customers, the personal loan settlement fee at a benefit of K600,000 (US$183,000) per annum.

“And also the line fee for housing loan customers and residential property investment loan customers with the total benefit of K1.7 million (US$521,000) per annum.

“Some other smaller fees are being reduced as well.

“No fees are being increased and there are no changes where a customer should be disadvantaged.

“BSP will continue to review its fees and its services to pass on any productivity benefits to our customers.

“It is also worth remembering that BSP does not require our customers to open account with a minimum of K50 as other banks do, and we also have a number of fee-free savings products.”

BSP is an iconic bank in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, recognised for its strong commitment to the region and its Melanesian uniqueness.

BSP has the largest branch network in Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu with many branches and sub branches.

Kaniva news has republication arrangement with PACNEWS

Police stats show drop in recorded crime

By
Kaniva Staff
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Press Release

The overall crime for the whole Kingdom shows a 10% reduction (-628 offences) in total offences under the Criminal Offences Act in the report period (July 2017 – June 2018) versus the same period last year, which includes a 7% reduction in offences against the person, 14% reduction in offences against property and 11% reduction in wilful damage to property and animals.

“I would like to personally thank and commend the efforts of our Police staff who continue to show courage and dedication in keeping our communities safe.”

This was a busy year for Tonga Police with Major Operations that includes the War against Illicit Drugs, General Election, Rugby League World Cup celebrations, which saw 451 arrest for public disorder, and Tropical Cyclone Gita which saw a spike in serious offences post TC Gita affecting public perception of crime. It may have been greater if not for the police initiated curfew and early closure of licensed bars and nightclubs.

Operation Safer Streets reached the highest arrest totals of 1841 which focused on public order with a zero tolerance on public drunkenness and monitoring of Licensed Premises.

Deputy Commissioner Pelenatita Vaisuai says, “The drop in recorded crime levels means a reduction in the number of victims of crime. This is a positive result for Tonga.”

“We continue to invest a lot of effort into working with the Community to prevent crime. We have been working hard to improve our response to reports of crime and combined with our prevention focus we are seeing a reduction in crime which is, in turn, making our communities safer.

However in order to continue this trend we need to continue our focus on victims, prevention activities and efforts to reduce alcohol and drug related crime. Information from the public is vital for us to prevent crime.

“We all have a role to play in reducing crime – If we all do our bit to watch out for our neighbours and fellow citizens and report suspicious activity we can make a big difference and significantly reduce the number of victims of crime in our community. We must all hold offenders to account.”

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