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Australian players mull pay cut to guarantee Tongan game as king asks NRL for help

By
Philip Cass
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The much touted Tonga-Australia match could be on after all, following reports that Australian players are prepared to take a massive pay cut to make sure the game goes ahead.

There are reports that the Australian team members have agreed to take Aus$5000 instead of their usual $20,000 for the match.

Mate Ma’a players would be paid the same.

The news comes just days after reports that King Tupou VI contacted Australia rugby league’s governing body, the NRL, to ask their help in staging the game.

It’s also an indication of how much money Australia and New Zealand-based Tongan players sacrificed when they opted to play for the kingdom in the Rugby League World Cup.

The official Australian Rugby League site, NRL.com, quoted Rugby League Players’ Association boss Ian Prendergast as saying the players had agreed in principle to the match.

“We’re still working through those details but it may be that the Australians receive a very smaller match payment, the same as the Tongan boys and that’s something that they’re willing to accept on a one-off basis to get this game across the line,” Prendegast said.

It has been suggested that Auckland’s 30,000 seat Mt Eden stadium would be the likely venue if the Australian league can persuade the NZRL to reverse its opposition to the game.

October 20 has been suggested as a date for the much anticipated match.

As Kaniva News reported recently, Mate Ma’a coach Kristian Woolf believes a decision on the proposed game needs to be made sooner rather than later.

In May NRL.com said details of the clash needed to be finalised by the end of August.

For more information

Australia players agree to take pay cut for Tonga Test

Tongan King appeals to NRL for help

Students charged after bus station brawl to appear in court

By
Kalino Latu
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Police have charged five male students following a brawl at the Nuku’alofa bus station on Wednesday.

A Police spokesperson said today the accused included three students from Tonga College and two from Liahona High School.

They have been charged with disorderly behaviour and causing disturbance in a public area.

They have been released on bail yesterday from Police custody and were expected to appear in court next week.

Photos taken at the scene and uploaded to Facebook this week met with disapproval.

Most commenters criticised the brawl and said this was nothing but too much “nonsense” and “show off”.

Tongan patients want Chinese medical ship ‘to stay longer’, more than 5000 treated

By
Kalino Latu
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Thousands of patients in Tonga wished the Chinese medical ship Ark Peace had stayed longer than scheduled, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nuku‘alofa.

While the Chinese medical experts were in Nuku’alofa on August 13 for a week they treated 5,532 patients.

The number included 2,598 persons who received auxiliary examinations, 28 inpatients who were hospitalized,while 34 surgeries were performed.

The Chinese mission to the kingdom was a success.

“With the strong support of the Tongan government and concerted efforts of both sides, the visit was a complete success and was applauded by the people of all walks of life of Tonga,” a spokesperson told Kaniva News.

“We heard many local people comment that the duration for the medical service was a bit short and they expected it to stay longer.

“This is the second time that Ark Peace visits Tonga after its first visit to the Kingdom in August 2014, and it is anticipated that it will visit Tonga again in the future though the specific time is yet to be discussed and decided by China and Tonga.”

Asked if they could give us an estimate of how much the ship spent to conduct its mission in Tonga, the spokesperson said:

“We do not have information on how much the Ship spent to complete the mission in Tonga.”

Termination reveals alleged misconduct, strife, following League World Cup

By
Kalino Latu
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The termination of CEO ‘Emeline Tuita’s contract has revealed allegations of misconduct, abuse of power and disobedience in the Ministry of Tourism.

Strife between the Minister and Tuita has also been revealed following the hosting of the Mate Ma’a Tonga team while they visited Tonga after the 2017 World Cup.

Tuita, whose contract with the Ministry of Tourism was terminated on July 31, was accused of using her ministerial position to benefit her own private business.

She was also accused of disobeying Tourism Minister Hon Sēmisi Sika after she refused to cancel an unofficial prayer service she organised as part of the welcoming events for the Mate Ma’a Tonga team in November 2017 without the Minister’s consent.

Tuita has been contacted for comment.

The Minster, who is the president of the Mate Ma’a Tonga rugby league, has described the allegations against Tuita’s conducts and actions as huge (“fu’u lahi”).

Hon Sika told Kaniva News Tuita allegedly employed some new workers at her Tourism office at the Fā’onelua Convention Centre without him being aware of it.

The Minister claimed these employees had been recruited to work for Tuita’s owned company.

Hon Sika claimed Tuita used her position with the Ministry to establish a link between her business and overseas business partners.

Mate Ma’a Tonga welcoming event

The Deputy Prime Minster said he was only made aware of the prayer service organised by Tuita at the FWC Centenary Church to welcome the Mate Ma’a Tonga, the night before the event.

The service sparked a controversy the next morning after Mate Ma’a Tonga fans arriving in Nuku’alofa learned that the prayer service clashed with a parade in the centre of the capital.

As Kaniva reported at the time, some fans accused church leaders of not working together with the Minister and his rugby league committee to avoid the clash.

Others accused the government of stopping the players from attending the prayer service.

The only team member to attend the prayer service was Tu’imoala Lolohea. All the other players joined the parade.

Hon Sika ordered the unofficial prayer service to be cancelled, but Tuita refused to cooperate, he said.

“She disobeyed my order plus she misused her position at the Ministry,” the Minister said in Tongan.

Report to PSC

The Minister said after the welcoming of the Mate Ma’a Tonga he thought it was about time for him to report Tuita to the Public Service Commission.

The PSC worked on the Minster’s report for three months before terminating Tuita. She had been in the job just under a year.

Hon Sika said the Mate Ma’a Tonga players asked him they wanted to come to Tonga after the World Cup to meet their fans and families. The Prime Minister endorsed the request and the government helped brought the team to Tonga.

The players indicated that they would appreciate it if there was a chance for them to parade on the road while they were in Tonga so they could have more space and meet as many people as they could.

Tuita was the first ever female CEO to be elected by Tonga Rugby Union in 2013.

For more information

Rugby League Pres responds after MMT missed church leaders’ prayer services

Missing girl’s family “happy and relieved”

By
Kalino Latu
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Meliame Nai’s family are “very happy and relieved” their 16-year-old daughter has been found safe and well but they will not be reunited until today, at the earliest.

His father Lōpeti Nai said the teenager and her 16-year-old girl friend were with Police since last night.

He said Police contacted him to report the finding and a meeting was scheduled for today before he would find out what had actually happened.

He was happy and relieved that her daughter and her friend were found.

“I would like to thank the public and the media for their help as I believed their assistance helped Police a lot in finding them,” Lōpeti told Kaniva news this morning.

As we reported yesterday, Meliame with her Maori school friend disappeared while walking to a dairy last Saturday night in Māngere East.

Her father first reported their disappearance on Facebook yesterday morning appealing for the public to help find the duo.

Not guilty verdict in manslaughter case

By
Kaniva Staff
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The High Court in Auckland has found a man charged with manslaughter not guilty.

Carlos Pula had been on trial over the death last August of Reginald Sharma, who was of Tongan-Indo Fijian descent.

Sharma, whose mother is Tongan and his father is Fijian-Indian, died of a single punch to the head.

Pula’s defence said he was not capable of making a fist.

Pula originally had name suppression.

The jury was told the events leading up to the incident began at the Gemini bar in Otahuhu and ended up at Haughey Avenue in Mt Roskill.

Several people were drinking.

The prosecution said Sharma had been “minding his own business” and did not provoke anybody.

He was described as “an absolutely innocent bystander”.

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Heartfelt messages after Tongan man died under suspicious condition in Auckland

Child injured in two-vehicle crash in east Tongatapu

By
Kalino Latu
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A child had been allegedly injured in a two-vehicle accident at a three-way junction in east Tongatapu this morning at about 8.15 am.

The crash happened at junction for Taufā’ahau Road and Taupī Road in Tatakamotonga, an eye witness said.

Photos taken at the scene showed two cars with damages.

Two vehicles were facing the wrong ways at the roadsides while the other vehicle which appeared to have involved in the crash was seen on the opposite lane.

Kiwi dies after collapsing at a restaurant in Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
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A Kiwi woman died on Monday night August 27 after she collapsed at a bar and restaurant in Tongatapu.

The 57-year-old arrived from New Zealand recently before the incident occurred, a Police spokesperson told Kaniva News.

The woman’s identities were still unknown.

It said the tourist was having dinner when she collapsed.

She was rushed to Vaiola Hospital where she was confirmed dead.

Police were expecting a medical report on the cause of her death.

Two Tongan gang members get life sentences for murder in US

By
Kalino Latu
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Tēvita Kaihea was sentenced to 112 years to life in prison on Friday after being found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of robbery, vehicle theft and a felon in possession of a firearm, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

His partner in crime Charlie Hola was previously sentenced to 48 years and 8 months to life in prison on June 22 on related charges, a press release reportedly said.

The Tongan gang members have been sentenced to life in prison in connection to a crime spree involving murdering a rival gang member on Sacramento City College campus and an armed robbery of a Church’s Chicken.

Kaihea and Hola, who are members of the Tongan Crip street gang, according to the DA’s office, were arrested following a string of crimes committed on Sept. 3, 2015.

The two first stole a car from the 47th Avenue light rail station and drove to Church’s Chicken on Florin Road, where they proceeded to commit an armed robbery.

“They then shot a south Sacramento resident in the face when the resident noticed the two acting suspiciously in the neighbourhood,” the press release said. That victim survived, officials said.

Kaihea and Hola then drove toward Sacramento City College, abandoning the car nearby, and then got into a gang fight that ended in the shooting death of Roman Gonzalez, reportedly a member of the Norteno gang.

Family of missing school girl Meliame Nai ‘devastated’ as search comes to standstill

By
Kalino Latu
-

The family of missing South Auckland school girl Meliame Nai are “desperate for information”, as police admitted they were no closer to finding her.

She disappeared while walking with a girl friend to a dairy last Saturday night in Māngere East.

Meliame is Tongan while her friend was Maori. They are both 16 years-old.

Meliame’s father Lōpeti Nai of Fua’amotu, Tongatapu who is now living in Māngere with his family, has told Kaniva News in a telephone conversation this afternoon they have not heard from Meliame since she went missing.

In a desperate call for assistance on Facebook Lōpeti wrote: “I’m asking for support from the community.

“My daughter at the age of 16 and her friend who is also 16 has been missing since Saturday last week.

“They both went for a walk to the shop at about 8:30pm and since then, they’ve both still been missing and no one knows where they are or what happened to them.

“The police are still on the case and are working towards finding them both.

“So i’m writing this In hope that someone could please help find any information to them missing please contact the police or call me at 0273999720 or this police officers number at 0211910806 they’ve were last seen in mangere east. Thank you.”

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