TikTok goes dark as US ban takes effect

By

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20/01/2025

By 1news.co.nz

TikTok’s app was removed from prominent app stores on Sunday just before a federal law that would have banned the popular social media platform was scheduled to go into effect.

The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone. (Source: Associated Press)

By 10.50pm Eastern Standard Time, the app was not found on Apple and Google’s app stores, which are prohibited from offering the platform under a law that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face a US ban.

When users opened the TikTok app on Saturday evening, they encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos.

The message shown to US users of TikTok upon trying to open the app. (Source: 1News)

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message said. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message said. “Please stay tuned!”

Before that announcement went out, the company had said in another message to users that its service would be “temporarily unavailable” and told them its working to restore its US service “as soon as possible”.

The federal law, that was signed by President Joe Biden last year, required ByteDance to divest its stake in the TikTok’s US platform or face a ban. ByteDance had nine months to sell the US operation to an approved buyer. The company, and TikTok, chose to take legal action against the law and ultimately lost their fight at the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Under the statute, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to American users.

Both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco had said that the Biden administration would leave the law’s implementation to President-elect Donald Trump given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.

But TikTok said after the court ruling on Saturday that it “will be forced to go dark” if the administration didn’t provide a “definitive statement” to the companies that deliver its service in the US.

However, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s demand a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies “to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office.”

In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was thinking about giving TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating.

The federal law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress. But no clear buyers have emerged, and ByteDance has previously said it won’t sell TikTok.

If such an extension happens, Trump said it would “probably” be announced on Tuesday.

On Sunday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok US business, according to a person familiar with the matter. If successful, the new structure would also include other investors and allow ByteDance’s existing shareholders to retain their stake in the company, the person said.

US mass deportation explained

By

Kaniva Staff

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19/01/2025

By Laura Collins, George W Bush Presidential Centre

What does it mean to be an “undocumented” immigrant?

There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States as of 2022, according to the Pew Research Center. Undocumented immigrants are people who either entered the country illegally or who entered legally but overstayed their visas rather than returning home. While some are recent arrivals to the United States, many have lived here for more than a decade. Many undocumented people live in mixed status families – they are married to a U.S. citizen or have U.S. citizen children.

How does this population affect the U.S. economy? What about the economy in my state/city?

Undocumented immigrants do not have legal work authorization, and they do not qualify for federal entitlement benefits. They must work to support themselves, however, so the vast majority work – some with a false identity and some in jobs in which their immigration status isn’t likely to be checked closely. Undocumented immigrants often pay taxes, bolstering programs like Social Security which they are unable to access. The undocumented are an economic benefit on a federal level, given their inability to access benefits and tax payments.

On the state and local level, their benefit and burden vary. The primary costs at a state and local level are in education, health care, and criminal justice. The cost burden on these vary greatly based on which benefits states offer to undocumented immigrants. According to the Baker Institute, undocumented immigrants in Texas contribute $420 million more in revenue than they cost the state.

What is mass deportation, and who would be impacted?

Mass deportation is an effort to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States. Who would be impacted depends on how the executive branch prioritizes people for removal. The incoming administration has indicated that it will begin with immigrants convicted of crimes and immigrants with final orders of removal. Taken to the logical conclusion, mass deportation could impact any person who is undocumented, even if the only time they violated the law was to enter the United States, overstay their visa, or work without authorization.

What is the likelihood and feasibility of deportations on this scale?

Deporting 11 million people is nearly impossible to do given the current resource and capacity constraints of the federal government. It would be incredibly expensive, damaging to the economy, and disruptive to communities. A 2015 American Action Forum report estimated it would cost $400 billion to $600 billion, take 20 years, and result in over $1 trillion in lost GDP.

Can the undocumented population become U.S. citizens?

While legislation has been proposed multiple times since 2006 to provide an earned pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, no current solution exists to allow these immigrants who are here and working to earn regular status and, possibly, eventual citizenship. For most undocumented, there are no legal avenues they can pursue to get a legal work permit or green card, even if they marry a U.S. citizen or get sponsored for a green card by an employer.

Firefighters tackle house blaze in Nuku’alofa, Kahana

By

Kaniva Staff

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19/01/2025

Firefighters were battling a blaze in a building at Kahana.

A fire appliance was spotted at the scene of the blaze at the Kahana Lagoon resort.

Unconfirmed reports said there were indications that a person got stuck inside the restaurant at the time of the incident.

It was alleged that there was a fatality.

Kaniva News was unable to confirm this.

Streamed videos taken at the scene, seen by Kaniva News, appeared to show that the spaces for the firefighters and their engines to tackle the fire effectively were quite limited.

There were also reports indicating that the fire had caused significant damage to one of the water hoses used to control the fire.

When the firefighters finally arrived at the scene, the flames had already engulfed a significant portion of the building, billowing thick clouds of smoke into the air, according to a Facebook live streamer at the scene.

Tonga Fire Services could not be reached for comment.

Shane Reti expected to lose health portfolio as PM reshuffles Cabinet

By

Kaniva Staff

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19/01/2025

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Analysis – Christopher Luxon is kicking off the political year with a reshuffle that is expected to see Shane Reti removed from the health portfolio.

Health Minister Shane Reti. Photo: Samuel Rillstone/RNZ

The Prime Minister arrived back from the UAE on Thursday, headed to the funeral of killed policewoman Lyn Fleming that afternoon, and then returned to the Beehive on Friday to begin rearranging his team ahead of their first caucus meeting on Tuesday.

Luxon was seen in the Beehive on Friday where he met with some of his trusted kitchen cabinet ministers and staff to hash out the reshuffle, which is expected to be reasonably big.

Reti, a respected doctor from the North, has been struggling in the health role – it is an issue that has become the biggest thorn in the side of Luxon and his government and increasingly shows up in polls as being a growing concern for New Zealanders.

While Reti has practical experience in health his background and personality sees him viewed as more of an academic, and he has struggled with the size and complexity of the health sector that is struggling under staff shortages, governance problems, and funding deficits.

Luxon had not planned to do a formal reshuffle at the start of the year, as has been popular with previous prime ministers, telling RNZ late last year he would have a different approach and make changes as and when they were needed.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

That position has changed over the summer break.

Luxon will have had time to put a microscope on the various personnel and portfolios that could do with a shake-up and a poll on Friday showing Labour is ahead of National for the first time since April 2023 would have only reinforced his decision that a refresh was needed.

Sunday afternoon’s reshuffle to be announced by Luxon and his deputy, Nicola Willis, will unlikely impact the ministerial portfolios of Act and New Zealand First ministers.

Those positions were decided as part of the coalition agreements and are harder to change without the agreement by party leaders David Seymour and Winston Peters.

The two coalition partners have been given a heads-up, however, about what to expect from today’s reshuffle.

Several ministers have been thrown up as possibilities to take on the soon to be vacant health role, including Judith Collins, Paul Goldsmith, and Simeon Brown.

All three are seen as part of Luxon’s small team of more competent and experienced ministers, alongside Willis, Erica Stanford, and Chris Bishop, who already have very full dance cards.

It is a problem for Luxon that he is restricted in his options when it comes to reallocating important portfolios. While the executive is large, a number are ministers from other parties and there are only a handful of National ministers that Luxon can load up with more work and be trusted to do so.

It is a problem Jacinda Ardern also encountered during her first term as Prime Minister.

Luxon’s kitchen cabinet ministers are already visibly exhausted and overloaded. Whoever takes on the health portfolio will certainly have to be relieved of other work, though that could potentially only create more work for another colleague.

A new face in health could also present an opportunity for Luxon and National after a campaign commitment in 2023 to open a new medical school at Waikato University.

It is understood that project has been dogged with problems and is increasingly being seen as an unnecessary, costly, and bad idea.

A new minister could make their own assessment of the project and kill it without losing face in the way Reti would have – though it would still be seen as a broken promise by Luxon.

If Brown is to pick up health it would make sense for Bishop to take on his energy role to pair alongside the RMA reform and infrastructure portfolios he already holds.

Outside of the health portfolio changes Luxon is expected to make two or three others, which will likely see some promotion for current ministers and at least one demotion that would open up room for a new minister outside of cabinet.

The coalition has been in power for just over a year and this is already the second set of changes after Luxon stripped Melissa Lee of the broadcasting portfolio and demoted her from Cabinet in April after struggling to deal with the collapse of media outlets.

At the same time Penny Simmonds was moved out of the Disability Issues portfolio.

Penny Simmonds no longer holds the Disability Issues portfolio. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Those changes prompted Goldsmith to add broadcasting to his workload while Louise Upston picked up Disability Issues.

Luxon’s reshuffle comes as he resets the focus of his National team ahead of a two-day caucus retreat in Hamilton on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by his State of the Nation speech in Auckland on Thursday.

His State of the Nation is expected to be focussed on the economy, and more specifically, the country’s productivity issues.

Thousands of undocumented Tongans in the USA face deportation under Trump’s mass deportation policies

By

Kalino Latu

-

19/01/2025

Ten of thousands of Tongan overstayers living in the United States have found themselves significantly impacted by next week’s mass deportation threats.

The Tongan community has voiced concerns about how this state of uncertainty could affect their families and future.

Reported figures of undocumented Tongans varied up to 10,000. These figures were believed to be undercounted because many potential respondents were hesitant to participate in interviews or surveys, fearing that their information could be reported to immigration authorities or used against them.

In 2020, the US Census reported that 78,871 people in the US have Tongan ancestry.

In an interview with Kaniva News, some undocumented Tongans have expressed their concerns regarding the implications of the impact on their families. They asked not to be identified because of their illegal immigration statuses.

They said that to avoid the risk of deportation or legal issues, they feel compelled to stop going to work, which significantly impacts their livelihoods and well-being.

Despite the challenges posed by their immigration status, they made a firm commitment to remain in the United States. Their decision came even in light of Trump’s public declarations urging individuals who had overstayed their visas to leave the country voluntarily.

One study described the Tongan community in the States as “a struggling Tongan immigrant population”.

Research by Tongan scholar Vanesa Tu’i’one and others, which was published by the National Library of Medicine, says Tongans have among Los Angeles County’s lowest per capita incomes, and more than one in four Tongan Americans (28.5%) in Los Angeles County live under the Federal Poverty Level (US Census 2000).

The president-elect also planned to “end birthright citizenship for US-born children of some noncitizens” which is another blow to undocumented Tongans who have already settled their lives in the States.

Kingdom of Tonga

Tonga, an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean, has over 200,000 people. More than 50 percent of this population comprises Tongans living in the diaspora.

Tonga is considered one of the poorest countries globally, with more than 50 percent of its national budget relying on overseas donors.

The extreme poverty rate, according to the Parliament’s Hansard 22 Sune 2023, increased to 27 per cent.

Tonga’s economy relies heavily on remittances from Tongans living abroad, making it susceptible to external economic fluctuations.

The majority of the population relies on subsistence agriculture and fishing, and many families struggle to access basic services and opportunities for education and employment.

Arrival in the US

Tongans first came to Laie, Hawaii, in 1916 (Hawaii was a U.S. territory at the time). The number of immigrants increased dramatically at the end of World War II when Mormon labour missionaries from Tonga migrated to Hawaii to build the church’s Laie Hawaii Temple, Church College of Hawaii, and Polynesian Cultural Center.

The first record of a Tongan immigrating to the mainland United States was in 1956.

According to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) records for the 1950s, 14 Tongans were admitted in 1958, 4 were admitted in 1960, and a record 119 arrived in 1966.

During the 1970s, Tongan migration ranged from 133 admissions in 1976 to 809 in 1979.

District officer frustrated at inaction towards Hahake Tt’s dangerous road as tributes flow for ‘old man’ killed in crash

By

Kaniva Staff

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19/01/2025

The Lapaha District Officer, Siosifa Jr Lamipeti, reported that his proposal for an urgent safety upgrade to a notorious road was turned down.

The request followed a recent fatality and an incident where a person was hit by a vehicle.

He made the revelation yesterday after a vehicle crashed into a power pole, killing a passenger on the same road at Hahake’s Makaunga village.

Lamipeti said he submitted his proposal to upgrade the road to the Ministry of Infrastructure, but it was rejected.

He described the response from the Ministry as substandard (“ma’ulalo”).

The Ministry could not be reached for comment.

Reporting yesterday’s fatality, he said that he was on the road in question last night and observed vehicles speeding there.

He did not identify the road, but rather, he said it was notoriously known for its danger to commuters.

He urged the residents to slow down when driving on the road and refrain from driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, tribute flowed for Feke’ila Tukumoe’atu, who was killed in yesterday’s collision.

Reports said Tukumoe’atu was a “tangata’eiki” (old man).

No details report about the Tukumoe’atu.

Police have yet to comment.

Lamipeti alleged alcohol and speeding might have been factors in the crash.

“Rest in peace Fe’iloaki Tautuiaki”, a commenter road on Facebook.

“Faka’ofa mo’oni”, another commenter road, saying it’s a pity that he died.

Some commenters accused the driver, who was reported to be uninjured in the crash, of being responsible for the death of Tautuiaki.

Fire breaks out on Auckland’s Māngere Mountain

By

Kaniva Staff

-

19/01/2025

By Finn Blackwell of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

A grass fire that broke out on Māngere Mountain in Auckland on Saturday night has now been 99 percent contained.

Crews were called to the scene, near Domain Road, just before 9:30pm.

Seven crews fought the blaze, with firefighters also standing guard at the entrance to the road and turning away people who were trying to get a closer look at the flames.

Two crews remained on site overnight.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said more would go back later on Sunday morning.

A number of users on social media had posted images of the blaze, which sent smoke billowing into the sky.

Fire crews had closed the road up to the maunga. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell

There was the smell of thick smoke in the air, but the extent of any damage was unclear.

In a statement, Fire and Emergency asked people to stay away from the area to allow crews to work.

“People on the western side of the mountain may experience smoke.

“If they are affected, they should stay inside and close all windows and doors.”

Trump illegal migrant raids to start on day one, US media report

By

Kaniva Staff

-

19/01/2025

By Anna Lamche, BBC

Raids to detain and deport migrants living in the US without permission are set to begin on the first full day of the new Trump administration, US media report.

Reuters Tom Homan, wearing a suit, talks into a microphone. — Incoming “border tsar” Tom Homan has promised a big raid on illegal immigrants

The operations – threatened by Donald Trump’s “border tsar” Tom Homan – could begin in Chicago, a city with a large migrant population, as early as Tuesday, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal say.

Trump has said he will oversee the largest deportation programme in US history.

In an interview with Fox News this week, Homan promised a “big raid” across the country. He has previously said Chicago will be “ground zero” for the mass deportations.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency deports illegal migrants all the time. However, the operation it is expected to launch after Trump’s inauguration on Monday is expected to target so-called “sanctuary” cities that limit co-operation with federal immigration officials.

Along with Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles are among the scores of US cities that have adopted “sanctuary” policies.

“January 21st, you’re going to look for a lot of ICE agents in your city looking for criminals and gang members,” Homan told a Republican gathering in Chicago last month. “Count on it. It will happen.”

New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Miami are also due to be targeted with raids, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plans.

Under Democratic President Joe Biden, ICE generally prioritised the arrest of illegal migrants who were serious criminals, had crossed the border recently or posed a national security threat.

While Trump’s team has signalled that it will begin with migrants who had committed crimes, all illegal migrants – including those who have lived and worked in the US for many years and have no criminal history – are more likely to be arrested and deported.

Immigration raids at construction sites where undocumented migrants are often employed are also expected to resume, after being discontinued by the Biden administration, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Ahead of the expected hardening of US policy, more migrant farm workers have been seeking advice on dealing with immigration officials and assigning temporary guardians for their children.

“The administration is not yet sworn in, but people are already afraid,” Sarait Martinez, executive director of the Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño, which supports Mexican farm workers in California, told Reuters news agency.

As well as pledging to deport millions of illegal migrants and threatening workplace raids, some reports suggest that Trump could also do away with a longstanding policy that has made churches off-limits for ICE arrests.

However, the upcoming raids are likely to pose significant difficulties for officials – with limited custody space to hold those detained.

At the same time, the Laken Riley Act – named after a college student who was murdered last year in Georgia by a Venezuelan man previously arrested for shoplifting – is expected to be passed by US lawmakers next week.

The proposed legislation will require the federal government to detain migrants living in the US illegally who are suspected of criminal activity – even if they are not charged with any crime.

Trump’s inauguration moving indoors due to ‘dangerous’ cold sparks comparison to Queen Sālote’s riding in the rain during Queen Elizabeth’s coronation

By

Kalino Latu

-

18/01/2025

The decision to move the US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony indoors because of “dangerous” cold temperatures has drawn comparisons to the late Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga, who famously rode in the rain during Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga rides through the streets of London in an open carriage during the Queen’s coronation parade in 1953. Pic: AP

Trump said his inauguration as United States president on Monday (Tuesday NZT) will be moved indoors due to expected freezing weather.

“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump wrote on his app Truth Social.

“Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda.”

The change of plan means that Trump will not have the opportunity to stand on the Capitol steps overlooking the National Mall—a place that has traditionally welcomed presidents with a large crowd.

The last time a president took the oath of office indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, who also moved the ceremony into the Capitol’s ornate Rotunda due to dangerously cold weather.

The move prompted comparisons to similarly cold weather that the Late Queen Sālote encountered in the United Kingdom more than 70 years ago.

Queen Sālote stole the show while riding through London streets in an open carriage during Elizabeth’s coronation parade in 1953.

Despite pouring rain, Queen Sālote refused to close the top to show respect for the new monarch, drawing cheers from the revellers lining the streets.

Michael Field, a New Zealand veteran Pacific journalist, remembered Queen Sālote’s encounter after the news about Trump’s inauguration.

He posted on Facebook saying Trump’s inauguration is “moving inside because it too cold for the old fellow”.

“In 1953 at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation it rained heavily but Queen Salote of Tonga was undeterred & rode in an open carriage. She said people wanted to see her”.

Queen Sālote’s show of endearment inspired Tongan punakes (composers) to create songs celebrating her.

One notable composition is “Hā’ele ki Pilitānia” (Royal Tour of Britain), which was written by the late punake Peni Tutu’ila, to honour her efforts.

The song’s lyrics reference cities and popular places in Britain as figures of speech, which Tutu’ila had Tonganised, adding significant strength to the song’s message and cultural resonance.

This blending of languages highlights the connection between different cultures, enriching the narrative and making it relatable to a broader audience.

The song resonates with audiences even today, and it has been embraced by contemporary punakes and singers who have creatively rearranged it into various musical styles.

Ha’ele ki Pilitānia lyrics in Tongan and English

Verse One

Angiangi mai ‘a e Funga Siu Malaki

Ke fakaaʻu ‘a e ‘ofa ni ki he Lupe he Palasi

Si’i Lupe ‘o Tonga mānoa ‘i he kolope

‘O ‘autō ki Uinisā vāvālafo ‘anga e tupe

Verse Two

Angi taulua ‘a e Tonga Hihifo

‘O falala he Tāmesi ko e faiʻanga e fakauō

Fio ai e kakala ko e tumuʻaki ‘o Moheofo

Ne ngangatu ‘i he loto ‘o tuʻula ‘i he taʻemangalo

Tau:

He laʻā hopo ‘o Felenite

Huhulu ‘i Polata’ane

He palofisai kuo movete

Fakama’u ‘o e talite

Verse Three

‘Ofa ‘i he teke

Si’i langi ‘o Tonga

He ‘oku tu’u ko e koma

Ka kuo hoko ‘o ‘iloa

Verse Four

Ne sikahema

ma’ili ‘o ne angiangi

‘O ue‘ia e kakala

he mausa ‘o Pakingihami

Verse Five

Kapa ai siʻi lupe

he naite ‘o e ‘Otu Felenite

He ‘oku taku he fetau

langimaʻa ‘o Palataisi

Hā’ele ki Pilitānia English version

Verse One

Let the Funga Siumalaki wind blows by

So that it could convey my love to the Dove at the Palace

The Dove of Tonga, which flew over the globe

Arriving at Windsor for the celebration

Verse Two

The southwest wind blows doubly

Leaning on the Thames where the anniversary takes place

The top of the Moheofo clan is there

An arrival that is so unforgettable

Chorus:

The Sun of the Friendly Islands rises

And shines in Britain

What has been prophesied difficult is now made easy

And it has been embodied in a treaty

Verse Three

Love the support we have

To promote Tonga to the utmost

It appears on the world map as a comma

But it has now become well-known

Verse Four

The wind veered

Passed by and blows

It touches the fragrant flower

That emits a pleasant smell at Buckingham

Verse Five

The Dove is flapping its wings there

The Knight of the Friendly Islands

She is acknowledged for challenging the force of nature

Just like a clear sky in Paradise

Man dies after Hahake, Tt crash: reports

By

Kaniva Staff

-

18/01/2025

A man has died after being involved in a crash this afternoon in eastern Tongatapu (Tt), reports said.

As Kaniva News reported, some residents in the Hahake district were without power after the vehicle crash.

District Officer Siosifa Jr Lamipeti said the power was out after the incident at Makaunga.

He later updated the news at about 6pm this evening and claimed a man, who was a passenger in the vehicle, has died after he was injured in the crash.

He alleged alcohol and speeding may have been factors in the incident.

The details of the alleged deceased are still unknown.

Tonga Power has advised the residents that the power supply to their areas will be temporarily shut down today, Saturday, 18 January 2025, from approximately 6pm to 7.30pm.

“This outage is necessary to allow our linesmen to safely replace a broken power pole in Makaunga, which was caused by an accident”, it said.

It also said the power would be restored as soon as the repairs were completed without further notice.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience”.

The fatality comes after a mother and her child reportedly sustained injuries in a car crash that occurred at the district’s village of Niutao early this month.

Reports said the victims had been rushed to the hospital.

Mr Lamipeti reported that crash on Facebook and alleged that high speed was likely the cause of the crash.

He said that incident marked the first road accident reported in the district since the beginning of the new year.

Officer Lamipeti emphasized the significance of this occurrence, highlighting the ongoing concerns surrounding road safety and the need for increased vigilance among drivers in the community.

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