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Mother left in tears after plea for more time on son’s $500 or face immediate jail sentence denied

By
Kalino Latu
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A mother from Kolonga was left in tears after her plea for leniency over her son’s sentence was denied simply because the sentence had already been made.

Mateaki Pulu was ordered to pay TP$500 immediately or he would be jailed for one month for possession of illicit drugs. He pleaded guilty to his charges.

But shortly after the judicial decision was declared, the young offender’s mother tearfully pleaded with Magistrate Mana Kaufusi to be patience until they could find money.

The Magistrate responded and said the court guidelines on judicial decision did not support her plea because he had already sentenced his son.

The age of the offender was not revealed in court but Kakalu ‘o Tonga newspaper said he could be in his 15 or 16.

The court was told Police arrested Pulu for being drunk at the Digicel Square in Nuku’alofa.

When he was processed at the Nuku’alofa Central Police station Police found a packet of illicit drugs in his possession.

Pulu pleaded with the Magistrate to show mercy ahead of his sentence but Magistrate Kaufusi was concerned about his age and compared it to the crimes he committed.

The Magistrate was also concerned at how Pulu, while committing the crimes, managed to come along way down from Kolonga to Nuku’alofa where he was arrested by Police.

Dame Valerie Adams expecting her first child

By
Kaniva Staff
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Dame Valeries Adams-Price is expecting a baby with her husband Gabriel Price.

News of the 32-year-old’s pregnancy emerged last week when she posted an image of two shot puts accompanied by a third tiny put on social media.

“We have a shot ready for when you arrive in October little one. Love from your Mum and Dad to be!!! #BabyAdamsPrice #NewChallengeAhead#VeryExcited #FamiliesAreForever#ThenThereWere3″

In an exclusive interview with New Zealand Herald Adams said: “We couldn’t be happier,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be a mum. This is bigger for me than any gold medal”.

“Gabe and I kept it between us for a very long time. I kind of freaked out a little bit because when you find out you start reading loads of things – and your brain naturally registers all the bad stuff.

“For the first time I wasn’t able to control everything in my life and Gabe and I just felt like taking our time in letting people know was the right thing to do.

“But to finally tell people, that’s really fun. We can relax a bit and start enjoying it.”

A clue came earlier this month when Dame Valerie’ name was missing from Athletics New Zealand’s squad for August’s World Championships in London.

While missing a pinnacle event is disappointing, she said the timing of her pregnancy could not be better for her sporting career to continue.

And that includes going for gold at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia and a fifth Olympic campaign in Tokyo 2020 – where she could become the first New Zealand athlete to win gold at three different Olympic Games.

Burial dispute hits Tonga supreme court, deceased’s mother finally withdraws petition

By
Kalino Latu
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An unprecedented Supreme Court fight over possession of a woman’s body has been finally resolved after her mother withdrew her petition before Lord Chief Justice Owen Paulsen in Nuku’alofa.

The body of Susana Lovely Vunga Lolohea was finally buried in Matahau on Monday, April 17 and not in the United States like her mother’s wish.

The court was told Susana told her husband ‘Iseki Lolohea of Navutoka before she died to bury her at Matahau because her maternal grandparents were buried there.

Susana, a Tongan citizen of the United States died in Tonga while she visited her husband last month. They just married earlier this year and after two weeks of their marriage Susana returned to the United States.

After a week of her recent arrival in the kingdom she was sick and was admitted to hospital.

She later died from a heart disease, the court was told.

The deceased’s mother who was in the United States at the time of Susana’s death contacted ‘Iseki and they agreed for her to come to Tonga and return her daughter’s body.

When she arrived ‘Iseki changed his mind and said he wanted his wife to be buried in Tonga.

The dispute ended in court after attempts by the mother to resolve the issue between her and ‘Iseki were unsuccessful.

Lord Chief Justice Owen Paulsen said there was no burial law in Tongan that govern requirements around how the remains of people’s loved ones are dealt with.

However he said the law that gives husband the right to his wife could be used in this case.

The mother finally withdrew her petition after the two parties were returned to a mediation process and Justice Paulsen ruled that the deceased had to be buried in Tonga.

Legal counsel Fatai Vaihu represented the deceased’s mother while Petunia Tupou acted for ‘Iseki.

Former Tongan-Hong Kong sevens player hospitalised after suffering serious fractured jaw

By
Kalino Latu
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A high tackle during clash between the Fasi Maʻufanga and Marist rugby league teams last week has left a player who represented Tonga during the Hong Kong Sevens tournament hospitalized with a serious broken jaw.

ʻOfa Teisina, who played centre for the Marist during the game, was concussed and left the field after receiving a high tackle and an alleged punch from an opponent.

He was given first aid treatment by Red Cross staff before he was taken to Vaiola hospital.

We cannot be able to confirm his medical conditions from the hospital but coaches believed the injury will keep him on the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

Local media reports said Teisina will eat soft food for several weeks.

Teisina represented Tonga during the 2017 Hong Kong Sevens.

Driver who caused death of Tongan pregnant mother in Utah charged

By
Kaniva Staff
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Nine month since a Tongan pregnant woman was killed in a crash in the United States, her driver, who was high on drugs while driving, was charged.

Nephi Adelino Makaya, 26, was charged in 3rd District Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and driving on a revoked license, a class C misdemeanor.

He was cited for not having proof of insurance and not having his vehicle registered, said Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Sandi Johnson.

After the July 25 crash, Makaya’s blood tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana, according to charging documents.

Makaya had driven around lowered safety barriers on 900 South about 8 p.m. when a southbound FrontRunner train slammed into the passenger side of the car, according to charges.

The passenger, 30-year-old Kaipa ʻOfa ki ʻUiha Sateki Kinikini, was eight months pregnant and was transported to University Hospital, where the emergency C-section was performed, charges state. The full-term fetus survived, but Kinikini was pronounced dead.

Makaya was the father of the infant.

Doctors believe there will be long-term medical consequences for the infant, who is with family, according to Johnson.

Makaya was also transported to the hospital with injuries that weren’t serious.

A $500,000 arrest warrant has been issued for Makaya’s arrest.

The train was not in service or carrying passengers at the time of the collision, according to Utah Transit Authority spokesman Remi Barron.

Tonga’s press freedom rating sinks; report cites bad blood between PM and broadcaster

By
Philip Cass
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Tonga has dropped 12 places in this year’s world press freedom rankings.

The ratings, released by Reporters Sans Frontiers, is based on an Index ranks of 180 countries.

Last year Tonga was placed 37th, a rise from 43rd position in 2015.

Last year RSF said the kingdom’s independent media had progressively assumed their watchdog role since the first democratic elections in 2010.

Tonga now ranks 49th, just above Papua New Guinea (51st) and well ahead of Fiji (67th) but behind Samoa at 21st.

In its report on the rankings, Asia Pacific Report said there had been an increase in tension between the Tongan government and the media since the 2014 election.

APR cited Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva’s fractious relationship with Tonga’s national  broadcaster, instances of politicians suing journalists and the introduction of the Communications Amendment Act, which allows for the creation of an Internet regulatory agency with the power to block websites without reference to a judge.

In contrast, Fiji has risen considerably on the press freedom index. Last year it was ranked 80th, up 13 places from 2015.

Last year RSF praised Fiji’s performance, saying that despite the threats that the constitution and legislation pose to journalists, the media had asserted their independence, improved the public debate and succumbed less and less to self-censorship.

The RSF report has only limited data for the Pacific. There is no data for Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands, Niue, other Pacific nations or the French or American territories.

Of the two metropolitan Pacific nations, New Zealand ranked 13th, ahead of Australia in 19th place.

RSF said press freedom was being abused in democracies as well as dictatorships.

“Violations of the freedom to inform are less and less the prerogative of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships,” the RSF said.

“Once taken for granted, media freedom is proving to be increasingly fragile in democracies as well.

“Democratic governments are trampling on a freedom that should, in principle, be one of their leading performance indicators.”

The RSF rankings are based on the level of freedom available to journalists.

The report evaluates pluralism, independence of the media, quality of legislative framework and safety of journalists in each country.

The RSF report is based on responses of experts to a questionnaire devised by RSF.

This qualitative analysis is combined with quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the period evaluated.

The criteria used in the questionnaire are pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.

The main points

  • Tonga has dropped 12 places in this year’s Reporters Sans Frontiers world press freedom rankings.
  • Last year Tonga was placed 37th, a rise from 43rd position in 2015.
  • Tonga now ranks 49th, just above Papua New Guinea (51st) and well ahead of Fiji (67th) but behind Samoa at 21st.
  • In its report on the rankings, Asia Pacific Report said there had been an increase in tension between the Tongan government and the media since the 2014 election.

For more information

Reporters Sans Frontiers world press freedom rankings 2017

Asia-Pacific holds many ‘worst records’ in media freedom report, says RSF

Japan launches new classroom in Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Japanese government has launched a new classroom in Ha’ateiho as part of its  Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects in Tonga.

The new building for the Upper Room Primary School has four new classrooms.

Japanese ambassador to Tonga, His Excellency Mr. Yukio Numata had studied his Tongan language before making his opening speech.

He compared his country’s assistance to the Tongan saying “Si’i ‘a ‘uha” – The Japanese grant which helped in building the classroom may be small in amount but it has contributed something very significant to the welfare of the villagers.

Upper Room Primary School was a kindergarten in 2007 before it was officially upgraded and became a primary school in 2014.

Spokesperson for the school Mr. Vaisima To’a acknowledged the assistance from the Japanese government.

He said: “We can’t thank you enough for funding this project to enable the future of Upper Room Primary School.”

The ceremony was attended by the estate holder Lord Tu’iha’ateiho and his wife Lady Tu’iha’ateiho, Justice Minister Hon Sione Vuna Fa’otusia, Hon. Rev. Dr. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, Minister for Revenue and Customs and Minister for Commerce, Consumer, Trade and Innovation and Labour along with MP. ‘Akosita Lavulavu, parents and teachers and the students of the Upper Room Primary School.

Tongan found guilty of drive-by shooting in Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Elizabeth Byrne

A Tongan Comanchero club member along with another member have been found guilty of shooting the former member of a rival bikie gang two years ago in Canberra.

Lihai Vimahi, 24, and Daniel Grech, 27, were found guilty of discharging a firearm but cleared of the more serious charge of causing the Rebel member grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutors told the court they believed the shooting was part of a dispute between the rival gangs, with one witness telling the court that Vimahi told her the Rebel deserved to be shot.

The court also heard that Vimahi had admitted to the witness a gun he owned had been used to shoot a Rebel.

Justice Stephen Walmsley said the victim was shot as he smoked outside a home in the Canberra suburb of Stirling late in the evening on March 12, 2015.

Justice Walmsley said he accepted the pair had gone to the house to shoot the man, each armed with a firearm.

“They took the shots at [the victim] and then they left,” he said.

But Justice Walmsley found the man had not suffered grievous bodily harm after hearing evidence from the victim’s former partner.

She told the court that only months later her former partner had subjected her to a violent rape lasting four hours, in which he picked her up multiple times.

The man has not yet been sentenced over the rape.

The woman’s evidence was important for Vimahi and Grech, meaning they now face the significantly lower maximum penalty of five years, compared to 20 years for the more serious charge.

Justice Walmsley also found the pair were not guilty of charges relating to a second incident in the nearby suburb of Kambah on the same night, when shots were fired into an unoccupied house.

Vimahi and Grech were charged with discharging a firearm so as to cause another person reasonable apprehension for their safety. But the man they were allegedly targeting, who is also a Rebels associate, was not home.

Grech has been found guilty of possessing an illegal firearm.

The two are expected to be sentenced in June.

-ABC

Claims of mental health benefits for kava disputed, WHO warns on medical use

By
Philip Cass
-

Claims that kava could benefit people with mental illness have been disputed, with warnings that its dangers outweigh any benefits.

Kava, which is widely drunk in Polynesia, can induce feelings of drowsiness and relaxation.

Massey University lecturer, Dr Sione Vaka told a conference last week that kava had significant medical benefits, including mental illness.

Dr Vaka’s doctoral research looked at definitions of mental illness from a Tongan perspective.

He said his new research showed that because kava was familiar and used in a social context, it could help calm people with mental health issues.

Dr Vaka told Radio New Zealand kava was important for Pacific people because it was part of their identity.

“Kava reminds us where we come from,” he said.

“I know to have good mental well-being you have to be connected culture-wise with your level of identity, so those levels of support will be good to maintain mental well-being.”

However, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, director general of the Pacific Community and a former New Zealand Secretary of Health, disputed the claim.

He said the dangers of kava use outweighed any good effects it might have.

In a 2007 report The World Health Organisation said if kava was used for medicinal purposes it should only be available on prescription.

It said kava should not be used in conjunction with antipsychotics.

The American non-profit organisation Mental Health America says kava has been shown in more than a dozen placebo-controlled studies to be effective for treating generalised anxiety, with some evidence for stress, depression and insomnia.

It says kava is generally safe for short-term use, but there are concerns it being used at the same time as other drugs.

There are disputes about whether it causes liver damage.

The main points

  • Claims that kava could benefit people with mental illness have been disputed, with warnings that its dangers outweigh any benefits.
  • Kava, which is widely drunk in Polynesia, can induce feelings of drowsiness and relaxation.
  • Massey University lecturer, Dr Sione Vaka told a conference last week that kava had significant medical benefits, including mental illness.
  • However, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, director general of the Pacific Community and a former New Zealand Secretary of Health, disputed the claim.

For more information

Academic says kava good for mental health

Dispute over alleged health benefits of kava

Assessment of the risk of hepatotoxicity with kava products. (World Health Organisation)

Kava

North Korea fires missile and it exploded overland, US officials say

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Foster Klug 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea test-fired a mid-range ballistic missile from the western part of its country Saturday, but the launch apparently failed, South Korea and the United States said Saturday.

The test will be condemned by outsiders as yet another step in the North’s push for a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike the U.S. mainland.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North fired the unidentified missile from around Pukchang, which is near the capital Pyongyang, but provided no other details.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the missile was likely a medium-range KN-17 ballistic missile. It broke up a couple minutes after the launch and the pieces fell into the Sea of Japan.

A South Korean military official also said without elaborating that the launch was believed to be a failure. He didn’t want to be named, citing office rules. The official couldn’t immediately confirm how far the missile fleweo or whether it had exploded shortly after launch.

North Korea routinely test-fires a variety of ballistic missiles, despite United Nations prohibitions, as part of its weapons development. While shorter-range missiles are somewhat routine, there is strong outside worry about each longer-range North Korean ballistic test.

Saturday’s launch comes at a point of particularly high tension. U.S. President Donald Trump took an initial hard line with Pyongyang and sent a U.S. aircraft supercarrier to Korean waters. His diplomats are now taking a softer tone.

On Friday, the United States and China offered starkly different strategies for addressing North Korea’s escalating nuclear threat as Trump’s top diplomat demanded full enforcement of economic sanctions on Pyongyang and urged new penalties. Stepping back from suggestions of U. S. military action, he even offered aid to North Korea if it ends its nuclear weapons program.

The range of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s suggestions, which over a span of 24 hours also included restarting negotiations, reflected America’s failure to halt North Korea’s nuclear advances despite decades of U.S.-led sanctions, military threats and stop-and-go rounds of diplomatic engagement. As the North approaches the capability to hit the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile, the Trump administration feels it is running out of time.

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