Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Newsletter
Support Kaniva
Home Blog Page 732

Tongan authority launches probe into claims Sofia Filo was left stranded in Australia

By
Kalino Latu
-

An investigation is under way after a 30-year-old Tongan woman was left stranded about 500 kilometres away from Brisbane airport after the bus she was travelling on broke down.

Sofia Filo was one of a 39 Tongans group working in Queensland on the Australian Seasonal Workers’ Programme.

They were on a bus from Bowen in North Queensland to Brisbane on November 23 to catch their flight to Sydney and Tonga.

Their bus broke down at Miriam Vale 464 km north of Brisbane, about 11.30pm and they were told to rest in a park while the bus was fixed.

Sofia claimed she and two other women took a nap on chairs in the park. When the bus was fixed the women and the rest of the Tongan workers got on board and took off without Sofia.

She claimed she contacted one of her co-workers in the bus on her cellphone and she was told the bus could not return to pick her up in fear they may not catch their flights to Sydney and Tonga.

Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said they were holding an inquiry into the incident.

Ana Bing Fonua the Ministry’s CEO said they have not yet received any report regarding the incident.

She said she would check the Ministry’s information unit whether they received any information but they will investigate.

We will update you on our inquiry, she said.

READ MORE:

Tongan female fruit picker shares worst nightmare after being left stranded in Queensland

Tonga formally requests U.S. return Dean Jay Fletcher

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s Office of Attorney General said this morning it has submitted on Tuesday 6 a formal request to extradite Dean Jay Fletcher, the United States citizen whom Tonga blames for the death of his wife in Vavaʻu Islands.

The Office said it made the submission through the Embassy of the United States of America in Suva, Fiji.

Fletcher is accused of murdering his wife Patricia Linne Kearney on 6 July 2016 at Neiafu, Vava’u, the Office said.

The extradition request was delivered by the Acting Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions to the US Consular Office to first be certified, before it would be delivered through diplomatic channels to the United States State Department and then to the United States Department of Justice for consideration and processing.

The extradition request will then be submitted by the United States Department of Justice to the United States Federal Court in Honolulu, Hawaii to consider and decide whether to grant Tonga’s request.

If the US Federal District Court grants the Tongan Government’s request, such decision may be reviewed for its legality under a habeas corpus application made by Fletcher to a US Federal Court of Appeals.

An appeal from a decision of the US Court of Appeals can be made to the US Supreme Court.

If the US Courts do decide to grant the Tongan Government’s request, the ultimate decision whether to extradite Fletcher to Tonga or not, will be made by the United States Government in accordance with the laws of the United States.

The Tongan Government’s extradition request is expected to be presented for consideration by US Attorneys to the US Federal District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii on 10 January 2017.

5 days of searching, no sign of boy lost at sea in Ha’afeva

By
Kalino Latu
-

A fifth night of searches for the 3-year-old boy missing at sea in Ha’apai has passed with no major break.

The Police search and rescue boat Amoula was still scouring waters around Ha’afeva harbour  over the weekend but hadn’t turned up any new clues in the boy’s disappearance.

The boy and his 5-year-old sister were among the passengers of a boat from ‘O’ua who fell into the sea after they realised their boat was heading towards the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa while the ferry was unloading in the deep at Ha’afeva.

The boat which was belonged to the Free Wesleyan Church of ‘O’ua reportedly smashed into the ferry’s loading end at about 5.07am and capsized.

The sister and the rest of the passengers were rescued while the boy could not be found.

One report says the passengers including the siblings’ parents jumped off the boat when it became clear it could crash into the ferry, a move many believed it helped avoid a collision that may have put many passengers’ lives at risk.

Police said they will keep searching until they believe  there’s no reasonable chance the boy could still be found alive.

Children key target in fight against NCDs, Minister tells Shanghai conference

By
Philip Cass
-

Tongan children are a key focus of the government’s fight against obesity and other Non-Communicable Diseases.

The kingdom’s Minister for Health, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, told the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai recently  that what he called “the obesity epidemic” was affecting young people in the kingdom.

Hon. Piukala cited the example of a primary school in Tonga where a 2011 study found that 30% of the students between five to seven were either overweight or obese.

“Overweight and obesity rates of more than 80% and even 90% of the adult population is common among many Pacific  countries and diabetes prevalence of around 20% and more are not uncommon,” the Minister said.

“The resultant burden of disease is significant especially given services for treatment of complications of NCDs including bypass surgery for heart disease, renal dialysis for kidney failure and proper prostheses for amputees are mostly not available.”

Hon. Piukala said the Tongan government was confident that the likelihood of success and change in behaviour is more likely in children when they are still developing their habits.

Many children were growing up in an environment that encouraged weight gain and obesity.

There was a decline in physical activity with children spending more time on TV and video games and eating junk food.

“This does not mean we are neglecting the adults,” Hon. Piukala said.

“We understand that adults’ behaviour around children is an important determinant of children’s behaviour in the future.”

Ensuring that children grew up in the right environments was critical is addressing NCDs

To make schools more supportive of the fight against NCDs, the government looked closely at what kinds of food were allowed to be sold on school grounds.

One of the school initiatives was the Mai e 5 or Gimme 5 programme, a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and private enterprise involved in vegetable and fruit production to encourage more vegetable and fruit intake among school children.

Another way of fighting obesity was to tax fizzy drinks.

According to Tonga’s Global School-based health survey conducted in 2010, 56.3% of students ages 13-15 years reported drinking carbonated soft drinks one or more times per day during the past 30 days

The government imposed the first tax on soft drinks in 2013. In 2016 the tax was 33 cents per can.

The Minister said the government was optimistic about reaching the NCD targets set by the United Nations under the Sustainable Development Goals.

“With the continued multi-sectoral collaboration both at national and international level, we will continue to have reason to remain optimistic that we will achieve our goal,” he said.

“We need strong political commitment and collaboration to address this global challenge of childhood obesity and NCD.s”

The main points

  • Tongan children are a key focus of the government’s fight against obesity and other non-communicable diseases.
  • The kingdom’s Minister for Health, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, told the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai recently that what he called “the obesity epidemic” was affecting young people in the kingdom.
  • Piukala cited the example of a primary school in Tonga where a 2011 study found that 30% of the students between five to seven were either overweight or obese.
  • He said the Tongan government was confident that the likelihood of success and change in behaviour is more likely in children when they are still developing their habits.

For more information

National Strategy for Prevention and Control of NCDs

Pacific islanders pay heavy price for abandoning traditional diet

Solar-powered, Wi-Fi-ready digital library devices for Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga will soon welcome the efficiency of digital library devices brought from the Ariszona State University.

The innovative library device is 100 percent self-reliant: generating its own solar power and Wi-Fi hot spot and using its own tiny computer, called a Raspberry Pi, that functions as a server connecting to library content via smartphone, laptop or iPad, a statement from ASU says.

This week, Hosman is traveling to Tonga, where she and her team will deliver 25 portable, solar-powered, Wi-Fi-ready digital library devices called SolarSPELL — the Solar Powered Educational Learning Library — which is helping to expand access to education and technology in remote places around the world that lack electricity and the internet.SolarSPELL training in

Hosman, an assistant professor at ASU with a joint appointment in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, is traveling with five undergraduate students — four engineering students from the Polytechnic School, one of the five Fulton Schools, and one film student from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts — as well as Lorrie McAllister, an assistant university librarian at ASU Libraries.

“We’ve been preparing for this trip all semester,” said Hosman. “In addition to bringing digital libraries to Tonga, the visit is meant to conduct research, create hands-on lesson plans and take part in workshops that will focus on building libraries specific to the Pacific Island communities.”

Because the SolarSPELL website functions as a local digital library — providing thousands of resources in the form of videos, articles, books, lessons and instructional guides — the selection of educational content and how the technology is introduced to the community is crucial.

Hosman thus relies on the expertise and local knowledge of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, who are stationed in the remote locations she is trying to reach. Her strong partnership with the Peace Corps has resulted in the delivery of more than 100 SolarSPELL units in Samoa, Vanuatu and Micronesia.

“The Peace Corps has served an essential role in providing access to these digital libraries, as they often understand the needs of the community and local educational environment,” said Hosman.

Peace Corps staff and volunteers in Tonga will be working with Hosman and her students to develop learning objectives around library content as well as sample instructional programming. In addition, Hosman’s partnership with ASU Libraries has also helped to curate SolarSPELL content.

This fall, ASU Libraries hosted its first SolarSPELL Hackathon to support the curation of educational content for schools in Tonga. It was an opportunity for library staff to partner with Hosman and her students to further improve the digital library experience through new content and its improved organization, as well as enhancements to the technology platform. The Hackathon also resulted in discussion of creating lesson plans for teachers to empower students to save and share their cultural and artistic expressions as well as their family heritage.

“It is wonderful to partner with ASU Libraries to help deliver high-quality and specifically curated digital educational resources to teachers and students in areas with severely limited electricity, connectivity and even textbooks,” said Hosman.

McAllister said she is looking forward to engaging with students, educators and librarians in Tonga’s capital city of Nukuʻalofa to help understand their local context and greatest opportunities and challenges.

“This trip will be a valuable lesson in the curation of digital libraries,” McAllister said. “We will be finding out what topics the students of Tonga are interested in discovering and how they see themselves using digital libraries for learning. Dr. Hosman’s work is very exciting in terms of a creative way to expose new audiences to digital library resources and empower people by using libraries as catalysts for learning.”

Hosman, McAllister and the team of ASU students will be traveling Dec. 6-18 with a brief stop in New Zealand at the University of Auckland, where they will take part in a digital storytelling workshop.

The students plan to video-journal their experiences while traveling abroad.

Pita Taufatofua to compete at 2018 Winter Olympics

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s flagbearer at Rio Olympics, Pita Taufatofua said he wanted to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in cross-country skiing.

Taufatofua who stole the show after his glistening body attracted millions of viewers on the internet  in Rio recently did it again in China during the 2016 Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo in October.

He led the Tongan delegation to Guangdong where they represented Tonga promoting tourism.

The 33-year-old taekwondo fighter will attempt to qualify for the sport and become the kingdom’s first ever athlete to compete in it.

The tiny south Pacific island nation’s location near the equator means snow does not exist there but that would not stop Taufatofua who grew up in Australia from pursuing his dream.

“We have coconut trees, they keep us warm. We’ve got the island spirit,” Taufatofua said in a video released on the IOC’s Olympic Channel.

“It’s a different sort of workout. It’s a little bit colder, but we’re from the islands. The Polynesian spirit isn’t going anywhere.”

The next Winter Olympics will be held in the South Korean city of Pyeongchang from 9-25 February 2018.

Tongans in Auckland astir as royal wedding day at hand

By
Kalino Latu
-

A wedding for Princess Pilolevu Tuita’s youngest daughter in Auckland next week has set the Tongan community astir in the past weeks.

Hon. Lupeolo Halaevalu Moheofo Virginia RoseTuita and Hon. Lopeti Aleamotuʻa will tie the knot at Tuingapapai church in Mangere next Saturday, December 17.

Hon Lupeolo, 30, is 15th in line to the Tongan throne.

Hon. Aleamotuʻa is the second son of the late Taulupe Aleamotu’a and Mele Simiki Aleamotu’a.

His late father was the older brother of Lord Fielakepa.

The couple’s family backgrounds mean a huge celebration is expected in the Tongan community in New Zealand.

The custom of fatongia (duties) could bring thousands of kāinga (relatives) from the couple’s parental estates and churches to celebrate the royal event in South Auckland.

The bride and her parents, Princess Pilolevu and Lord Tuita, were expected to arrive here in Auckland tomorrow, a reliable source has told Kaniva News.

Customs associated with traditional wedding have been carried out for the couple in Tonga with the fakalēlea being held last night at Tufumāhina royal residence.

The cultural fatongia of the couples’ kāinga and family began last week at Lord Tuita’s residence Māhina Fekite in Fasi when H.R.H. Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukālala arrived with his fakatū’uta as son of the king, Princess Pilolevu’s young brother.

The Prince’s herald Tākapu told Ula Matatoa, Lord Tuita’s herald that he came with a “fekau koula” (golden message) and tokonaki (honorary food such as yams, pig and a slaughtered and dressed bull) as part of the king’s duty as Lupeolo’s maternal uncle.

Tākapu said the king was represented in the presentation by Prince ʻUlukālala

He said they were coming with a farewell presentation because of the plan for Hon. Lupeolo and his family to leave for Auckland for her wedding.

The Prince was also accompanied by his wife Crown Princess Sinaitakala and their two children Princess Mataʻaho and Prince Tāufaʻāhau.

Herald Ula Matatoa thanked Tākapu for the presentation and said he was extremely happy with it.

Hon. Aleamotu’a’s presentation at the fakalēlea, in which the bridegroom visits and performs entertainment at the bride’s house, traditionally a day before the wedding, was accompanied by Hon. Faka’osifono Valevale, Lord Nuku’s son.

Kaniva News understands there were faiva such as solo and group dances being practised in Auckland for the wedding and women met to prepare koloa such as ngatu and significant mats for the day.

The main points

  • A wedding for Princess Pilolevu Tuita’s youngest daughter in Auckland next week has set the Tongan community astir in the past weeks.
  • Lupeolo Halaevalu Moheofo Virginia RoseTuita and Hon. Lopeti Aleamotuʻa will tie the knot at Tuingapapai church in Mangere next Thursday, December 17.
  • The couple’s family backgrounds mean a huge celebration is expected in the Tongan community in New Zealand.
  • The custom of fatongia (duties) could bring thousands of kāinga (relatives) from the couple’s parental estates and churches to celebrate the royal event in South Auckland.

READ MORE:

Two Tongan royal ‘Fuifuilupe’ wed non-chief fiancés

Lord Luani’s wedding to commoner in Alaska provokes fierce online debate

Lord Fakafanua’s wedding goes ahead with profound dignity

Tongan royals steal the show during wedding celebrations at Shangri-La resort in Fiji

Ports Authority ends year with record growth and $TP2.2 million profit

By
Philip Cass
-

The Ports Authority of Tonga has recorded a profit of $TP2.2 million to the end of the 2015/16 year.

Due to an increase in the volume of cargo moving through the port of Nuku’alofa and the number of ships docking, income grew 13% on the previous year to a record $TP10 million.

Total income for the Ports Authority has grown by 44.9% since 2010 to 2016.

The Authority said this was a sign of its economic efficiency.

The authority’s board of directors met earlier this month to present a cheque for $TP1.6 million to the Hon. Poasi Mataele Tei, Minister for Public Enterprises.

The cheque represented the dividend paid to the government as a shareholder in the port.

Growth in the port sector was marked earlier this year when His Majesty King Tupou VI on April 21 officiated at the ground breaking ceremony of the new domestic wharf in Nuku’alofa.

The USD$30.5 million (TP$67 million) project is being financed through a grant through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

This project is expected to be completed in 2018.

The board of directors was restructured in May, with the appointment of  Mr  Stephen  Edwards  as chairman) and  Dr.  Cpt.  Sione  Tu’itupou  Fotu, Mrs Helen Po’uliva’ati Toli, Mr Tomifa  Paea  and Mr Viliami  Takau Jr as directors.

The main points

  • The Ports Authority of Tonga has recorded a profit of $TP2.2 million to the end of the 2015/16 financial year.
  • Due to an increase in the volume of cargo moving through the port of Nuku’alofa and the number of ships docking, income grew 13%on the previous year.
  • Total income for the Ports Authority has grown by 44.9% since 2010 to 2016.
  • Growth in the port sector was marked earlier this year when His Majesty King Tupou VI on April 21 officiated at the ground breaking ceremony of the new domestic wharf in Nuku’alofa.

 

Kiwis Farewell Fonua Tāufa as his body is flown home to Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

The body of Fonua ʻĀmanu Tāufa one of the four Tongan victims who were killed in Kaipara tragedy has been flown to Tonga last night Monday 5.

Hundreds turned up at the Auckland airport to farewell the 42-year-old.

His family hold nofoʻakimeʻa for his body  at an Otara mortuary since it was released to them and it was concluded on Sunday night with vote of thanks for his kāinga in New Zealand by the ʻulumotuʻa.

Tāufa’s funeral service was expected to be held in Navutoka in Tongatapu at his father’s family cemetery.

His fishing friends who died with him when the boat they hired capsized were buried on Saturday last week.

Cousins Sūnia ʻUngoʻunga and ʻAlipate Manumuʻa were buried at Manukau Memorial Garden  while Tēvita Tangi was buried at a cemetery in Remuera

Meanwhile the body of the man who was still missing after the boating tragedy has been located.

Eight men were killed in the tragedy including the skipper.

Police have confirmed on Monday that a body has been found  at Muriwai Beach.

“A fisherman made the discovery at around 6am”, Inspector Mark Fergus said.

“Whilst formal identification is yet to take place, it is thought to be that of missing fisherman, Mr Taulagi Afamasaga.

“We have visited the Afamasaga family this morning to convey this news.

“Our thoughts are with them at this sad time”.

READ MORE

Four Tongans die in Kaipara habour tragedy

Distressed family see Tangi’s body first time after death, three bodies to be buried tomorrow

Family reunion colours change to black as plans are made to fly Tāufa’s body home to Tonga

Four Tongans killed in boating tragedy named as ‘tala kāinga’ mounted online

Prime Minister John Key announces resignation

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Prime Minister John Key has advised the Governor-General and his Cabinet and caucus colleagues that will he will resign as Prime Minister on December 12.

Mr Key’s expectation is that the National Party caucus will hold a special meeting on December 12 to select a new leader. After that he will travel to Government House to resign as Prime Minister. Mr Key expects that the Governor-General will appoint the new Prime Minister soon after.

“It has been an enormous privilege to be Prime Minister of New Zealand, and these last eight years have been an incredible experience. Throughout these years I have given everything I could to this job that I cherish, and this country that I love.

“Bronagh has made a significant sacrifice during my time in politics, and now is the right time for me to take a step back in my career and spend more time at home.“

Mr Key said that in making his decision to resign he reflected on the upcoming election campaign and the inevitable question as to whether he would serve a further three-year term as Prime Minister if National was successful at the election.

“I do not believe that if I was asked to commit to serving out a full fourth term I could look the public in the eye and say yes.

“And more than anything else in my time here, I have tried to be straight and true with New Zealanders.

“Making the decision to resign has not been easy, and I have no plans as to what comes next in my professional life.

“But for me this feels the right time to go. It leaves the Cabinet and caucus plenty of time to settle in with a new Prime Minister before heading into election year with a proud record of strong economic management.

“I am hugely confident that National can and will win the next election – just as I as am confident that the caucus has a number of people who would make a fine Prime Minister.

“Whoever the caucus votes for will have my unwavering support, but if Bill English puts his name forward then I will vote for him.

“For 10 years now Bill and I have worked closely as a team. I have witnessed first-hand his leadership style, his capacity for work, his grasp of the economy, his commitment to change and most of all his decency as a husband, as a father, a colleague and as a politician.”

Mr Key said that he wanted to thank the Cabinet and Caucus for their loyalty and energy, and his staff for their hard work over these last eight years.

“I want to acknowledge and thank our support partners ACT, United Future and the Maori Party without whom the strong and stable government we have delivered would not have been possible.

“The Board, office holders and members of the National Party have my grateful thanks for everything they have done during my 10 years as their leader.

“I want to thank the people of the Helensville electorate who have returned me to Parliament every three years since 2002. It has been a great privilege to be their MP.”

Mr Key said that he will remain MP for Helensville before stepping down closer to the next election, therefore avoiding the cost of a by-election.

1...731732733...950Page 732 of 950
© Copyright 2026 Kaniva Tonga News & Entertainment