A senior Tongan police officer has been suspended today November 24 after causing a traffic accident in Nuku’alofa while driving a Police car.
Commissioner Steve Caldwell has confirmed this and said: “I have directed a criminal investigation into all circumstances surrounding this incident.”
The Senior Police officer was involved in a traffic crash in central Nuku’alofa, “on the early hour of Saturday 19 November 2016 at the entrance to the Queen Salote Wharf”.
“I have set standards, and expect them to be met, from all ranks within the Tonga Police”, the commissioner said.
Police said no other vehicles were involved and the car is believed to have collided with a fence.
The investigation is expected to take several weeks, Caldwell said.
Young Prince Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo was all smiles as he took the wheel of a solar powered vehicle in Nukuʻalofa last week.
But while the little Prince looked as if he wanted to drive off, the keys for the vehicle were kept away from him.
The solar powered tuk tuk’s owner, Dr Luka Mueller, appeared excited to see the Prince sitting on the steering wheel.
Prince Taufaʻāhau, who turned three in May this year, will become king of Tonga one day.
The Prince was with his mother, Crown Princess Sinaitakala, who was the guest of honour at a ceremony launching a dozen locally assembled tuk tuks last week.
As Kaniva News reported recently, the Solar Island Technology and Kirchner Solar Group have begun a project to reduce the kingdom’s reliance on imported fuel.
The German Government agreed to fund half of the project.
Prince Taufaʻāhau and his mother were seen traveling in one of the tuk tuks as part of a cruise through Nukuʻalofa last Saturday to launch the solar powered tricycle before they are released to the public.
The solar powered vehicles are being sold for TP$15,000 each.
Tuk tuks are widely known under different names throughout Asia, including Bangladesh, China and Indonesia.
The 400kg three-wheeled vehicle has a battery and can travel as fast as 40km an hour for as long as four hour when the battery was full.
The vehicles can be bought in three types. One has an insulated box for carrying frozen food, one for carrying passengers and one for carrying goods.
The main points
Young Prince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo was all smiles as he took the wheel of a solar powered vehicle in Nukuʻalofa last week.
The Prince was with his mother, Crown Princess Sinaitakala, who was the guest of honour at a ceremony launching a dozen locally assembled tuk tuks last week.
The solar powered vehicles are being sold for TP$15,000.
There are three versions: One for carrying frozen food, one for carrying passengers and one for carrying goods.
ROME, 23 NOVEMBER 2016 (AAP) —Italy coach Conor O’Shea has made only one change to the team that stunned South Africa for Saturday’s Test match against Tonga.
Quintin Geldenhuys replaces the injured Andries Van Schalkwyk at lock for the game at Padua’s Stadio Euganeo.
The Azzurri are coming off a 20-18 win over the Springboks that captain Sergio Parisse called the greatest result in the history of Italian rugby.
“There are a lot of expectations surrounding us but we’re only focusing on winning and above all on our discipline and solid play. … The match with South Africa is finished. Now we’re looking ahead,” O’Shea said.
Italy opened the Test season with a 68-10 thrashing from New Zealand.
Tonga, who beat the United States 20-17 in San Sebastian, Spain, last weekend, is ranked 15th, two spots below Italy.
AUCKLAND, 21 NOVEMBER 2016 (SAMOA OBSERVER) —As the “tourism partner” of the Lupesoliai Laauliolemalietoa Joseph Parker v Andy Ruiz Jr World Heavyweight title fight, the government and the people of Samoa are fully behind their man.
The assurance was made by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi in Auckland where he fronted a press conference with Segiali’i David Higgins of Duco to announce the Invest Samoa initiative.
Tuilaepa also told reporters he has personally invited Samoa wrestling and Hollywood superstar, Seiuli Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to attend the December 10 WBO title fight, as his personal special guest.
“He hasn’t responded to acknowledge he accepts the invitation,” he told the Samoa Observer.
“But he is always willing and able to support Samoa when he is able to.
“He is one of our sons and always acknowledges his commitment to Samoa.
“Joseph [Parker] needs all the support he can get to have a good fight so I see the opportunity there to have The Rock here.”
The government’s partnership with Duco will have benefits for “all involved,” said Tuilaepa.
For instance, Samoa will receive significant promotional tourism exposure in the live international broadcast to a probable viewership in the hundreds of millions.
“We are proud to be able to support our son Lupesoliai La’auli Joseph Parker in his quest to become the first Samoan world heavyweight champion,” Tuilaepa said.
“[We] believe he possesses the qualities required to succeed – strength of body, mind and soul.
“In addition to this, [the] event will be a great opportunity for Samoa to promote our beautiful country to what will be a massive international audience, demonstrating that Samoa is a great place to visit and do business.”
Duco Events director Segialii said he is extremely happy to continue the strong relationship between his company and the Samoan government that had been forged over the past 24 months.
“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the people of Samoa and the Honourable Prime Minister,” he said.
“I am sure the nation of Samoa will be happy with the return on investment this partnership will deliver over the coming years, putting Samoa on the map as one of the premier emerging markets for international businesses, as well as one of the best holiday destinations in the South Pacific.”
Earlier this year, the government supported Duco’s “Rumble in Paradise” in Apia, involving Parker.
Among the benefits of the partnership Invest Samoa will have branding rights to two corners of the ring canvas, receive the rights to display Samoan promotional footage on the big screens at the event as well as branding rights to two toblerones situated on the ring canvas – among other things.
Further, Invest Samoa will receive brand integration into media coverage and press conferences.
The Samoan government will also receive an allocation of corporate hospitality and general admission tickets to the event, for corporate networking and promotional purposes.
Part of the partnership package is that Tuilaepa will introduce the main event on fight night on the live international broadcast.
Tuilaepa said the partnership with Duco was a worthwhile project and that Samoa will reap the benefits.
Asked about Lupesoliai’s chances of being crowned world heavyweight champion, Tuilaepa fancied his chances.
He said Parker is the third son of Samoa to attempt the world heavyweight title, after David Tua and Alex Leapai.
“Parker has an advantage of being much taller than David and also has a longer reach.”
Tuilaepa has also extended an invitation to Pene Pati of Sol3 Mio to sing a rendition of the Samoan national anthem before the main fight.
Scroll down to watch videos in Tongan
A Tongan woman who claims she is the true Prophet of God and His new messenger has gained growing band of followers.
Esita Smith, who lives in Australia, began her religious mission about a year ago, but has been widely mocked on social media.
She told Kaniva News she was sick of being attacked by people who called themselves Christians.
Smith has gathered a strong following among people she calls her apostles.
These apostles imitate her video preaching style when they preach and claim God has made a change in their souls through the Prophet.
In a video she released on Facebook on November 10, Smith said she had received a new command from God to reveal to her followers.
“I am the new Word of God and the new Old Testament version,” she announced online in Tongan.
She said people believed in the Old Testament and the work of prophets like her, but had never seen them first hand.
“That is the difference between me and those prophets because you are seeing me and what I am preaching to you,” she said on the video.
The Tongan Australia resident has faced strong criticisms from a Tongan church minister in Australia and some Tongan Christian followers on social media.
Rev. Semisi Kava of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Australia lashed out at Smith and labelled her as
Rev. Sēmisi Kava
“manufekai” (beast) “fie-Kalaisi” (Anti-Christ) and “vale” (ignorant).
When asked about the motives behind his reaction against Smith, Rev. Kava said it was because she departed from the teaching of the Bible and claimed she was Christ.
Rev. Kava claimed he discovered through his Facebook messenger that some Free Wesleyan Church members have left the church and followed Smith.
He did not give the exact number of those people.
However, he claimed they included a church steward couple who had separated from their children after they chose to follow.
Rev. Kava said the couple had left Christ and moved into fire.
In an emotional statement he called on all Christians to stand together for the real Jesus the Christ.
Response
Smith told Kaniva News she was fed up with people who regarded themselves as Christians and at the same time they showed hatred against her and swore at her and her followers.
She said she ignored them because what she did was what God had told her to do.
“Remember our people, they do not want others to have anything better,” she said.
“I told you they could not defeat me”, Smith said.
Some of the Tongan community said they found Smith’s preaching and behaviour unusual.
She did not wear pastoral or formal attire, but instead dressed casually.
In one of her videos she wore a singlet and while preaching she referred to her golden necklace and ring.
She said she told her followers to make sure they appeared clean and beautiful whenever they preached online.
The language she used was very informal and she did not appear to have based her preaching on a religious book or referred to church teachings.
She did not preach using references to the Bible but on one video she strongly criticised church leaders for collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from their poor church members.
She told church leaders God wanted them to stop it immediately.
The following videos were recorded by some of Smith’s apostles
The apostles openly declared how they believed in Smith’s preaching and teachings. Some of their videos viewed more than 20,000 times and shared more than 200 times on Facebook.
The main points
A Tongan woman who claims she is the true Prophet of God and His new messenger has gained growing band of followers.
Esita Smith, who lives in Australia, began her religious mission about a year ago, but has been widely mocked on social media.
She told Kaniva News she was sick of being attacked by people who called themselves Christians.
Smith has been criticised by Rev. Semisi Kava of the Methodist Church in Australia, who has labelled her as the “anti-Christ” (fie Kalaisi).
The Mo’ui Fo’ou ‘ia Kalaisi Fellowship (Mo’ui Fo’ou) has been ordered to hand back property to the Tokaikolo church from which it broke away in 2013.
The president of the Land Court, Mr Justice Paulsen, ordered the Mo’ui Fo’ou to hand back property in Ha’ateiho in July 2013.
“I have rejected all the defences of Mo’ui Fo’ou,” the judge said.
He ordered that Mo’ui Fo’ou, its agents, employees and servants leave the property within 30 days.
However, he also said that Tokaikolo should have tried to reclaim the property earlier.
At the time of the split, Tokaikolo members who would not join Mo’ui Fo’ou were told to leave.
The court president said Mo’ui Fo’ou knowingly and unlawfully took the Ha’ateiho property from Tokaikolo. It never had any right to the property.
Work on the original Ha’ateiho property began in 2000 with work on building the church and residence. They were ready for dedication by December 2003.
A school building, school toilets, showers, play ground and fence were built between 2004 and 2007. The school building opened in 2008. The church hall was built between 2008 and 2010.
The court president said Mo’ui Fo’ou knowingly and unlawfully took the Ha’ateiho property from Tokaikolo. It never had any right to the property.
Mo’ui Fo’ou did some work on the property and continued even when it was aware that Tokaikolo wanted to reclaim the land.
In his judgement, Mr Justice Pauslen said that Tokaikolo was entitled to possession of the Ha’ateiho property and was the lawful owner of the buildings and improvements on the property.
He ordered costs against Mo’ui Fo’ou ‘ia Kalaisi Fellowship.
He ordered the Minister of Lands to register the lease of the Ha’ateiho property to Tokaikolo.
The main points
The Mo’ui Fo’ou ‘ia Kalaisi Fellowship (Mo’ui Fo’ou) has been ordered to hand back property to the Tokaikolo church from which it broke away in 2013.
The president of the Land Court, Mr Justice Paulsen, ordered the Mo’ui Fo’ou to hand back property in Ha’ateiho in July 2013.
He also ordered that Mo’ui Fo’ou, its agents, employees and servants leave the property within 30 days.
The property included a church, hall, residential and school buildings.
