Bill English is now New Zealand’s new Prime Minister after John Key formally resigned this morning.
Paula Bennett became his deputy, it has been announced today.
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A car crashed into a pole after it collided with another car in Vavaʻu.
No injuries reported and the details of the incident were not immediately available.
Early last month a car smashed into a power pole at Tuʻi Road in Neiafu near the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
A photo showed that car also wrapped around the pole.
Vavaʻu Police have been contacted.
Police said the body of the Indonesian man which was found dead in late September at the Fāua water has been recently flown home to Indonesia.
His death has been ruled not suspicious.
He has been identified as Roys Gita, 30, an employee of the Chinese’s fishing boat, Yushun.
As Kaniva News reported previously Tongan Police were investigating the death and were awaiting autopsy results to confirm its cause.
His body was recovered by a Police diver on October 1.
Police said the fisherman was having a party with his co-workers before the incident happened.
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Indonesian man drowns; Tongan Police awaiting autopsy report
The children of an old man from Kolomotuʻa have refused to sign his bail after he appeared in court on charges of sexually abusing a five and a 10-year-old child.
Koniseti ‘Akau’ola who is apparently in his 70s told Magistrate Folau Lokotui on November 21 he could not afford to hire a lawyer to represent him in court.
Lokotui said the offence he committed against the children was extremely bad.
He said ‘Akau’ola should ask his children to hire him a lawyer.
Tonga has no legal aid system for those who were unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system.
The widower said he has four children and they had visited him regularly while he was in jail.
He said none of them wanted to guarantee and bail him out.
‘Akau’ola was remanded in Police custody until his next trial date will be set.
Firefight investigators have ruled out foul play as the cause of a fire at a Chinese store in Tofoa, Tonga.
The blaze on 19 November which destroyed a Chinese convenience store at Vahaʻakolo Road costs owner TP$8,000 local reports said.
Tongan Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Sinamoni Kauvaka told local media investigators believed the fire started at the kitchen which was at the back of the store.
He said a gas cylinder and a stove were also found.
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Tongan boxer Uaine (Junior) Fa won his WBO heavyweight fight in just three rounds on Saturday night.
Fa, who was taller and heavier than his opponent, gave Argentine boxer Pablo Magrini only the second loss in 20 fights.
Fa had a much longer reach than Magrini and Magrini tried to avoid his punches.
Fa, who returned to the ring this year, had a successful career as an amateur, but has been trying to find a promoter to take him on and give his professional career a boost.
The Tongan’s victory came on an evening of major triumph for Pacific Islands sports at Auckland’s Vector arena.
Joseph Parker, a New Zealand boxer of Samoan heritage, became the WBO heavyweight champion of the world on the same night, defeating Mexican opponent Andy Ruiz.
It was his 22nd victory in the ring.
Fa beat Parker in 2012, in a qualifying amateur boxing competition for the London Olympics.
But last night he posted a message of congratulations to Parker on his Facebook page, saying: “Congrats to Parker!! I scored it the same. Well done.”
Although New Zealand born and raised, Fa has represented Tonga internationally, winning a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.
Fa’s father is from Ha’alaufuli in Vava’u while his mother is from Matangiake in Tongatapu.
Parker turned professional in 2012. Fa stayed an amateur and then retired to raise a family before making his comeback as a professional.
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Joseph Parker wins WBO world heavyweight title in tight battle over Andy Ruiz
The Public Service Commission has announced the appointment of three high qualified and experienced women to the positions of Chief Executive Officers in government.
They were Fekita ‘Utoikamanu Tupou, Polouini Fāʻotusia and Sūsana Faletau.
Three Ministries were benefit from these talented women and they are the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice.
The women and their respective ministries are as follows:
Ministry of Tourism – Fekita ‘Utoikamanu Tupou
Polouini Fāʻotusia – Ministry of Finance
Sūsana Faletau – Ministry of Justice.
The king of Tonga named the Tuingapapai church’s new multi-million hall this morning the Lesieli Tonga auditorium.
His Majesty King Tupou VI opened the NZ$7 million building in Favona Rd, Māngere, South Auckland.
The hall was consecrated by the Free Wesleyan Church’s president Rev. Dr ‘Ahio.
The late Lesieli Tonga adopted the late Queen Sālote Tupou III after her mother, Queen Lavinia, died in 1902 when Sālote was two years-old.
His Majesty said his grandfather, the late Prince Tungi Mailefihi, Queen Sālote’s husband, once said the exceptional domestic work Lesieli did should be remembered.
Foreigners who came to Tonga in the early 20th century marvelled because they could see western etiquette and civilisation reflected in Lesieli’s domestic chores, the king said in front of hundreds who gathered at the opening event.
The king said Queen Sālote repeatedly mentioned Lesieli as her first teacher who taught her important lessons including linguistic and behavioural etiquette.
He said the Queen “confirmed” the majority of her success as Queen of Tonga was because of the good things Lesieli had taught her.
Queen Sālote is regarded as one of the most respected and successful Tongan monarchs.
Her work in Tongan music and composition as well as dancing were unique and still popular with today’s scholars and generation.
Michael O’Sullivan from Bull O’Sullivan Architecture in Auckland told His Majesty the auditorium was “seven years in the making”.
He said the duration was normal on big buildings like this, but for the auditorium it was not.
Sullivan said this was because many church buildings in the past were constructed with the help of the church community.
However, today’s construction environment meant everything must be done by contracted companies, which was time consuming and costly, Sullivan said.
The church’s treasurer Rev Filipe Sāmate read out a financial summary of the costs of the building and said the auditorium was 46 metres in length 46 metres in width with a height of 11 metres.
The cost for the building alone was NZ$6, 885, 415.11 with goods and service taxes (GST) making it a total of NZ $7,589,977.98, he said.
Rev Sāmate said the church could claim the GST charges.
The auditorium was designed with eight offices for the church and there is an indoor sporting facility.
It can hold large scale cultural activities and was open to any church or ethnic group at a very cheap price, he said.
The church had paid off all goods purchased on credit, including services offered by outside providers.
The President of the church, Rev. Dr ‘Ahio, consecrated the auditorium and thanked the congregation for setting a special ‘afio’anga (seat) at the auditorium for the king.
The programme began with a prayer service followed by a taumafa (lunch) and entertainments before the king left.
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READ MORE:
Research reveals Queen Sālote’s “great sorrow” about loss of tradition in modern Tonga
A Tongan fruit picker who terrified passengers and used foul language on a plane while he was drunk had been arrested and charged in Tonga.
Police were waiting for him at the Fu’amotu International Airport on Wednesday evening.
The 22-year old man from Maʻufanga was flying from Auckland, New Zealand, on Virgin Blue flight number 167 when he became intimidating and aggressive.
Reports said the man apparently was drunk before he boarded the plane and obviously, he drank his duty free purchased alcohol during the flight, something the airline said was prohibited.
He was among Tongan fruit pickers who were returning home from Australia through New Zealand.
He was arrested on landing and told he had shown a reckless disregard for safety on the busy flight.
Tonga Broadcasting Commission report said the man was charged with using indecent and threatening languages.
He was expected to appear in court next week.
Tongan student Semi Hausia will return to the kingdom in February, determined to use what he has learned in an internship with Auckland Council to improve his country’s economy.
Hausia, who has been studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Massey University, is completing a 10 week summer placement with Auckland Council’s Environmental Monitoring, Research and Evaluation (RIMU) division.
He is one of 15 students to win a placement as part of the New Zealand Scholarships Undergraduate Student Summer Internship.
The 32 year-old student said he planned to use what he is learning at Auckland Council to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and to improving Tonga’s economy and pasture production.
“One of my personal goals is to have my own broiler chicken farm but instead of importing broiler strains, I wish to use our local strain,” he said.
He said it was important to find out about what information the council provided to farmers to ensure they were operating profitably and sustainably.
He wants to understand how the council implements and controls its strategies.
Hausia is one of three students interning with the council.
The internship began on November 21 and ends in February.
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