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Air NZ plane lands in Sydney after bomb threat – reports

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

An Air New Zealand flight has landed at Sydney Airport following reports of a bomb threat on board.

A screeshot from Seven News

9 News said flight NZ247 arrived from Wellington about 5.40pm local time (7.40pm NZT), with a tactical operations unit, paramedics and firefighters all called to the scene.

The plane had 154 staff and passengers on board, the channel reported.

Multiple Australian news outlets said the huge emergency services response was due to a bomb scare on board the plane.

Journalist Brian Wilson said the plane stopped on a utility taxiway, away from the airport terminals, and remained there for more than an hour.

It then taxied to the international terminal, where it was met by Federal Police.

Air New Zealand was “aware of a security incident” on board the flight, the airline’s chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said in a statement.

“We are working with the local authorities and following standard protocols established for such incidents.”

7News said no-one had been seen coming in or out of the A320 plane since it landed.

Up to 40 emergency services vehicles were at the scene, including bomb squad cars and armed police, the outlet said.

It appeared planes at the airport briefly entered a holding pattern while the aircraft landed, 7News said.

9News reported about 9.15pm that emergency services were starting to be stood down.

The incident comes just one day after King Charles III and Queen Camilla touched down at Sydney Airport for a tour of Australia.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said the force had “responded to an incident on board an aircraft that was en route to the airport”.

Investigations were ongoing, they said.

“There is no threat to the community.”

New South Wales Police said the federal police was the lead agency for the incident, but “considerable NSW Police resources” responded to the airport.

“Most have now been stood down,” a spokesperson said about 10pm NZT.

Sydney Airport has been contacted for comment.

Arrest in human trafficking sting in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
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Law enforcement officials in Tonga said they have arrested a person and recovered a victim during a human trafficking bust last week.

The report comes after the US State Department raised concerns about the lack of a prevention plan in Tonga to combat all forms of trafficking and support and protect victims.

The following year, Tonga launched its first action plan to combat human trafficking.

The victim is being assisted to return to their home country while the accused trafficker was remanded to be held in police custody.

Reports have revealed that Tonga’s Technical Working Group (TWG) for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) has uncovered a human trafficking case, resulting in the arrest of the accused.

Tonga police had been involved.

The TWG, with support from USAID Pacific RISE-CTIP, coordinated efforts to assist the victim, offering meals, temporary shelter, transportation, counselling, and ensuring the victim’s safe return to their home country.

As Kaniva News reported in 2022, Tonga has not done enough to combat people trafficking and would remain on an American watch list, according to the US State Department’s annual report.

Since convicting its first trafficker in April 2011, the government has not prosecuted or convicted any traffickers, the State Department said.

Sex workers

Tongans working overseas were vulnerable to labour exploitation. However, it also said that Asian workers in Tonga were vulnerable to labour exploitation and being forced to become sex workers.

East Asian women, especially those from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), who were recruited from their home countries for legitimate work in Tonga were vulnerable to sex trafficking

They often paid excessive recruitment fees and sometimes ended up as sex workers in clandestine establishments operating as legitimate businesses.

Reports indicated that Fijians working in the domestic service industry in Tonga experienced mistreatment typical of labour trafficking.

Tongans working overseas, including in Australia and New Zealand, were vulnerable to labour trafficking, including through withholding of wages and excessive work hours.

Police investigate drowning after pulling toddler from a Tongatapu flooded pit

By
Kaniva Staff
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 UPDATED: A toddler is dead after drowning in a flooded pit at Popua on Sunday, police said.

Vaiola Hospital Ambulance. Photo/Kalino Lātū

The Police responded to a report received on Sunday, October 13, 2024 at approximately 1.45pm.

“The preliminary investigations indicated that the incident involved a little boy, aged 1 year and 8 months old, who was playing with his siblings near an unfinished ground hole filled with rainwater”, a police statement said.

“When his older brother noticed he was nowhere to be seen, they began searching for him.

“It was explained that about half an hour later, he found his brother’s body floating in the water hole just behind their home.

“Efforts were made to pull him out and call for help, but it was too late.

It said emergency services and an ambulance arrived at the scene around 2.15PM.

“The medical personnel confirmed the little boy’s death and was transported to Vaiola Hospital.

The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic suspected drowning incident.

“Tonga Police would like to remind and advise the community to be safe in their surroundings. It is important for parents and guardians to stay alert and ensure the safety of your children during bad weather. It is also advised to say away from flooded streets and encourage your children to stay indoor during a heavy rain”.

Three people taken to hospital after gas leak at Auckland early childhood centre

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Three people have been taken to hospital after a gas leak at an early childhood centre on Auckland’s North Shore.

Caterpillars to Butterflies Early Learning on Auckland's North Shore.

Caterpillars to Butterflies Early Learning on Auckland’s North Shore. Photo: Maia Ingoe / RNZ

Emergency services were called to the Caterpillars to Butterflies centre in Hillcrest just before noon.

One person in a moderate condition and two patients in a serious condition were then transported to North Shore Hospital by ambulance.

A teacher at the daycare says no children were injured and the centre remains open.

Hato Hone St John sent two rapid response units, four ambulances, and one operations manager to the scene.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said two fire trucks and one hazmat command vehicle were also sent to assist.

A Ministry of Education incident team was at the centre about noon.

Police say enquiries are under way into the exact circumstances.

Another crash within 24 hours near spot where airport worker was killed in Tongatapu collision

By
Kaniva Staff
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A car has crashed on the same stretch of main road a double cab ute collided with a tree and killed a man yesterday Saturday 12.

Three different car crashes today, Sunday 13, all caused power outages

Tongan correspondent Faka’osi Maama shared a livestream video of the incident on his Facebook account.

As Kaniva News reported yesterday, Penisimani Tu’ungafasi, an employee at Fua’amotu airport, died after the ute he was in crashed on the roadside of Taufa’āhau Rd in Pelehake.

The Pelehake crash this afternoon was the third of three vehicle crashes that occurred within hours today. All three hit power poles, causing various outages on Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu.

The crashes have kept Tonga Power electricians busy since this morning.

The company said that about three separate crashes into power poles had occurred in Kolomotu’a, Longoteme, and Malapo.

No injuries were reported in the three Sunday crashes.

In its alert following the first accident, the company said a vehicle hit a power pole in Longoteme.

“Please be advised that there is currently a temporary power outage affecting your areas due to a vehicle hitting one of our power poles in Longoteme”, it said.

“Our technical team is currently addressing the situation, and we anticipate restoring power within the next two hours.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to resolve the issue.

Thank you for your patience and understanding”.

In its second alert, it said a vehicle crashed into a power pole at Kolomotu’a.

It said: “Please be advised to customers in the areas of kolomotua including areas of sopu and isileli due to an accident to one of our power poles at sopu area we will turn off power to your areas to allow for repair and maintenance to the broken power pole. The emergency power outage is planned for 1:30pm to 5pm today”.

The third accident in Pelehake caused an outage starting from Malapo to Fua’amotu.

“Please be informed that power supply to your areas will be temporarily interrupted today, Sunday, 13th October 2024, at approximately 8:00 p.m. This outage is necessary to allow our linesmen to replace a damaged power pole caused by an accident in Pelehake.

“Once the repairs are complete, power will be restored without further notice.

“We once again apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding”.

Pelehake fatal crash: Heartbreaking moment as wife struggles to see her husband lying dead in hospital

By
Kaniva Staff
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The wife of the man who tragically lost his life in a car crash yesterday had to face an incredibly heartbreaking moment when she struggled to meet her husband’s lifeless body in a hospital bed.

The wife of Tu’ungafasi struggles to accept that her husband is dead, as she is being led to see his lifeless body. Photo/Screenshot

As Kaniva News reported on Saturday, Penisimani Tu‘ungafasi died after a double cab ute crashed into what appeared to be a tree at a roadside of Taufa‘āhau Rd in Pelehake.

He apparently died at the scene before his body was rushed to the hospital.

Speeding and weather conditions were believed to be contributing factors in the crash.

Two persons injured in the crash were still in hospital with reportedly critical injuries.

A live-streamed video seen by Kaniva News this afternoon purportedly shows what appeared to be a male relative leading a woman to a hospital bed where a deceased person was lying.

The visibly devastated woman clung to the man’s body as she appeared to be struggling not to accept the fact that it was her husband lying dead in the bed.

With the man’s help, the tearful woman was finally able to see her husband.

Commenters on the video said the woman was Tu’ungafasi’s wife.

“Oh my, I am crying with her as I had experienced the same situation”, a commenter wrote.

Penisimani Tu’ungafasi (inset)

“Poor woman she struggled to face it I can wear her shoes and it is of course so difficult and indeed heartbreaking”, another commenter wrote.

“Let us extend our love and support to the widow and her children during this challenging time. May they find solace and contentment through the grace of God.”

Power cuts in Tongatapu after two car crashes

By
Kaniva Staff
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Some residents in the Tongatapu’s  Kolomotu’a and Kauvai districts are without power after vehicle crashes.

Tonga Power said the two separate outages were caused by vehicles hitting power poles or other electrical equipment in the areas.

A photo of a brown car, posted on the Tonga Power Facebook account, purportedly shows that it crashed into a power pole at Kolomotu’a, causing a power cut.

A photo of two men, apparently electricians, standing by a power pole was accompanied by the authority’s announcement of the Kauvai’s Longoteme outage.

“Please be advised to customers in the areas of Kolomotua including areas of Sopu and ‘Isileli due to an accident to one of our power poles at Sopu area we will turn off power to your areas to allow for repair and maintenance to the broken power pole.

The emergency power outage is planned for 1.30pm to 5pm today”.

In its Kauvai alert, the company said the outage started from Vaini after a vehicle hit a power pole in Longoteme.

“Please be advised that there is currently a temporary power outage affecting your areas due to a vehicle hitting one of our power poles in Longoteme.

“Our technical team is currently addressing the situation, and we anticipate restoring power within the next two hours.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to resolve the issue”.

One person dead after single-vehicle Tongatapu crash

By
Kaniva Staff
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A victim of a fatal crash on Tongatapu’s Taufa’āhau Rd was a young man who worked at the Fua’amotu Airport, Kaniva News was reliably told.

Two more people are in hospital with reportedly critical injuries.

The deceased was Penisimani Tu’ungafasi, a source at the airport told Kaniva News.

Speed is suspected to be a factor in the crash.

Footage shared on Facebook shows what appeared to be the deceased lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by her devastated family and relatives.

As we reported this afternoon, the serious crash involving a dual cab ute had closed a section of Hahake’s Taufa’āhau Rd as heavy rain and flooding hit Tonga.

Emergency services were called to the road at Pelehake, where the collision occurred.

Penisimani Tu’ungafasi (inset).

It comes after the death of an off-duty police officer on Wednesday 2.

Police reportedly said that alcohol was a factor in that fatal crash.

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‘The practice is intergenerational’: Celebrating Tongan ngatu at Studio Carolina Izzo

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Coco Lance of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Located on Scarborough Terrace in Parnell, Auckland, Studio Carolina Izzo is a hub of art preservation, focusing on the conservation of cultural heritage.

Led by head conservator Carolina Izzo, the studio is dedicated to maintaining taonga – cultural treasures.

During Auckland’s Heritage Festival, which runs until 13 October, the studio hosted a discussion with Tongan artist Ebonie Fifita, on the intersections of Pacific art practices and conservation.

Fifita focused on the importance of ngatu, or tapa cloth, a cornerstone of Tongan tradition.

Ngatu is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree (hiapo), which is stripped from the stem and beaten with a mallet to create the fabric. October 2024

Ngatu is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree (hiapo), which is stripped from the stem and beaten with a mallet to create the fabric. October 2024 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Coco Lance

The craft of Ngatu

Fifita explains that creating ngatu involves multiple layers.

Ngatu is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree (hiapo), which is stripped from the stem and beaten with a mallet to create the fabric.

The beating is what allows the pieces to be spread into thin sheets, known as feta’aki.

Koka’anga is the process by which the pieces are pasted together.

“Each piece works by two rows at a time – langanga – a measuring unit for counting progress,” Fifita explains.

She says that earlier practices used visual symbols for counting, while many techniques today rely on numbers.

Different forms of ngatu are gifted during important life events, including births, birthdays, weddings and funerals, she adds.

“The practice is intergenerational and communal.”

The craft is a feminine activity, where women come together to soak, beat and flatten the bark of the hiapo.

Fifita explains that the creation of ngatu fulfils familial and communal obligations, serving both everyday needs and ceremonial purposes.

“In past generations, it met every day needs, from clothing to bandages. Today, it is often used for ceremonies and celebrations, but its roots lie in daily practice.

“We make ngatu on sunny days, while weaving continues on rainy days. This rhythm supports our homes, much like doing laundry or dishes.”

Each ngatu is rich in meaning, with patterns reflecting historical and contemporary narratives: “Some of the species have seen over one hundred hands contributing to their adornment,” Fifita says.

“Some pieces have seen over one hundred hands contributing to their adornment.”

Led by head conservator Carolina Izzo, 2nd right, the studio is dedicated to maintaining taonga - cultural treasures.

Led by head conservator Carolina Izzo, 2nd right, the studio is dedicated to maintaining taonga – cultural treasures. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Coco Lance

The role of community

The communal aspect of ngatu preservation is vital, Izzo highlights.

Fifita and her collaborators aim to ensure this practice continues across generations.

Alisi Tatafu, who works alongside Fifita, has brought the practice into schools.

“To make this…it supports women, it helps them to be economically stable and sustainable in Tonga,” Tatafu says.

The significance of ngatu extends beyond fabric; it embodies cultural heritage and family histories.

One piece showcased by Fifita illustrates Ha’amonga ‘a Maui, a stone structure in Tonga, crafted from coral rock transported by canoe.

The accompanying kapesi depicts two birds, symbolising that birds signify land and fish, and that you do not take important journeys alone.

Meaning, culture, and tradition are all interwoven into these beautiful cloths, reflecting a vision of intergenerational longevity.

Money transfer app hit by major hack that exposed customer social security numbers and bank accounts

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Matthew Phelan Senior Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Money transfer service MoneyGram suffered a major hack that exposed its customers’ personal and financial information to cybercriminals.

While the three-day-long breach began on September 20, 2024, the firm has not provided an estimate for the number of victims impacted, nearly three weeks later.

MoneyGram does boast of having more than 150 million customers, however, via its over 430,000 locations which span 200 countries and territories.The video player is currently playing an ad.

The hack exposed basic information like customer names, their dates of birth and contact information, including phone numbers, emails and postal addresses.

But the cyberattack also gave the unknown hacker, or hackers, access to much more sensitive, government-issued identification documents: scanned driver’s licenses, national identification numbers and US Social Security numbers.

Payments processors, private data brokers and major names in tech have all reported massive data breaches this year — including a historic leak of US social security numbers and a hack that pulled data on 1.7 million consumer credit cards.  

MoneyGram alerted consumers to its latest findings on the case Monday.

‘On September 27, 2024, MoneyGram determined that, in connection with this issue, an unauthorized third party accessed and acquired personal information of certain consumers,’ the company said in a statement to the press.

The payments transfer company affirmed that it was working with ‘leading external cybersecurity experts’ and coordinating with law enforcement.

The firm also assured its customer base that only ‘a limited number of Social Security numbers’ had been obtained.

But as a legacy player in the payments space — whose services include traditional wire transfers and money orders, as well as app-based processing and cryptocurrency exchanges — MoneyGram holds vast amounts of private data. 

‘The types of impacted information varied by affected consumer,’ the company noted in its update Monday.

‘For a limited number of consumers,’ MoneyGram stated, personal information on any existing ‘criminal investigation information (such as fraud)’ might have been accessed by the hackers.

The firm did not elaborate on how many of these investigative files were closed or still active, nor how many ended with the customer being found innocent.

Copies of the utility bills used to confirm customers’ identities, their bank account numbers, their MoneyGram Plus Rewards numbers, and even data on individual transactions (such as dates and cash transfer amounts) were also exposed during the hack, the firm reported.

‘MoneyGram’s investigation is in its early stages,’ the company said, vowing that it was ‘working diligently to determine which consumers were affected by this issue.’

The hack was reportedly an example of ‘social engineering,’ in which one of the perpetrators impersonated an employee seeking tech support from MoneyGram’s IT help desk, according to sources who spoke to the site BleepingComputer.

The hack was reportedly an example of ‘social engineering,’ in which one of the perpetrators impersonated an employee seeking help from MoneyGram’s IT help desk, one tech site said

While MoneyGram has yet to confirm or share further details on the incident, it did note that the episode was not a ransomware attack, in which data is frozen via encryption and withheld for payment. 

The company, however, is still working to assess the full extent of the private data ‘accessed and acquired’ by the hackers and has ‘set up a dedicated call center’ to solicit further information from impacted customers.

MoneyGram said it will be offering any of its affected customers two years of free credit monitoring and identity protection services.

CrowdStrike, whose faulty update shut down airlines and other businesses worldwide earlier this year, has reportedly been assisting MoneyGram in its investigating of the hack.

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