Northland may cop squally showers, thunderstorms and potentially “damaging” wind gusts and tornadoes of more than 110kmh on Friday evening, as an active front is forecast to hit the region.
MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the region from 8pm to midnight.
It is warning that wind gusts of this strength can cause some structural damage, including to trees and power lines, and may make driving hazardous, the weather forecaster says.
Meanwhile, there’s a risk that thunderstorms, tornadoes, heavy showers and hail could also hit Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) today, with speed being reduced on the Auckland Harbour Bridge amid an amber alert for high winds during peak-hour traffic.
“It’s quite showery and windy across Auckland, and this evening the thunderstorms could possibly be severe. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on updates,” MetService meteorologist Kathryn Hodge said.
A strong wind watch has also been issued for Northland between 8pm and midnight.
At about 6pm, both Auckland and Northland have a risk of “small tornadoes” as an unsettled southwesterly flow moves through the area.
In Northland, if any tornadoes occur, they will only affect “very localised” areas, MetService said.
“Strong winds and showering weather is going to be here for a few days to come,” Hodge said.
Looking ahead to the weekend, a strong wind watch has been issued for Hawke’s Bay, south of Hastings, and the Tararua District for nine hours, from 8pm on Saturday to 5am on Sunday.
MetService meteorologist Andrew James said we’re also in for a cold start to the weekend, with temperatures forecast in the single digits right across the country for 5am Saturday, and into the negatives in the south.
“Make sure you’ll be wrapping up,” he said.
The cold weather could also bring with it a “top up” of snow for Ruapehu and Mt Taranaki about 900m.
Weather impacts on the roads
An amber alert has been issued for Auckland Harbour Bridge, where speeds are reduced and some lanes on the bridge may close.
Waka Kotahi said high-sided vehicle drivers and motorcyclists should use the western ring route on State Highways 16 and 18.
Another amber alert is likely on Saturday morning, with a low risk of brief periods of a red alert.
From Sunday morning, gusts of 75 to 80kmh are still likely, especially with passing showers, Waka Kotahi said.
Heavy snow watches are also in place for Fiordland, from 9am Saturday to 1am Monday, and in parts of Otago, Southland and Stewart Island, from 2pm Saturday to 5am Monday.
Snow is expected to fall down to 100m at times.
Further north, SH1 Dome Valley remains closed for the fourth morning in a row, following a major slip where 30 truckloads of rocks and debris scattered onto the road.
At 7.20am Waka Kotahi said the SH1, between Wellsford and Warkworth, will remain closed on Friday “until further notice”.
Drivers should take alternative routes through SH16, Waka Kotahi said.
The Parliament has denied claims that MP Johnny Taione swore in the House.
As Kaniva News reported last night, Taione’s alleged swearing was picked up on a microphone and broadcast.
MP Piveni Piukala (L), MP Johnny Taione. Photo/Johnny Taione (Facebook)
Kaniva News has listened to the audio on Kele’a Voice livestream of the Parliamentary session and this is what it could tell.
At one stage during the uproar Piukala asked: “Ko e hā ‘a e ‘uhinga ke ta’ofi ai au Sea?”. This translates into English as “Why are you stopping me Mr Chairman?”.
It followed with what appeared to be the Chairman warning Piukala by saying “Me’a ki lalo” which translates into English as “Sit down”.
Another person then be heard as what appeared to be Taione swearing and said:
“Ful_’i ki lalo”.
We have decided to publish that part of the audio here for our readers’ information:
This morning Parliament said Taione has submitted a complaint to the House saying the accusation on social media was false and misleading and he did not swear.
The press release from the House also said the staff had reviewed the tape and they did not hear any swearing from Taione.
The Speaker also said he ordered the tape to be replayed to the House and there was no swearing on it.
However, many of the Tongan online community including Radio Television Tonga International (RTTI) shared a copy of that part of the audio which the alleged swearing could be heard on Facebook.
As of this evening many commenters on Facebook still believe that what they heard was swearing.
The Parliamentary press release said some other MPs in the House, including Mateni Tapueluelu from the people MPs’ bench, as well as Lord Tu’iha’angana had witnessed they did not hear Taione swearing.
Kaniva News reviewed the tape again after the press release and can confirm what we heard on the tape appears to be Taione swearing.
What the press release failed to clarify was a detail written record of the alleged swearing that Kaniva News and other media have listened to and mentioned.
If that was provided it would be an easy way to solve the puzzle of what Parliament officially says it heard and what others say they heard.
The alleged swearing came after Piukala and the Chairman of the Whole House Committee became involved in a heated debate after Piukala claimed the government’s annual budget was falsified.
The Prime Minister and the Chairman, Lord Tu’ilakepa, asked Piukala to tell them which specific pages in the budget were falsified. Piukala asked the Chairman to allow the Tongatapu 5 MP to provide an answer before him.
The Chairman refused and told Piukala if he would not take the floor and clarify his claims about the budget he would not give him an opportunity to speak again.
The exchanges escalated into shouting amid warnings from the Chairman that he would suspend Piukala.
Taione interrupted and told the Chairman to stop Piukala.
Taione and Piukala then began trading verbal punches before Taione allegedly swore at Piukala. This was carried live on Parliament’s online streaming service.
The chairman finally announced he had suspended Piukala for a day for “inappropriate behaviour”.
The public has been quick to condemn Taione’s behavior on Facebook, calling it disrespectful and unbecoming of an MP.
Many believe the Chairman should have suspended Taione instead of Piukala. They have also called on the Speaker to take action against Taione, with some even calling for his suspension from Parliament.
Critics said the Chairman Lord Tu’ilakepa should have been fair to both Piukala and Taione.
Taione’s insult drew a backlash from many who said they were shocked and disgusted by his demeanour.
“That’s unbelievable. It is better to argue and dispute issues as much as you can, but you can’t swear in the House,” a commentater on Facebook said.
“If our MPs didn’t have good manners, that’s too bad,” wrote another.
Others asked why the Speaker was slow to do something about Taione.
Covid-19 has not gone away and testing and treatment are still vital to protecting New Zealand from the pandemic.
However, the government has now found itself sitting on millions of expired tests. They were bought in 2022 with a different environment and different version of the disease, but have not been used.
New Zealand Health is sitting on nearly two million expired rapid antigen tests and another 16 million that are nearly at their expiry date.
The Rats tests were bought to provide people the opportunity to test themselves, but changes in the nature of the epidemic and responses meant they were not used.
The unused tests are worth about $160 million.
Health New Zealand is trying to work out what to do with the tests.
A Health spokesperson said large quantities of Rats were first purchased in late 2021 and early 2022 during the Delta outbreak and in preparation for the new strain that became Omicron.
Rats tests were then in short supply and it was expected they would become central to testing at home and work.
There was a lot of pressure to re-open its borders allow New Zealand to remove restrictions.
The spokesperson said Te Whatu Ora was “actively scanning the market” for ways to promote “re-purposing, alternative uses or recycling” of the tests.
“When the Rats were purchased, there was a global shortage and no crystal ball to know how much we would need – and it was important that we were prepared for a variety of different possibilities,” Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said.
Rats tests still play a vital role in detecting the virus and protecting families. As recent reports have shown, people in New Zealand are still dying from the disease.
There have been 7702 Covid-19 cases reported in New Zealand over the past week.
The numbers cover the week from Monday, June 19 to Sunday, June 25.
Case numbers continue to fall, with the latest numbers coming after 8544 cases were reported the week before.
As at midnight Sunday there were 181 people in hospital with the virus.
Five people were in an intensive care unit as at midnight Sunday.
Thirty-six more people with the virus have died.
Two were less than 10 years old, one was in their 40s, three were in their 50s, four were in their 60s, seven were in their 70s, 13 were in their 80s and six were aged over 90.
Seventeen were women and 19 were men.
Of the 36 deaths reported today, seven were from Auckland region, six were from Canterbury, four were from the MidCentral District, three each were from Northland, Waikato and Nelson Marlborough, two each were from Bay of Plenty, the Lakes District, Whanganui and the Southern District, and one each were from Taranaki and the Wellington region.
The total number of deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor, is 3117.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo ‘i ai ha toko 7702 ko e keisi Koviti 19 fo’ou ia kuo lipooti ‘i Nu’u Sila’ ni he uike kuo ‘osi’.
Ko e fika ‘eni mei he Monite Sune 19 ki he Sune 25.
Oku hokohoko atu pe holo ‘a e fika pea ‘i he uike atu ko e toko 8544 na’e lipooti.
I he tu’upō Sapate ko e toko 181 ne ‘i fale mahaki ma’u ‘e he vailasi’.
Ko e toko nima ne ‘i he ‘initenisivikea pea mate toko 36 ‘a ia ko e toko ua ne na ta’u 10, toko taha ta’u 40 tupu, tolu ne ta’u 50t fa ko e ta’u 60t, fitu ko e ta’u 70t, toko 13 ko e ta’u 80 pea toko ono ko e ta’u 90.
Ko e toko 17 ko e kakai fefine pea toko 19 ko e kakai tangata.
Ko e toko 36 ne mate he ‘aho ni ko e toko fitu ai mei Aokalani, ono mei Canterbury, fa mei he MidCentral District, tolu mei he Northland, Waikato mo Nelson Marlborough, ua mei he Bay of Plenty, the Lakes District, Whanganui mo e Southern District, pea taki taha ‘a Taranaki mo Wellington.
Kuo fakapapau’i ‘eni ko e kotoa ‘a e kau mate’ ko e toko 3117 ‘a ia ka hala pe ne ‘i ai honau mahaki tauhi ko ‘enau mate’ ne kaunga lahi ki ai ‘a e Koviti 19.
Critics have called on the Speaker to suspend MP Johnny Taione after the Chairman of the Whole House Committee Lord Tu’ilakepa threw MP Piveni Piukala out of Parliament for a day.
Taione and Piukala began trading verbal punches in Parliament this morning before Taione swore at Piukala.
MP Johnny Taione. Photo/Fale Alea O Tonga)
Taione’s alleged insult was made live on Parliament online streaming.
“Ful_’i ki lalo”, Taione’s swearing in Tongan can heard which was picked up and broadcast.
As Kaniva News reported earlier, Chairman Lord Tu’ilakepa had suspended Piukala for “inappropriate behaviour” after he accused the government’s new annual budget of being allegedly falsified.
A heated debate erupted in the House after Piukala made the allegations.
The Prime Minister and the Chairman along with others from the government bench asked Piukala to tell them which specific pages in the budget that contained the alleged falsification. in response, Piukala asked the Chairman to allow Tt5 MP to provide an answer before him in which the Chairman had declined it.
Taione interrupted and told the Chairman to stop Piukala in which Piukala challenged him to a fight.
However, Lord Tu’ilakepa finally announced that he has suspended Piukala.
The Chairman’s failure to take action against Taione had been widely criticised on social media.
The public has been quick to condemn Taione’s behavior, calling it disrespectful and unbecoming of an MP.
Many believed the Chairman should have suspended Taione instead of Piukala. They have also called on the Speaker to take action against Taione, with some even calling for his suspension from Parliament.
The Speaker has yet to comment on the incident.
Critics said the Chairman Lord Tu’ilakepa should be fair to both Piukala and Taione.
Taione’s insult drew a backlash from many who said they were shocked and disgusted by his demeanour.
“That’s unbelievable. It is better to argue and dispute issues as much as you can but you can’t swear in the House,” a commenter on Facebook said.
“If our MPs didn’t have good manners, that’s too bad,” wrote one commenter.
Some commenters asked why the Speaker was slow to do something about Taione.
MP Piveni Piukala was suspended from Parliament for a day after he was involved in a heated debate with the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Whole House Committee this morning.
Paula Piveni Piukala
Piukala had accused the government of falsifying the annual budget, and when the Prime Minister asked him to point out the specific pages that contained the alleged falsification, Piukala refused to do so and instead demanded more time to explain.
The Chairman Lord Tu’ilakepa allowed Piukala to speak, but he continued to be disruptive and refused to comply.
Piukala argued that the constitution stipulates that it was the duties of the MPs to check and scrutinise the budget.
“The king and the people are listening and waiting for us”, he said in Tongan.
Another MP, Johnny Taione, intervened and asked the Chairman to stop Piukala, but Piukala challenged Taione to a fight.
The Chairman then ordered the House security to remove Piukala from Parliament.
Lord Tu’ilakepa said if he submitted a formal report to the House on Piukala’s “inappropriate behaviour” he could be suspended for 14 days. Lord Tu’ilakepa said he decided to suspend him for just one day instead.
The incident highlights the tensions that exist in Tongan politics, and it raises questions about the role of Parliament in holding the government accountable.
Fisi’itiutina Fine’isaloi, the operator of the Fale Koloa Famili Tonga USA Trading store at Haveluloto, has been reportedly charged for selling medication without a licence.
The charges came after Police officers, together with inspectors from the Ministry of Health, raided the premise and confiscated the medication last month.
The company, which is based in Utah, Salt Lake City, claimed on Facebook that its goods being regularly shipped from the Unites States to Nuku’alofa are of “top quality” and prices were considerate.
It said thousands of customers shopped from their store.
However, the Ministry of Health said that the medication that was confiscated was sold without a license.
Fine’isaloi is due to appear in court soon.
It is illegal to sell medication without a licence in Tonga.
The Therapeutic Acts says “Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this Act could face a fine not exceeding $2,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both; and in the case of a continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding $100 for every day or part of a day during which the offence has continued”.
The Pharmacy Acts states that only registered pharmacists are allowed to sell medication.
“Any person who fails to comply could face a fine not exceeding $1,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both; and in the case of a continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding $100 for every day or part of a day during which the offence has continued.
The General Manager of the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) Parmod Achary has resigned, a week after his guilty verdict was announced.
Parmod Achary
Achary was found guilty of five counts of indecency without consent and five counts of breach of the Leadership Code Act.
He pleaded not guilty in the trial, but the Supreme Court found him guilty of all charges.
Achary resigned ahead of a decision from the Fund’s board.
He confirmed his resignation to the Daily Post.
“I resigned to protect the name of the institution. The institution is more important to me than myself.
“I have worked very hard to build the institution since I came to Vanuatu,” he told the newspaper.
Achary initially resisted a request by the Finance Minister to quit.
He said he changed his mind and decided to step down following public pressure.
The minister responsible for VNPF John Salong said Achary resigning was the right thing to do.
“It is his personal behaviour that does not qualify him to be a leader and it is only proper that he resign. He knows the right thing to do is to resign,” he said.
Salong said the board has taken the decision to seek two independent legal advices regarding the general manager’s contract to avoid going to court for lawsuits.
Regarding his performance, Salong said a lot of good initiatives have been accomplished under Achary’s leadership.
He said a new replacement will be hired in the coming days.
The VNPF Board appointed Achary to lead the organisation in September 2017. He was reappointed in September 2020 for four more years.
According to the Daily Post, Achary is on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on August 2 for sentencing.
Dozens gathered Sunday at a prayer vigil in Nuku’alofa to honour and mourn the man who died on Monday.
As Kaniva News reported earlier this week, Litili Kaufusi, 39, died in a car accident after suffering a medical emergency while driving on Taufa’āhau road.
Litili ‘Ofanoa Jr Kaufusi. Photo/Supplied
Authorities were called to the scene of a road accident following reports a car had crashed onto another vehicle near the Basilica of St Anthony Padua.
The deceased was with a passenger in the car at the time of the accident, Police said.
It appeared the passenger was unharmed.
The cause of Kaufusi’s medical emergency is not yet known.
The vigil was organized by the Tonga High School Ex-Students Association 1998.
In a Facebook post, the association said that Kaufusi was a “loyal and dedicated” student and that he will be “remembered most fondly” by his classmates.
Kaufusi’s death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time, it said.
His death came as a shock to his friends and family, especially as he was actively participating in activities preparing for the school’s 75th jubilee next month.
The prayer vigil was held at Vaiola hospital’s morgue.
