Police are calling for public assistance to find a man who went missing after being last spotted at the Naudi Rudi night club almost three days ago.
Talanoa Leakona Lemoto
Talanoa Leakona Lemoto was attending a function before losing contact with his family members on Wednesday, December 7.
Reporting the incident on social media yesterday Lemoto’s familys said: “It is really out of character that he isn’t home yet and we are asking for any information to help us find his whereabouts”
He was driving an orange Honda Fit car.
The family said they have reported Lemoto’s missing to the Police.
The public are asked to call the following telephone numbers: 8739727 or 7798448 if they have any information that could help locate Lemoto.
Tonga’s Ministry of Health has opened a new laboratory which has capacity for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing.
The lab was supported and funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of India via the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
Minister of Health Dr Saia Piukala. Photo/Screenshot (FM87.5 online)
“COVID-19 is not yet over and we recognize that here in Tonga so testing remains a priority for us,” explained Dr Saia Piukala, the Honourable Minister of Health in Tonga.
“During the pandemic we have strengthened our laboratory capacities to be able to test COVID-19 quickly and accurately, but also to be able to test for the many other diseases we will face in future. This support from WHO, UN and the Government of India is a welcome development in order for us to boost our testing capacity here in Tonga.”
The new laboratory was pre-built in New Zealand using sturdy shipping containers, allowing for quick set-up on arrival at the site in Tonga. Testing machines, laboratory supplies, staffing, operational support, and quality assurance programme and training were also provided by WHO with funding from the Government of India.
“The establishment of this new laboratory is a testament to shared public health agenda between the Government of Tonga and India. We are happy to see South-South cooperation in action here in Tonga towards better health and well-being. We thank the Government of India for their contributions and to the Government of Tonga for their leadership in this initiative,” said Sanaka Samarasinha, UN Resident Coordinator to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The new laboratory set-up in Vaiola Hospital will focus on COVID-19 testing but the current infrastructure will also have the capacity to detect priority pathogens such as influenza and dengue.
“This new container laboratory in Vaiola Hospital will help not only in the ongoing COVID-19 response but will also be critical in the detection and surveillance of potential disease outbreaks in the future,” said Dr Yutaro Setoya, WHO Country Liaison Officer in Tonga. “We are proud to support this initiative and glad to see how the Ministry of Health is leveraging the pandemic response to strengthen their laboratory services and overall health systems.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratory capacity has been strengthened across the Pacific. All Pacific island countries and areas are currently equipped with RT-PCR testing capacity to detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo fakaava ‘i Tonga ha leepi te ne lava ‘o tesi mo tala kei taimi e ola ‘o e tesi Koviti (RT-PCR)
Oku te’eki ai ke ‘osi ‘a e Koviti ka kuo lava ke tala pe ia ‘i Tonga ko ia ai ko hono tesi’ ‘a e me’a mu’omu’a taha kia kimautolu, ko e me’a ia ‘a e Minisita Mo’ui Saia Piukala.
Na’a ne pehe ko e lolotonga ‘a e Koviti ne nau fakafekefeka’i e ivi malava ‘o e ‘enau leepi ke lava ke vave hono tesi ‘o e Koviti mo tonu foki, pea ke lava ke tesi mo e ngaahi mahaki kehe foki ‘a ia te nau ala fepaki mo ia ‘i he kaha’u. Ko e poupou mei he WHO mo e UN pehe ki he pule’anga ‘Initia ‘eni pea ko e fakalakalaka mahu’inga ia kuo talitali lelei ‘e Tonga ke lava ke hiki’i hake ‘a e malava ke fai ‘a e ngaahi tesi.
Ko e leepi fo’ou ko eni ne langa ia ‘i Nu’u Sila pea toki uta koniteina ai ‘o fokotu’u ‘i Tonga ‘a ia ne vave ai hono fokotu’u he taimi pe ne tu’uta ai. Na’e toe fakaai ‘e he WHO ‘a e ngaahi misini tesi, leepi mo e ako ke fai ki he ngaahi me’a ni fakapa’anga ‘e he pule’anga ‘Initia fou he WHO.
Ko hono fokotu’u ko eni ‘o e leepi fo’ou ko ha tesitemeniti ia kuo faka’inasi’aki ‘a e fokotuutu’u ki he mo’ui ‘a e kakai ‘i he va ‘o e pule’anga Tonga mo ‘Initia. Na’a ne pehe ‘oku mau fiefia ke sio ki he ngaue fakataha ‘a e saute mo e saute ‘i Tonga ki hono teke ‘o e mo’ui leleiange’.
‘Oku mau fakamalo ki he pule’anga ‘Initia ki he’enau tokoni ki he pule’anga Tonga tautefito ki he’enau tataki ‘i he ngaue ko eni kuo kamata’, ko e lau ia ‘a Sanaka Samarasinha, ko e UN Resident Coordinator ki Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu mo Vanuatu.
Ko e leepi fo’ou ko eni ‘oku tu’u ia ‘i Vaiola pea te ne nofo taha ia ki hono tesi ‘o e Koviti 19 ka ‘e lava ke ne tala foki ha ‘asi ‘a e siemu ‘inifulūenisaa’ mo e tengi.
‘E toe lava ke ‘ilo ‘i he leepi fo’ou ni foki ha to ‘a ha tou mahaki kehe ‘i he kaha’u ko e lau ia ‘a Dr Yutaro Setoya, ko e ‘ofisa fetu’utaki ‘a e WHO Country ‘i Tonga.
‘Oku mau polepole ke poupou’i ‘a e ‘inisetivi ko eni pea mo fiefia ke sio ki he Potungaue Mo’ui ‘oku malangalanga ‘ene founga ke taliaki ‘a e panatemiki ‘aki hono fakafekefeka’i ‘enau ngaahi sevesi ki he leepi mo e sisitemi ki he mo’ui ‘i Tonga.
Lolotonga ‘a e to’umahaki faka’auha fakamamani lahi ko eni Koviti 19 kuo toe fefeka ange ‘a e ivi malava ke tokanga’i fakaleepi ‘a e mahaki ‘i he Pasifiki’. Kotoa ‘a e ngaahi fonua motu Pasifiki kuo fakanaunau kinautolu ‘aki ‘a e me’a tesi RT-PCR ke lava ke tesi ai ‘a e Koviti 19 mo e ngaahi mahaki kehe.
A newly-released survey shows daily tobacco smoking rates for New Zealand Pasifika youth are at a record low of less than 2 percent.
With just 1.2 percent of Pasifika smoking daily, that is significantly less than what it used to be in 2017 when it was at 5.3 percent.
Published by Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH), the survey is one of the largest ongoing youth smoking surveys in the world, with 29,538 Year 10 student participants, aged between 14 and 15.
The survey looks at both vaping and tobacco use.
It found that 45 percent of Pacific Year 10 students had tried vaping, 11 percent vaped daily as opposed to 1.2 percent who were daily tobacco smokers, and 2.6 percent were regular (ie, either daily weekly, monthly) smokers.
ASH director Sir Collin Tukuitonga, who is a strong advocate for Māori and Pacific health, credits the decrease in smoking rates to various smokefree messages throughout the years in Aotearoa and a general acceptance from youth that smoking is not sustainable.
“But I think what has worked generally is the messages to young people that smoking is not cool and they used prominent people to promote that message to really get young people to accept a movement away from smoking.”
Tala Pasifika lead for Hapai Te Hauora’s National Tobacco Control Advocacy service, Lealailepule Edward Cowley said there was a gap between people already smoking, compared to those in the 14-15 age group who could not legally purchase tobacco which showed not all age groups had stopped smoking.
“It’s difficult for young people to access tobacco, which is probably why we see a drop. We really do see an increase from age 18 to 24, so whilst they are at a young age when they are at school we see a decrease when they start working and earning their own money, then are able to access and start to purchase things they want to purchase so we do see an increase in that age group.”
Cancer Society medical director George Laking said adults most likely remained smokefree if they had not taken up smoking in their teenage years.
The Cancer Society’s Dr George Laking Photo: Supplied
“The initiation of smoking characteristically occurs in youth, if you can get through your teen years without taking up smoking then you are less likely to take it up in general; they’ve basically missed the opportunity to take it up and they are not especially likely to take up smoking later on.”
Dr Laking also said there was a clear decline in tobacco use for both young people and elders – a positive sign for Pacific and Māori youth.
The survey shows a clear decrease in tobacco use this year among year 10 groups which certainly suggests as Dr Laking said that young people in the future would be much less likely to pick up smoking even though some young people were currently picking up the bad habit when they were 18 years old.
However, a smokefree New Zealand in 2025 still looks grim according to Dr Laking who said there was currently a lack of regulation and legislation in place.
Tobacco use was still prevalent in Māori communities which would still take a bit of time to reduce, he said.
“It would be 50-50 chance to get to that point,” he said.
The Ministry of Health is hoping to have less than 5 percent smoking rates for each ethnic demographic by that date.
Rugby League Samoa has confirmed Toa Samoa will be coming home for a welcome celebration on December 27.
Photo: Anric Sitanilei/RNZ
Rugby League Samoa official Lauaki Fereti Tuilagi said the programme for the visit is yet to be finalised, but all the players and coaches will be there.
Questions had been asked if the Rugby League World Cup finalists would be brought home to meet fans and supporters.
Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio said, on arrival back from watching the team in England, that Cabinet would meet to discuss bringing the team home.
He told media that when he spoke to team members after their games, they all wanted to come to Samoa.
Against the odds, Toa Samoa reached the World Cup final in England, becoming the first Samoan rugby team, men’s or women’s, union or league, to achieve such a honour at the highest level.
After shocking Tonga and England to reach the final, Toa Samoa went down 30-10 to Australia at Old Trafford, Manchester with the crowd mostly supporting Toa Samoa.
However, their campaign had started badly with a 60-6 defeat in the opening group game against the host nation, when several players had not arrived due to playing in the NRL Grand Final.
Samoan players have pledged to keep playing for the Pacific nation and they may be joined by more stars after qualifying for the Rugby League World Cup final.
Late last month supporters, family and friends converged on Sydney Airport to welcome back their heroes.
The Daily Telegraph reported the team were met by singing, clapping, dancing, horns and cheering when a see of red and blue flags greeted their return from the UK.
Fans gather in Apia before last month’s World Cup final Photo: RNZ / Anric Sitanilei
In Hawaii, lava flowing from Mauna Loa volcano continues to move slowly towards a major highway.
Photo: USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports the lava river has slowed down but continues to be fed from the erupting volcano.
In its latest update, the USGS reports the lava river is moving between 19 and 27 meters per hour.
It said the eruption is not a threat to nearby settlements but has warned residents to be prepared.
The USGS said the most significant fissure is feeding a lava flow advancing slowly northward toward the Daniel K. Inouye Highway.
The lava flow has reached relatively flat ground causing it to spread out in three directions and slow down significantly over the past several days.
As of 6.30am local time on December 5, the flow front was about three-and-a-half kilometres from the highway.
“Over the past day, there continued to be several small overflows from main channels, and the lava flow advanced at an average rate of about 8 meters per hour. Though the advance rate has slowed over the past several days, the lava flow remains active with a continuous supply from the fissure 3 vent,” the USGS said on its Facebook page.
“Lava flow advance rates may be highly variable over the coming days and weeks, and individual lobes may advance quickly and then stall. Additional breakouts may occur if lava channels get blocked upslope. Many variables are at play, and the direction and timing of flow advances are expected to change over hours to days, making it difficult to estimate when or if the flow will impact Daniel K. Inouye Highway.”
The USGS said volcanic gas plumes are lofting high and vertically into the atmosphere before being blown to the west at high altitudes, generating plumes in areas downwind.
Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano in the world, and has been erupting since November 28.
The USGS is providing a livestream of the eruption on its website.
Indonesia’s parliament approved a criminal code on Tuesday that bans sex outside marriage with a punishment of up to one year in jail, part of a raft of legal changes that critics say undermine civil liberties in the world’s third-largest democracy.
The new code, which will apply to Indonesians and foreigners alike, will also prohibit cohabitation between unmarried couples. It was passed with support from all political parties and despite warnings from business groups that it could scare away tourists and harm investment.
However, the code will not come into effect for three years to allow for implementing regulations to be drafted.
Currently, Indonesia bans adultery but not premarital sex.
The laws also include bans on black magic, insulting the president or state institutions, spreading views counter to state ideology, and staging protests without notification.
Critics said the new laws can be used to police morality in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, which has seen a rise in religious conservatism in recent years.
Maulana Yusran, deputy chief of Indonesia’s tourism industry board, said the new bill was “totally counter-productive” at a time when the economy and tourism were starting to recover from the pandemic.
“Hotels or any accommodation facilities are like second homes for tourists. With the ratification of this criminal code, hotels are now problematic places,” he said.
Decades in the making, legislators hailed the passage of the criminal code as much needed overhaul of a colonial vestige.
“The old code belongs to Dutch heritage … and is no longer relevant now,” Bambang Wuryanto, head of the parliamentary commission in charge of revising the code told lawmakers.
Opponents of the bill have highlighted articles they said were socially regressive, will curb free speech and represent a “huge setback” in ensuring the retention of democratic freedoms after the fall of authoritarian leader Suharto in 1998.
Responding to the criticism, Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly told parliament: “It’s not easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to make a criminal code that can accommodate all interests.”
Threat to LGBT community
Legal experts said that an article in the code on customary law could reinforce discriminatory and sharia-inspired bylaws at a local level, and pose a particular threat to LGBT people.
“Regulations that are not in accordance with human rights principles will occur in conservative areas,” said Bivitri Susanti, from the Indonesia Jentera School of Law, referring to existing bylaws in some regions that impose curfews on women, or target what are described as “deviant” sexualities.
The new laws will also include more lenient sentences for those charged with corruption.
The morality charges have been partially watered down from an earlier version of the bill so that they can only reported by limited parties, such as a spouse, parent or child.
The government had planned to pass a revision of the country’s colonial-era criminal code in 2019 but nationwide protests halted its passage.
Lawmakers have since diluted down some of the provisions with President Joko Widodo urging parliament to pass the bill this year, before the country’s political climate heats up ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for early 2024.
The public response to the new code has been muted so far, with only small protests held in the capital.
New Zealanders have lost a record $9 million in internet scams in just three months.
The government’s cyber security agency CERT NZ said the number of scams rose 3 percent in the three months ended September, compared with the previous quarter, but the financial loss was up 128 percent.
The agency said it was the highest quarterly loss since record keeping began in 2017, with businesses just as likely as individuals to fall victim.
CERT director Rob Pope said the spike in losses was concerning, but hoped it would inspire people to be more careful about their security online.
“While it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the large total loss figures, our data shows that most people are losing between $100 and $500, which is a real sting in the pocket for most of us,” Pope said, adding there were 12 reports of losses of more than $100,000.
“We want New Zealanders to take notice of these numbers and use that as motivation to do some quick, simple actions that will stop them, and their whānau, from being the next targets.”
The latest report indicated one of the reasons behind the large losses was an increase in unauthorised money transfer, unauthorised access and scams involving buying, selling and donating goods.
Other types of incidents, such as phishing, had corresponding declines.
“As we come into the holiday season, New Zealanders will be looking online for bargains and scammers know it,” Pope said.
“We’re asking everyone to be cautious when they’re shopping online or perusing online marketplaces and be suspicious of anything that seems too good to be true.”
Two-factor authentication was regarded as one of the best ways to stop unauthorised access to social media and bank accounts.
The agency offered a number of tips to stay safe on its website.
Pope said scammers typically tried to instil victims with a sense of fear and urgency as a way of getting people to quickly part with their money or personal information.
“And our advice to anyone is when you’re confronted with this type of situation, where they’re trying to pressure people to make a decision, or urging people to pay something over or give their details, feel, think and act.
“So if it doesn’t feel right, don’t respond to the urgency or the fear situation. Just think about it,” he said, adding the best course of action was to terminate the communication, without touching any part of the message.
There have been 34,528 new cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths of people with the virus over the past week, the Ministry of Health says.
As of Sunday midnight, 418 cases were hospitalised and 10 were in intensive care.
Of the 40 people with the virus who died, two were from Northland, 14 were from Auckland region, four were from Waikato, one was from Bay of Plenty, four were from Lakes, one was from Hawke’s Bay, three were from MidCentral, three were from Whanganui, one was from Wellington region, one was from Nelson Marlborough, three were from Canterbury, two were from Southern.
One was in their 40s, three were in their 50s, two were in their 60s, eight were in their 70s, 21 were in their 80s and five were aged over 90. Of these people, 16 were women and 24 were men.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4926, compared with 3863 the previous week.
Last week, immunologist Dr Anthony Jordan said it was important for people to plan ahead and be prepared in case they caught Covid-19 over the Christmas break.
Te Pūnaha Matatini physicist and contagion modeller Dr Dion O’Neale said Christmas gatherings and social events over the next few weeks would bring increased opportunities for the virus to spread, but the summer holidays which followed could help to bring case numbers down since people were not at work or school.
Ko e keisi fo’ou ‘e 34,528 ‘o e Koviti’ ‘i Nu’u Sila he uike kuo ‘osi’ pea ko e mate ai ‘e toko 40, fakatatau ki he Potungāue Mo’ui’.
A’u mai ki he tu’uapō Sāpate’ ko e keisi ‘e 418 ne tākoto fale mahaki pea 10 ai ne ‘i he intensive care.
‘I he toko 40 ko eni ma’u ‘e he vailasi ka kuo nau mate, koe ua mei Northland, 14 mei he Auckland region, fa mei Waikato, taha mei he Bay of Plenty, fa mei he Lakes, taha mei he Hawke’s Bay, tolu mei he MidCentral, tolu mei he Whanganui, taha mei heWellington region, taha mei elson Marlborough, tolu mei Canterbury, pea ua mei he Southern.
Fakatatau ki he ta’u motu’a ko e taha ‘i he ta’u 40t, tolu ‘i he 50t, ua ‘i he 60t, valu ‘i he 70t , 21 ‘i he 80t pea toko ‘i he 90t, kakai fefine ‘e toko 16 pea 24 tangata.
Kuo ‘avalisi ‘ene ‘ene vilo mai ‘a e vailasi ‘i he ‘aho ‘e fitu ‘o e uike’ ko e keisi ‘e 4926 fakahoa ia ki he 3863 uike ki mu’a.
I he uike kuo osi ne pehe ‘e Dr Anthony Jordan ko ha imiuniolosisi, ‘oku mahuhinga ki he kakai ke nau palani ki mu’a na’a ma’u kinautolu ‘e he Koviti ki mu’a ‘i he Kilisimasi.
Pehē ‘e he fisisi mei he Te Pūnaha Matatini pea ko e motela ‘eni ki he pipihi ‘a e mahaki ko Dr Dion O’Neale e hoko e ngaahi fakataha’anga ‘ihe Kilisimasi ke ne omeia ha faingamalie ange ki he mafola ‘a e vailasi’.
A strong earthquake was felt in Tonga’s northern island of Niuatoputapu this morning.
The 6.7 magnitude had a depth of 10km.
It was initially registered at magnitude 6.9 by the US Geological Survey, but since downgraded to 6.7.
“No tsunami threat and no action are required”, the Tonga Met Services said.
The earthquake had also struck Samoa and people were reportedly told to move inland as a precaution in case of a tsunami.
RNZ reporting on Samoa quake later said the “tsunami watch has been cancelled for Samoan low-lying coastal areas after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck”.
In 2009, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake generated a tsunami that killed nine people on Niuatoputapu, and 149 in neighbouring Samoa.
A senior Tongan academic has warned Princess Pilolevu not to become involved in partisan politics.
Professor Siosiua Lafitani’s warning came after the Princess made remarks which have been interpreted as an attack on the PTOA.
Princess Salote Pilolevu Mafile’o Tuita
“’Oku ‘ikai toe ha’u ‘a e hou’eiki mo e fale ‘alo ke nau omai ‘o kau ‘i ha Tu pe kau ‘i ha PTOA”, Prof Lafitani said.
In English this translates as “the chiefs and the royals should not join either Tu or PTOA”.
The Princess made the controversial remarks while attending an event organised by a small group of Tongan royalists, who call themselves the Tu Family. The event was streamed online.
Based in Australia, the recently formed group claims their mission was to protect the King and his House.
The group is widely known for its members’ attacks on the PTOA Party through its streamed videos and Facebook comments.
The attacks also drew personal responses and criticisms from PTOA supporters.
In her speech, the Princess said in Tongan that Tu’s responsibility was “to chase away all the little two- legged devils in all countries. Please forgive people who opposed the Tu family”.
In Tongan she said: “Ke tuli ‘a e fanga ki’i tevolo ve’eua kotoa pe he fonua kotoa pe. Fakamolemole fakangata mo e kakai ‘oku tu’u tau mai ki he famili Tuu”.
The Democrats (PTOA) said the Princess’s comments appeared to be targeting them.
Professor Lafitani said the involvement of chiefs or members of the royal family would cause huge damage to the country.
King and royal protections
The Professor said the king and the royals were already protected by the constitution and traditional ha’a or clans led by the king’s chiefs and matāpules.
Professor Siosiua Lafitani
The Professor believed the PTOA and Tu were free to operate according to their own agendas, but any involvement of the royals and taking side with any of them was unacceptable.
The PTOA’s online followers said the Princess’s speech was disrespectful because the PTOA had a huge number of followers and its leaders and supporters included top scholars, church minsters and respected community leaders in the kingdom and abroad.
Professor Lafitani’s comments aligned with comments made by some independent online commentators.
They said the Princess’s speech put her in a position where she could be seen as being prejudiced towards some of her people. This provided an opportunity for the commoners to criticise and personally attacked her. Some said it reminded them of how “the princess illegally took the TP$90 million dollar grant from China” and used if for her Satellite Company, Tongasat.
The PTOA supporters said their agenda to democratise the government had been approved by the king before the 2010 political reforms. They said the current government was an outcome of their push which dragged on for many years, led by their long-time democratic campaigner, the late ‘Akilisi Pohiva. They said the Princess should refrain from trying to play down their campaign for more democracy for Tonga because it was for the good of the country as a whole.
Princess Pilolevu is the king’s sister and has often acted as regent to the king in his absence. Her husband, Lord Tuita, was one of the king’s nobles.
For more information
Appeal Court dismisses Tongasat’s appeal to present evidence from former gov’t ministers
