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Deported father gets suspended sentence for firing shotgun at noisy youths in Tonga

A Tongan man had been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to intimidate.

The incident occurred on 18 September 2024, when Tu’ipulotu Palu, intoxicated and frustrated by a group of noisy youths, fired a shotgun in their direction.

The court heard that Palu had been asleep at his home when he was disturbed by youths who were causing a disturbance near a nearby Chinese store.

Lord Chief Justice Bishop acknowledged that this was not the first time the accused had been disrupted by such behaviour.

Reacting angrily, Palu emerged from his property holding a 12-gauge shotgun.

He pointed the weapon at the group, shouting that he would shoot them and “go to prison with the gun.”

While some of the youths fled, Palu chased them and discharged the firearm.

Police later found him intoxicated, with the shotgun placed on a chair near his doorstep.

A pre-sentence report revealed that Palu had initially migrated to New Zealand but was deported in 2005.

He later married, had five children, and is now separated, with sole custody of his youngest child.

The report stated that he was deeply remorseful for his actions, which the judge accepted.

In sentencing, Judge Bishop noted Tu’ipulotu’s intoxication at the time—having consumed three to four beers—as a contributing factor.

Considering his remorse, lack of prior violent offences, and family responsibilities, the court handed him a suspended sentence with strict conditions, including alcohol counselling and community service.

The judge warned Palu that any further offending would result in immediate imprisonment.

U.S. strikes Iranian nuclear sites in dangerous escalation with Tehran

The US gave Israel a heads-up before striking Iran’s nuclear sites overnight.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”

Earlier, Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel.

Earlier in Istanbul, where he was meeting with Turkey’s president, Iran’s foreign minister warned that U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict would be ‘very, very dangerous.

The strikes represent a high-risk gamble for both the U.S. and Mr. Trump personally. Iran has vowed retaliation against any nation joining Israel’s assault, while Trump – who won the White House by promising to avoid costly foreign conflicts – has long mocked the value of American interventionism.

It follows earlier reports that the United States deployed advanced B-2 stealth bombers to an undisclosed location as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

The move, seen as a strategic warning, comes amid discussions by former President Donald Trump about potential responses to the simmering conflict, fueling speculation over possible U.S. military action in the region. Defense officials, however, stress that no orders have been issued to carry out operations against Iran using the stealth aircraft.

The reports follow overnight exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran, after Israel claimed strikes on a ‘weapons depot’ and ‘military infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has prepared for the worst—appointing both military successors in case of Israeli strikes and three senior clerics to take his place if he is killed.

The civilian death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to at least 430, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian announced during a press briefing in Tehran on Saturday.

Earlier that day, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported at least 3,056 Iranians had been wounded since the conflict began, citing figures from the health ministry.

In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst conflict between the longtime enemies.

As of Saturday (local time), the nuclear-capable B-2 Spirits were tracked flying over the Pacific, with analysts suggesting they may be en route to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—a key staging ground for U.S. power projection in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. The deployment underscores Washington’s readiness to protect its interests and allies amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

US bans African nation listed with Tonga as PM Eke raises ‘serious alarm’ over travel threat 

A U.S. training camp for Senegal’s women’s basketball team has been cancelled after several players were denied visas, prompting the West African nation’s prime minister to cancel the program. 

Prime Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke

Senegal was listed alongside Tonga as a country potentially facing U.S. travel restrictions.

It follows a memo, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and recently sent to U.S. diplomats who work with the countries, said the governments of listed nations were being given 60 days to meet new benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department.  

It gave them until 8am on Wednesday last week to submit an initial action plan addressing the requirements.

The memo, according to the Washington Post, identified varied benchmarks that, in the administration’s estimation, these countries were failing to meet. Some countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents,” or they suffered from “widespread government fraud.” Others had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the United States, the memo said. 

The Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said this week that his country cancelled a planned training program for the nation’s women’s basketball team in the U.S. after several team members’ visas were denied, according to an Associated Press report.  

The Senegalese basketball team had planned to train in the US for 10 days to warm up for the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast next month, the BBC reported.

But the visa applications for five players and seven officials were not approved, according to a statement from the federation.

This prompted an angry response from the prime minister.

“Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women’s national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the ten-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America,” Sonko said on Thursday in a statement shared to social media, according to the BBC.

It is unclear whether Senegal’s ban resulted from providing a response unacceptable to the Trump administration or from failing to meet the two deadline periods for compliance.

A State Department official declined to comment on the situation’s specifics, saying “visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot comment on individual cases.” 

Tonga Alarms Over Ban

The recent development by the US follows Tonga Prime Minister Aisake Eke’s statement on Friday that the government is “seriously alarmed” after receiving the ban notification from the US. 

Eke stated that the Foreign Ministry is coordinating with the U.S. Consulate in Nuku’alofa to draft a response. The public will be updated once it is ready.

While U.S. media cited deadlines, Eke noted that no official deadline was given for Tonga’s reply.

In reporting the Tonga and the 35 other countries on the ban list Associated Press quoted State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, who declined to comment on the specifics in the cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

She confirmed that the administration wanted nations to improve their own vetting processes for passport holders, accept their nationals deported from the U.S. and take other steps to ensure their citizens are not a threat to the U.S.

“We’re looking at providing a period of time, (where if countries) don’t get to that point where we can trust them and they’ve got to change the system, update it, do whatever they need to do to convince us that we can trust the process and the information they have,” she said.

The 36 countries identified in the new cable are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Foreign buyers bid for Lulutai as rival governments spar over who managed the airline better

The Lulutai Airlines dispute escalates as lawmakers contrast the former and current PMs’ management of the national carrier.

It follows the Eke government’s announcement that the domestic airline has been restored to full operations after its previous financial and operational troubles.

PM Eke opted against imposing additional taxpayer burdens, excluding both airline funding and further loans from the current budget

After ousting Huʻakavameiliku in December 2024, the Eke government quickly shifted to ending direct state control of the airline and limiting itself to regulatory functions. It has now put Lulutai shares up for sale, with foreign companies already bidding.

It was part of a review policy the Eke government announced during their campaign: they would review all government ministries and entities, with transparency at the core.  

Under this policy, the government subsequently conducted weekly press briefings to disseminate critical information to the public via media channels, while permitting journalists to pose questions without restriction. 

During his restructuring efforts, Piveni Piukala, Minister of Public Enterprises, likened the airline’s dire state and the government’s early restoration attempts to “a bandaged injury that still bleeds.” 

The restoration was completed when the airline’s situation became so critical that only the new Twin Otter, the only operational aircraft in its three-plane fleet, was still in service. Meanwhile, just a year after its controversial purchase, it incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs.

Piukala stated that before the airline’s restructuring, the former administration provided a $50 million capital injection into the government-sponsored organisation.

Prime Minister Eke recently announced the new development in the Parliament, describing it as thrilling (“fakafiefia”).  

Controversial Past Management 

Under Hu’akavameiliku’s government, millions were transferred from state coffers to fund the airline without proper parliamentary oversight.

His immediate appointment of his disgraced political ally Poasi Tei, dismissed from Parliament following an electoral bribery conviction, as CEO of Lulutai, shocked the public and stigmatised his administration’s management of the airline.

One of the most controversial decisions involved purchasing the new $14 million Twin Otter aircraft, partially financed by a $4.5 million loan from the Civil Servants’ Retirement Fund Board. Given the lack of transparency, this move drew significant public criticism, with critics saying the plane was too expensive for its actual price.  

The Parliament only became aware of the purchase after Kaniva News reported on the Hu’akavameiliku’s plan to make the purchase.  

Facing Opposition questions in Parliament, Huʻakavameiliku claimed the government funding for the Lulutai appeared in the Budget, but critics countered it wasn’t clearly itemised. Meanwhile, the airline’s ownership remained unverified, while Huʻakavameiliku said Treasury held the share certificate.

Auditor General Sefita Tangi confirmed to Kaniva News that, at the time, no such document existed in official records. 

Budget Debate Reignites Controversy

As lawmakers debated the country’s budget 2025 / 2026, which was approved last week before the new fiscal year begins on July 1, the Lulutai Airlines controversy resurfaced, sparking a heated exchange between Huʻakavameiliku and Deputy Prime Minister Taniela Fusimālohi. 

Huʻakavameiliku was questioning the Minister of Finance—who is also the Prime Minister—whether funds had been allocated in the budget for Lulutai Airlines. He further inquired if any loans were expected for the company, to which Eke replied, ‘No.’ 

Huʻakavameiliku appeared to be linking his management of Lulutai to the perceived success of Eke’s restructuring process. He claimed that the Eke camp did not believe the government should fund the Lulutai, but they were doing the same thing now. 

He said in Tongan : “‘E ‘i ai e taimi na’a mou ta’etui ai ki he pa’anga ‘oku fiema’u ke fakalele’akí pea ko eni te tau toe sio pe he te tau toe a’u pe ki he me’a tatau pe, mālō Sea.” 

In response, Fusimālohi highlighted the differences in how the governments of Hu’akavameiliku and Eke managed Lulutai Airlines, stressing the Eke restructuring to limit government involvement to a purely regulatory role.

Fusimālohi said in Tongan: “Sea ko e, ko e me’a kehe ia ‘oku talanoa ia ki ai ko e kuohilí ia. Ko e ‘ahó ni ko au ko e regulator au ‘o e airline ko ení.   

“Kapau ne tō ki ha fakatu’utāmaki ko u ta’ofi.” 

Investors Sought Worldwide 

The Lulutai is inviting qualified investors to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to acquire shares in the company.

It said this opportunity is open to domestic and international investors with the financial capability, industry experience, and strategic vision to contribute to the airline’s long-term growth and success. 

Reports indicated that New Zealand’s Sunair Aviation Ltd was among the potential buyers that submitted expressions of interest in purchasing Lulutai shares. 

The deadline has been set for June 30.

Minister shocked by lack of backup system as Tonga’s Health Database remains down after cyberattack

Nuku’alofa, Tonga – Police Minister Piveni Piukala expressed surprise upon discovering that Tonga lacks a secondary database or a disaster recovery (DR) site, following a crippling cyberattack that has taken the National Health Information System (NHIS) offline.

This ransomware attack last week forced staff to switch to manual operations.

Health Minister Dr ‘Ana ‘Akau’ola refused to reveal the hackers’ ransom demand, though local reports reported millions. Fears grew that patient records could be lost permanently.

Piukala, an ICT specialist and software developer, emphasised that a backup system is critical to cybersecurity, particularly in safeguarding against database breaches.

He blamed the cyberattack on the NHIS on failures to strengthen the country’s core internet infrastructure.

“A disaster recovery site ensures continuity and minimises data loss when primary systems are compromised,” Piukala stated in Tongan.

The minister acknowledged the urgent need for improved IT infrastructure, including a redundant backup system, to prevent future crises.

A Computer Security Incident Response Team from Australia is working to restore the NHIS, but the incident has sparked calls for immediate cybersecurity upgrades to protect Tonga’s essential services.

Cybersecurity experts warn that ransomware attacks and data breaches are increasing globally, making disaster recovery plans essential for governments and critical sectors.

Regional Cyber Crisis

The Tonga cyberattack comes after the Pacific Island Forum Director for Policy, Paki Ormsby said cybercrime poses an increasing challenge to the safety and well-being of Pacific Islanders.

He said that the Pacific leaders affirmed that cybersecurity is a priority security threat requiring a concerted, collective regional effort to address.

Ormsby says the Forum Secretariat continues to assess that cybercrime will severely affect the lives of the people on the Blue Continent.

Samoa’s government previously blamed a Chinese state-backed hacking group for a series of sophisticated cyber attacks, saying it has been conducting “malicious cyber operations against government and key critical infrastructure system” across the Pacific.

A document from Samoa’s National Computer Emergency Response Team calls the hacking group ATP40 a “serious threat” to the region.

The Chinese embassy in Nuku’alofa had previously denied the claims made by Samoa to Kaniva News.

‘A bit of carnage’: Arrest after alleged Auckland crime spree

By 1News Reporters

A man has been arrested after a string of alleged burglaries led to three crashes involving two stolen vehicles in Auckland’s Pakuranga this morning.

A crashed car in Pakuranga.
A crashed car in Pakuranga. (Source: 1News)

Police allege the 44-year-old is responsible for seven reported burglaries and three crashes involving two stolen vehicles between around 5.10am and 5.50am today, Inspector Danny Meade said.

Police were first notified of an unknown man entering a property on Udys Rd at 5.10am, during which a physical confrontation took place. No one was injured in the incident. The man then fled on foot.

Minutes later, Meade said police received two further reports from residents on Udys Rd – one reporting a man trying to force entry to her home, and a second reporting their front door being smashed.

A car crashed through a fence in Auckland's Pakuranga.
A car crashed through a fence in Auckland’s Pakuranga. (Source: 1News)

Just after 5.30am, residents of a Pakuranga Rd property called police to report an unknown man had forced entry into their house armed with a knife. There were no injuries reported.

The man then left the scene.

At 5.40am, police were alerted to an incident on Grammar School Rd. The caller reported seeing a person run off towards their neighbour’s house around 10 minutes earlier.

A Police dog unit in the area came across the man on a separate Grammar School Rd property.

Minutes later, police received another call from someone reporting the man had kicked the front door to their house and was smashing items inside.

The man then allegedly stole the person’s car keys and drove off in their vehicle, “crashing through a gate and onto Pakuranga Rd, then onto Udys Rd”, Meade said.

A crashed car in Auckland's Pakuranga.
A crashed car in Auckland’s Pakuranga. (Source: 1News)

He then allegedly stole another vehicle from a property on Reeves Rd, which police pursued “for a short time” before it crashed at the intersection of Ti Rakau Dr and Tiraumea Dr, causing “significant damage” to a fence.

The man ran off on foot, before being arrested a short time later.

He will appear in court at a later date.

‘A bit of carnage’

A gated community was hit overnight.
A gated community was hit overnight. (Source: 1News)

A resident told 1News the man was seen approaching multiple houses before forcing his way into one.

“They went to another house where they kicked the door in. I don’t know what happened inside, but they managed to get the keys to the car and then took off at fast speed in the car and went through the security gates,” he said.

“They’ve just smashed them open and drove off, let a bit of carnage around.”

He said part of the reason people live there is for the security and safety of a gated community.

“Everyone just feels safe here,” he said.

“But when an incident like this happens, if someone’s got a will, they’ve got a way, and they’ll still get through somehow.”

96-year-old New Zealand resident wins land dispute, evicts occupants in Tonga 

A 96-year-old man from Tonga living in Wellington, New Zealand, has successfully reclaimed his ancestral land after a ruling by the Nuku’alofa Land Court ordered the eviction of long-term occupants.

The ruling on June 18 resulted from neglecting a house and land in Niutōua, Tongatapu, which caused both to fall into disrepair.

The court was informed that the plaintiff’s warnings to the tenants had been disregarded.

A second occupant was permitted to live in the house without the landlord’s consent.  

The eviction letter, which instructed the tenants to vacate the property within seven days, was also disregarded.

As a result, the landlord filed a lawsuit against the defendants.  

According to the court document, the landlord was 96-year-old Asaeli Niu’ila, also known as Tevita Kaulamatoa.  

He was a teacher in Tonga before emigrating to New Zealand in 1987.

He allowed his neighbour, Tengange Filimoemaka, and his wife, Kesaia Filimoemaka, who was also a close relative, to occupy his house. The couple has one son, Sione Vakofe Filimoemaka.

After Tengange and Kesaia died, Sione, the second defendant, and his wife, Telesia, the first defendant, continued to occupy the house.  

Disputed Property Agreement

Niu’ila was unhappy with the Filimoemakas’ failure to maintain his property and had issued them multiple warnings.

He finally insisted that they vacate his house.

Sione rejected the eviction demand, arguing that he had the right to occupy and own the house. He claimed that Niu’ila had promised him he could continue living there “because he would return it.”

Sione also claimed in court that his father renovated the house in 1996 “plus his own expenses of $47,800” and asked that Niu’ila pay it back.  

Niu’ila did not accept it, saying that it was necessary for Sione’s benefit, and Justice Petunia Tupou KC agreed with Niu’ila.  

Justice Tupou said: “This is an unfortunate case where the Second Defendant has simply misunderstood the arrangement between the Plaintiff and his parents or has been misled as to his interests/rights with respect to the subject Land.” 

She ruled in favour of Niu’ila.

She also ordered the Filimoemakas to vacate Niu’ila’s town allotment immediately or by agreement with him. 

“The Defendants are to pay the Plaintiff’s costs of the proceedings, to be taxed if not agreed.” 

Tongan art luminary Uili Lousi passes in Auckland

The Pacific art world mourns the loss of Uili Lousi, the internationally acclaimed Tongan contemporary artist whose work transcended borders and traditions.

Like his description of art as ‘an inner mounting flame,’ Uili Lousi’s legacy continues to illuminate.

A cousin of Lousi, who spoke to Kaniva News anonymously, has confirmed his death. She stated that he unexpectedly died in Auckland this morning after a flight exchange that was anticipated at Auckland International Airport.

Born and raised in the Kingdom of Tonga and later based in New York, New Zealand, and his homeland, Lousi described his practice as a pursuit of “the deeper order of our universe” – a quest that manifested in radiant, mathematically precise works blending Tonga’s royal motifs with avant-garde abstraction.

Lousi’s art was a dialogue between worlds. Rooted in the sacred Fata-O-Tu’i-Tonga (Royal Tongan patterns), his pieces evolved into pulsating visual fields that channelled what he described as “to create a vibrancy and current of potent energies.”

He studied mathematics, psychics, and logic to inform his hypnotic compositions, which balanced rhythm, synchronicity, and harmony like a fire that does not burn – an inner flame illuminating the soul.

A master of material alchemy, Lousi worked across perspex, painted glass, sculpted oil, and his signature 3D Tapa: traditional Tongan bark cloth mounted on canvas.

The textured tapa, made from mulberry tree pulp, lent his works a whispered luminosity, as if light was woven into their fibres.

From Manhattan galleries to Pacific cultural hubs, Lousi’s exhibitions were rituals of transformation.

His death leaves a void in Oceania’s contemporary art scene, but his vision endures – a celestial compass pointing toward what he termed “the space in between.”

Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a crafting response to US travel ban threat, PM reveals

Nuku’alofa, Tonga — Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, the kingdom’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, is leading Tonga’s response to the Trump administration’s demand that the country address unspecified concerns within 60 days—or face a ban on its citizens travelling to the United States.

Crown Prince Tupouto’a

Prime Minister ʻAisake Eke revealed the development during a press conference this afternoon, marking the government’s first public response since Kaniva News and other outlets reported Tonga’s inclusion on 36 nations targeted for a potential expanded U.S. travel ban.

The Prime Minister offered no specifics about Tonga’s pending reply, stating only that the Crown Prince holds responsibility for the matter as a foreign minister.

“The Crown Prince is working on our response, and we will follow the proper diplomatic channels,” Eke told reporters, deflecting further questions.

The U.S. has not publicly detailed its grievances with Tonga, leaving officials and analysts to speculate whether the threat stems from gaps in document security, immigration risks, or geopolitical tensions.

The looming deadline has sparked concerns among Tongan diaspora communities in the U.S., where tens of thousands reside, many relying on family reunification visas.

Tonga, a Pacific nation with a population of over 200,000, has about 100,000 residents living in Tonga and more than 100,000 in the diaspora. It has rarely faced such direct scrutiny from Washington.

Diplomatic observers suggest the Crown Prince’s response could require concessions on passport controls or data-sharing agreements to avert the ban.

Kaniva News contacted the US Embassy in Nuku’alofa for comment.

Tonga Health Ministry systems hacked; ransom demand issued as Australian experts step in

Nuku’alofa, Tonga – The Tonga Ministry of Health’s digital systems were hit by a cyberattack on Sunday, crippling critical services as hackers demanded an undisclosed ransom.

Health Minister Dr Ana ‘Akau’ola confirmed the breach during a press conference this afternoon, apologising to the public but stating that the ministry remains powerless while the systems remain offline.

The attack has disrupted health operations nationwide, though emergency services continue to function manually.

Minister ‘Akau’ola did not disclose the ransom amount and failed to assure the public that no sensitive patient data had been compromised.

In negotiations with the Australian High Commission in Nuku’alofa, the government has enlisted an Australian cybersecurity team, which arrived in the kingdom last night to assist in restoring the systems.

The minister acknowledged the delays in service recovery, urging patience as technicians work to resolve the issue.

Authorities have yet to identify the hackers while investigations are ongoing, according to the Minister.

The incident highlights growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the Pacific region, where cybercriminals increasingly target critical infrastructure.

It follows the ransomware attack experienced by Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC), the state-owned telecommunications provider, in the year 2023.

At the time, TCC reportedly said:  

“Ransomware attack has been confirmed to encrypt and lock access to part of TCC’s system. This does not affect voice and internet service delivery to the customers, however, it may slow down the process of connecting new customers, delivering of bills and managing customers’ enquiries.”