Police investigation

Acting Wellington District Commander Inspector Dion Bennett says there was a couch fire at Loafers Lodge at around 10.30pm on Monday night, prior to the fatal fire which occurred around two hours later.

“The couch fire was not reported to emergency services at the time. As part of our enquiries, we will be seeking to confirm any link between that couch fire and the subsequent fatal fire.”

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot as Mr Baldwin, 63, rehearsed drawing a prop gun on the set of the movie Rust in October last year.

Santa Fe Sheriff's Office confirmed the actor had turned over his device to authorities near his home in New York.

Police had said earlier this week that the actor was not co-operating with the inquiry.

Santa Fe County Sheriff spokesperson Juan Rios told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that police intend to gather data like text messages and voicemails off the handset as part of their investigation into the incident.

Responding to local media reports of a group threatening to "unleash a second wave" on the already damaged city police commissioner Mostyn Mangau said investigations were already underway and that the threat is being treated as a matter of national security.

"Police will not tolerate any armed groups or criminals who are taking the opportunity to plan their crimes to threaten the sovereignty of this nation."

Late last month political unrest descended into three days of looting and burning on the streets of the capital causing over $SBD500 million worth of damage.

A press release will be released today, Acting Police Superintendent Tevita Vailea told Kaniva News last  evening.

He has refuted social media speculation regarding Kefu’s death as wrong but he did not provide any details about it.

As Kaniva News reported Saturday, unconfirmed reports claimed Kefu’s body was found at a beach in Tatakamotonga.

Kefu worked as a communication advisor for the Tonga Red Cross.

He was also the president of the Tonga Leitis Association and was known to many from all walks of life.

Photo file 

Officers were called shortly before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack in Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

No arrests have been made, but Thames Valley Police believe the boy was attacked by two or three males.

Police said the boy's next of kin have been informed, but no formal identification has taken place.

A "considerable police presence" will be in place for several days, police said.

It's still unclear what caused the cut, which plunged Tonga into a 12-day internet blackout and also hampered international phone calls.

Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell told Matangi Tonga the investigation would assess whether the damage to the cable was deliberate or accidental.

The Police Minister, Māteni Tapueluelu, said last week there appeared to be a "human factor" behind the damage.

The cable's owner, government-owned Tonga Cable Ltd, completed its initial investigation last week.

Mr Tapueluelu said an initial report has been submitted to Police which included photos taken at the site where damage to the international and domestic submarine internet cables was located.

Tonga Cable director Piveni Piukala previously told Kaniva News he could not rule out foul play as the reason for the damage.

Mr Tapueluelu said the ropes which were found tied to the damaged parts of the cables appeared to show the knots were ones that were usually employed only by seamen or fire fighters.

The scientists were undertaking fieldwork for the Institute of Medical Research when they went missing off the coast of West New Britain.

Despite numerous searches, little trace of them has been found, although their boat was later thought to have washed up on the Sepik coast.

Police previously believed the scientists had been kidnapped, but have now closed the case.

The director of the Institute of Medical Research, William Pomat, said the coroner's report was also inconclusive

The babies all went into cardiac arrest while lying in incubators at Seoul's Ewha Womans University Medical Centre.

Staff performed CPR but efforts to revive the babies were unsuccessful, a hospital official said.

Family members told local media they were concerned about the health of the infants before they died on Saturday.

They said the babies all had bloated stomachs and difficulty breathing. Hospital staff say they do not know what caused the cardiac arrests but told police they did "not seem to have originated from a contagious cause."

This came after report from the Auditor General proposing a legal probe into the issues identified while auditing the TVET – funding for Tonga’s Vocational and Technical Institutions which includes the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute.

TVET’s funding per head to the local institutions is TOP$600.

The Auditor General therefore believed that the institution provides false information regarding the students enrolled leading to overpayment made by TVET.