Latest news with #Niue
RNZ News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Niue's Sidney Lui re-elected to Oceania Rugby Board, vows to be 'voice' of Tier 3 nations
Sidney Lui, second right, was among the attendees of the Oceania Growth Conference week, taking part in the Tier 1 Rugby and Rugby Rising play-based learning and engaging practical activities, acquiring valuable knowledge to share within their respective unions. Photo: Facebook / Oceania Rugby Tier 3 rugby nations in Oceania will continue to have their voices heard within Oceania Rugby, following the re-election of Niue's Sidney Lui as a Board member of the regional governing body of the sport. Lui was re-elected at Oceania Rugby annual general meeting in Nadi last week. Lui, the secretary-general of the Niue Rugby Union, gets to serve her second consecutive term on the board, reinforcing her role as a key advocate for Tier 3 rugby nations. Speaking to RNZ Pacific, she said she has consistently championed the inclusion, development, and visibility of emerging rugby nations within Oceania's wider strategic priorities. "I was the voice of our Tier 3 nations who are underdeveloped in the game of rugby," she said. "This vote is not just about me, it's about the collective progress of the smaller unions who have so much untapped potential. "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it," Lui said following her re-election. She said he was grateful for the confidence in her leadership, particularly from the Tier 3 unions who have rallied behind her advocacy over the past four years. During her first term, she was instrumental in pushing for inclusive development pathways, capacity building support, and greater boardroom representation for smaller Pacific Island unions, including Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and Nauru. She expressed her gratitude to the Niue Rugby Union for their continued trust and support. "I humbly acknowledge the President and the Niue Rugby Union for endorsing my candidacy again, and I especially thank the Tier 3 nations for their faith in me," she said. "I'm proud to carry your voices for another four years." The Oceania Rugby board make up has Richard Sapias, Steven Lancaster, Dr Jane Wilson, Taylah Johnson, Kieran Keke, Ant Hearne, 'Aisea Aholelei and Lui. Sydney Lui Photo: Supplied Meanwhile, Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) chief executive 'Aisea Aholelei was also re-elected. 'Aholelei managed to get ahead of candidates from Fiji and Samoa for a seat on the board. He said he was grateful for the support he received to serve on the Oceania board again and was looking forward to having inputs into the development plans for Oceania rugby. "It's good that we have input and insights into what is best implemented for the region as a whole," he said. "And where nations can look for support in development from stakeholders and sponsors." 'Aholelei has been part of Tonga Rugby's alignment with World Rugby systems and structures in the past five years. Oceania Rugby President Richard Sapias said the meeting had opened the door to new international partnerships, including a potential French-supported regional competition. "We're excited by the possibility of launching a new competition that the French are keen to support, potentially hosted in Fiji," Sapias said. Fiji and France this week discussed more partnership for rugby between the two countries. Former French international Abdelatif Benazzi, the vice‑president of the French Rugby Federation and chairman of the Six Nations Rugby Championship, was also in Fiji, discussing possible partnerships with Oceania. The meeting in Nadi also presented the opportunity for World Rugby to go through plans for the region. Sapias said the importance of regional collaboration and closer ties with World Rugby is critical for Pacific island unions. He said this would help the unions continue to navigate both opportunities and challenges in player retention, development funding, and local competition structures.
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Dalton Tagelagi: Niue on course to achieve its renewable energy goals
By 'Alakihihifo Vailala , PMN Niue's Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis Niue's Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi says the island nation will achieve its "ambitious target" of 80 percent renewable energy goal by the end of 2025, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to its Paris Agreement commitments. Speaking on PMN Niue , Tagelagi says reaching the target will reap many benefits for the nation, which sits 68 metres above sea level at its highest point. "We will be reaching that target with 80 percent renewable energy, and that means it will save us a lot in fossil fuel," Tagelagi says. "Fossil fuel is one of the main contributors to climate change, and that means that will factor in as part of our national determined contribution towards the Paris Agreement." Niue is currently hosting the Niue National Energy Summit 2025 in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Summit brings together government leaders, MPs, village councils, private sector players, development partners and community stakeholders to co-develop a shared vision for Niue's energy future and set priorities for the next Energy Roadmap through to 2035. This is the second Energy Summit, following the 2015 summit, which set the target of achieving 80 per cent renewable energy by 2025. Last year, during a visit to Niue, Aotearoa, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced an investment of $20.5 million in a new, large-scale project aimed at helping the island nation achieve its renewable energy target. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Niue Prime Minister Tagelagi in Niue last year. Photo: RNZ/Giles Dexter The project also ensures better energy security during destructive weather events. Tagelagi says that greater funding commitments for Small Island Developing States are needed, a sentiment echoed by many leaders during last year's Conference of the Parties in Azerbaijan. "Everyone was calling for at least US$39 billion (NZ$65b) annually to support adaptation across all small island development states," Tagelagi says. Reflecting on last month's United Nations Ocean Conference, Tagelagi says Niue is gaining international traction due to homegrown initiatives, such as when the nation declared its entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) a Multiple-Use Marine Park under the Nukutulea Framework in 2022. Niue is one of the few countries worldwide with 100 percent of its ocean space legally managed and marks the second largest no-take Marine Protected Area by EEZ percentage globally. "The world's keeping an eye on it because of how it was structured or how the initiative and thing is," Tagelagi says. "It does come with higher responsibilities with people outside wanting to know more about what we're doing. "It is one thing to put ourselves out there. The other challenge would - PMN
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 3 July
This handout photograph released by Buckingham Palace on 25 January , 2025, shows Britain's King Charles III, posing for a photograph in the library at Balmoral, Scotland in Autumn 2024. Photo: MILLIE PILKINGTON / AFP King Charles III has been made a "care-holder" of one square kilometre of the Moana Mahu marine protected area, as a gift from Niue. Last week, ministers, indigenous leaders, businesses and investors gathered at a conference convened by the UK Government in London to discuss how to drive private money into restoring and conserving nature and natural services. At the reception after the meeting, Niue natural resources minister Mona Ainu'u presented King Charles with Niue honey and a certificate showing he had been made a Moana Mahu "care-holder". Niue said it is an innovative finance solution to protect oceans for future generations. Police in Papua New Guinea have caught an assistant policeman who allegedly freed his partner and twelve others from police custody in Simbu province. However 12 of the escapees are still on the run and pose a significant risk to the public. The Post-Courier reported the auxiliary officer and the woman, facing trial for murder, were arrested on Saturday after a public tip-off. Provincial police commander Superintendent Muzac Rubiang said the officer facilitated the breakout on 17 June by supplying spare keys to the cell block. Superintendent Rubiang said the escapees are dangerous, with eight accused of murder and one of rape. The assistant officer has now been charged with 13 counts of aiding prisoners to escape while his partner is charged with escaping from lawful custody. A new study has found the Papua New Guinea Government lost 2.59 billion kina - more than US$600 million - to the illicit alcohol market. The National reported illicit alcohol makes up 71 percent of the PNG alcohol market. Economic and financial consulting director Robert Southern has presented the report to the prime minister. He said homebrew alcohol makes up a third of the whole market. Fiji's Ministry of Finance has expressed confidence that the country will be removed from the European Union blacklist following an upcoming review. FBC reported Permanent Secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder saying the export incentive deduction remains the main hurdle keeping Fiji on the blacklist. Gounder said they are having a review with the EU in the next four to six months, "and with the current circumstances and the situation as we have laid out, we are very confident that we should get out of the blacklist". He said they will make a decision about the future of the export deduction, and whether they should modify it to suit EU requirements, at a later point.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Niue not at 2025 Pacific Mini Games due to travel costs to Palau
The 2025 Pacific Mini Games set to officially open on Sunday. Photo: Facebook / Pacific Mini Games Palau 2025 Team Niue is not competing at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau. Both the Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association and the Pacific Games Council confirmed to RNZ Pacific on Wednesday that Niue pulled out of the event in May. "It is just too expensive," general secretary Sidney Lui said when asked why there are no Niue athletes in Koror. "Teams pulled out last minute due to affordability." She said it would cost a single member around NZ$8,000 (more than US$4800) to make the flight from Niue to Koror, Palau, via Auckland, Brisbane and Taiwan. "Thats the cheapest route. That's buying a new car." Sidney Lui Photo: Supplied On top of that, Niue Weightlifting were not registered, something that Lui was disappointed with. "We also found out that Niue Weightlifting did not register the athletes in the IWF [International Weightlifting Federation] portal. Same thing they did to them in Birmingham," she said. "Sad because [weightlifting] was our last hope." Pacific Games Council (PGC) chief executive Andrew Minogue confirmed Niue's withdrawal from the Games. "PGC is disappointed in Niue PGA (Pacific Games Association) for not fulfilling their obligations to send at least one athlete to the Games," he said in response to questions sent to him. "There was no announcement by the PGC as such; however all the stakeholders and organisers in Palau were made aware immediately after the 15 May entries deadline. "The PGC worked with Niue PGA prior to this deadline to find at least one athlete and provide financial incentive to help with their travel costs. However, they could not identify an athlete willing to participate." RNZ Pacific became aware of an issue with Niue when we noticed that Niue was missing from the Mini Games medal tally after day two of competition, but it was on the medal table after day one. Mingoue said the medal tally software includes all countries by default, "so we made the adjustment yesterday (Tuesday) once we saw Niue still listed". Both the PGC and Niue confirmed there was no penalty dished out for the withdrawal. Financing for the trip to Palau was an issue that majority of the island countries faced, especially those from the greater Polynesian region, including Fiji, one of the furthest Melanesian countries from Koror. Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu governments chartered special flights to get their athletes and officials over to Palau last week, ahead of Sunday's opening ceremony.
RNZ News
01-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 1 July
Niue government buildings Photo: RNZ/ Sally Round Health, education, social welfare and government salaries have receives a boost in the Niue government's new NZ$12.5 million (US$7.6m) deficit budget. Last week, the island's finance minister announced the largest expenditure of the government is to cover the salaries of its workforce and the cost of social services. TV Niue reported the health department gets the highest increase in this budget of more than $880,000, a 26 percent boost. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has announced several new initiatives aimed at enhancing firearm regulation and safety across the Pa Enua (outer islands). Cook Islands News reported this includes the resumption of police-issued ammunition and plans to simplify the driving licensing process for tourists. Speaking in parliament, Brown confirmed that the Cook Islands Police has reinstated its role as the official supplier of ammunition to the Pa Enua. The move is expected to assist island communities in managing issues such as wild animal control. East Sepik Governor Allan Bird has raised concerns over a drop in chicken sales nationwide. Bird said the government banned the importation of frozen chicken from Australia and New Zealand with the pretext of protecting the Papua New Guinea industry from foreign competitors and diseases. He said it was a short-sighted decision and now as imported chicken stock runs out, the impact is being felt around the country. He said imported chickens retail at about 22 kina ($US5.33) per kilo, while locally produced chickens retail at about 40 kina. Bird said local chicken production will remain expensive because the chicken feed is imported and 80 per cent of the cost of producing a chicken is the feed cost. A large Samoan festival - the Teuila Festival - has been cancelled this year. The festival, which features cultural performances and the Miss Samoa pageant, has been cancelled to avoid a timing clash with Samoa's general election. The Miss Samoa pageant has been rescheduled, to run from 27 October to 9 November. Fijian Nazhat Shameem Khan has been elevated to the topmost prosecutorial position at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Fiji Times reported the Office of the Prosecutor at the ICC has announced that deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang have taken over leadership, following prosecutor Karim Khan KC's temporary leave of absence. In May Khan, who is British, stepped aside pending the outcome of a United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation into alleged misconduct. Nazhat Shameem Khan is a Fijian diplomat and former judge. Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is poised to attend Papua New Guinea's 50th independence anniversary celebrations in Port Moresby on 16 September. Local media reports Rabuka praising his PNG counterpart James Marape for his leadership in strengthening the region and expressed Fiji's commitment to maintaining strong diplomatic ties with PNG. Fiji and PNG established diplomatic relations in 1975 and continue to build on their traditional, political, and economic partnership.
