Obituaries — Rt Hon James (Jim) Bolger ONZ, PC

Press Release – Hansard Thursday, 16 October 2025 – Volume 788 THURSDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2025 The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m. KARAKIA/PRAYERS SPEAKER: Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all...

Game of Thrones in the modern era: How some monarchies survive today

I still remember the day Queen Elizabeth II died. It was not just Britain that mourned; television screens across the world glowed with her image. Something seemed to fade away that day, an age when kings and queens ruled not by votes, but by...

Sporting banter or disrespect – is it ever okay to boo the haka?

Online, opinions have been split. Some call it “disrespectful” while others defend it as “just sporting banter”. ‘A house for all’: The meaning behind haka In Aotearoa, haka carries deep whakapapa interwoven into the fabric of the country. Its...

Sporting banter or disrespect? Is it ever ok to boo the haka?

Kiwis Jeremy Marshall-King during the haka before the Pacific Championships rugby league test. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ Photosport It's almost guaranteed rugby league's Pacific Championships will always draw a crowd. The competition kicked off in style...

A call for justice and survival – ambitious blueprint launches for climate and health action across the Western Pacific

Jason Staines writes: When health ministers from across Asia and the Pacific gathered in Nadi this week, the message from the World Health Organization was that climate change has become the region’s defining health emergency. Launched in Fiji,...

Sporting banter or disrespect – is it ever okay to boo the haka?

Online, opinions have been split. Some call it “disrespectful” while others defend it as “just sporting banter”. ‘A house for all’: The meaning behind haka In Aotearoa, haka carries deep whakapapa interwoven into the fabric of the country. Its...

Final results confirm axeing of more than half of Māori wards

Newly elected Tararua Māori Ward councillor Keshaan Te Waaka is disappointed with her council's decision. Photo: Supplied/Keshaan Te Waaka As the dust settles from the local elections final results have confirmed that more than half of councils...

In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges

Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is dotted with clusters of brown and black rocks, each containing valuable metals. The rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, hold reserves of critical minerals that could be used to power...

England face Ashes mountain but international rugby league set for long-awaited shot in the arm

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

New trade-services pact with China

Cabinet has approved a trade partnership framework with China to boost the agriculture sector. Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi, said the Cabinet has given approval to a new trade-services partnership framework with the People’s...

Keshaan Te Waaka Makes History in Tararua Māori Ward – Despite Council Vote to Scrap It

Role Funding: Keshaan Te Waaka has made history as the first elected councillor for Tararua’s Māori ward, but her term will be short-lived after the council voted to remove the ward in future elections. A 21-year-old Māori-Tongan leader has made...

Children and women wellbeing survey launched on World Statistics Day

The Tonga Statistics Department (TSD) yesterday launched the 2024 round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), unveiling its Key Performance Indicators Report. The event, held at Liku‘alofa Beach Resort in Tofoa, officiated by the...

How Is XRP Helping New Zealanders Access Faster International Payments?

New Zealand sits at the edge of the world, which sounds romantic until you need to send money anywhere. Traditional banks have gotten better at international transfers, major routes clear in 1-2 days, but they still hit you with high fees,...

Netanyahu praises Papua New Guinea with ‘deep gratitude’ for backing Israel

Asia Pacific Report Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed “deep gratitude” for Papua New Guinea’s support to his country over many years and during the Middle East conflict. Prime Minister James Marape was given the message...

Top Australian diplomat visits Solomons to address security concern

Australia’s foreign minister landed Friday in Solomon Islands to address relations frayed by the Pacific nation’s cosy ties and recent security pact with China. It is the latest stop in a South Pacific travel blitz by Foreign Minister Penny Wong,...

WHO pushes for safer, affordable surgeries across the Pacific

Surgery is meant to save lives, but in the Western Pacific, it can lead to financial hardship, long delays, or preventable deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging health ministers to prioritise safer surgical practices within the...

Fiji netballer Unaisi Rokoura remembered

Photo: Netball Fiji Facebook Tributes have been pouring in after former Fiji Pearls captain and coach Unaisi Rokoura died last week. It's understood she died of a suspected drowning. Rokoura, 47, represented the Fiji Pearls at two Commonwealth...

Kariba's Kasambabezi FM Empowers Marginalized Communities, Transforms Lives

By Anwell Bepe, Kasambabezi FM Coordinator Kasambabezi FM, Kariba's community radio station, is making significant strides in addressing long-standing issues affecting marginalized communities in the district. Through its "Rise & Participate"...

Tauranga sergeant serves up Kiwi feast in US

When Tauranga’s Katie Emmett joined the New Zealand Army as a chef, her mother told her she’d get the chance to see the world. That prediction came true, with several international opportunities in her military career so far; the latest being a...

Patriots Mailbag: Trade deadline targets, how to overcome the run game and more

Following a Week 6 victory over the Saints and a second consecutive loss by the Bills, the Patriots currently sit atop the AFC East. Their schedule, as has been discussed, could help them stay there as the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline nears. So,...