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Niue hotel project
labelled pre-Forum rush job
12 February 2008 -
Source:
Radio New Zealand International
A 10 million dollar US hotel and golf project in
Niue is being criticised as a rush job as the
government is to host the Pacific Islands Forum this
year.
The hotel is being funded by private Chinese
investors.
The Premier Young Vivian says plans for the project
are quickly advancing, with the 100-room hotel
expected to be ready in time for the Forum in
August.
An MP, O’Love Jacobsen, says it appears landowners
have been bullied into an arrangement they’re not
okay with.
“And I’m sad if hardly anyone is going to say
anything about it because maybe they’re told not to
make too much noise because ’we need to get the
Forum up and running.’ Certain people wanting things
up so that it would justify them taking the Forum to
Niue. And that’s very sad because ultimately if the
Forum does go to Niue it’s going be a big
embarrassment for us.”
O’Love Jacobsen.
Premier Vivian says he’s unaware of any
dissatisfaction among landowners, saying it’s a
private sector initiative that has the government’s
blessing.
Ten Samoan boxing
pioneers receive honorary awards
04 February 2008 -
Source:
eventpolynesia.com
Ten recipients of the Samoa International Pro-Am
Boxing Honorary Awards were presented their awards
at the Pre-fight Cocktail on Friday 1st February
2008.
According to Mr. Puni, “It is fitting that the
pioneers of Samoa boxing are honoured at the
inaugural Samoa International Pro-Am Boxing event
for their service in boxing. This weekend Samoa will
not only host representatives from the four main
world boxing bodies, but will make boxing history
with local referee and judges officiating the WBO
Oriental Cruiserweight title.”
“Contrary to what most think, it is very hard to
raise funds in Samoa to promote boxing and
especially to stage international fights here. This
is the first and very likely to be the last time
Event Polynesia Boxing will bring such an
international boxing gathering here to Samoa.”
“Event Polynesia Boxing is committed to promoting
Samoan boxers. However, the international title
fights will have to be in Auckland where we stage
our New Zealand fights because of the huge expenses
that we incur to bring such events to Samoa.”
Mr. Puni and boxing officials made a courtesy call
to personally thank the Prime Minister, Hon.
Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi and to thank
the Samoa Government for the financial assistance
towards the amateur expenses of this event.
Mr. Reginald Leca, President of Oceania Boxing
Association and representative for PABA and WBA at a
media conference yesterday, compared Samoa to Cuba
as a force in world boxing. But unlike Cuba, Samoa
needs to move its amateur boxers to professional
boxing earlier rather than very late as is the case
with Maselino Masoe.
“This requires amateur boxing to work together with
professional boxing in Samoa in association with
promoters such as Event Polynesia Boxing, who are
helping Samoan professional boxers to get ranking
for title fights.”
The 10 recipients of the Samoa International Pro-Am
Boxing Honorary Awards are:
Hon Peter Paul – Promoter, Hon Sala Ulugia Suivai –
Promoter / Coach,
Savaiinaea Malo Slade – Boxer / Trainer / Coach,
Oscar Meredith – Trainer / Coach,
Hon Fa’asootauloa Sam Saili – Promoter,
Galumalemana Afeleti Betham – Trainer / Coach /
Promoter,
Hon Polataivao Fosi Schmidt – Boxer / Promoter /
Coach,
Lesa Eric Fatupaito – Trainer / Coach,
Maposua Rudolf Keil – Promoter, and
Ulugia Elijah Stanley – Promoter.
Special accommodation and
rental car deals announced for boxing fans
27 January 2008 -
Source:
eventpolynesia.com
Overseas interest in the upcoming Samoa
International Pro-Am Boxing event in Apia on
Saturday 2nd February 2008 will see up to 200 boxing
fans and supporters arriving in Samoa next week.
Many more are expected to book a ticket to Samoa
with the announcement over the week end of special
accommodation and rental car deals for boxing fans
and supporters.
Hotel Kitano Samoa is offering an accommodation
special $200 SAT per room per day for up to three
people with ELAVA at Vaitele is offering $120 SAT
per room per day up to two people with continental
breakfast included.
Apia Rental is offering a 15% discount to all their
vehicles with DAT Car Rentals is offering a special
$165 per day for their Hyundai Tucson fleet.
This was confirmed by Mr. Teleiai Su’atapulolo’o
Edwin Puni, Managing Director of Event Polynesia,
“For the next two weeks, Hotel Kitano Samoa and
ELAVA Resort will be the home of international
boxing with Apia Rental and DAT Car Rentals as the
preferred rental car service.”
The inaugural Samoa International Pro-Am Boxing is
an initiative of Event Polynesia Boxing in
association with SPBI and SABA to provide our Samoan
boxers both amateur and professional a pathway to
boxing world titles by setting up the needed top
international competitions right here in Samoa.
Mr. Puni credits the support from media partners
Samoa Observer, Le Samoa Post, SBC, TV3, Vaiala
Beach TV and Radio Polynesia in promoting the
upcoming fight.
Mr. Puni goes on to say, “Staging international
title fights in Samoa is very good for tourism and
local businesses and also allows for our people to
see the action LIVE and up close.”
WBO Oriental Cruiserweight title contender and
current IBF Australasian Cruiserweight champion Mr.
Lawrence Tauasa arrived in Samoa on Sunday with his
manager Mr. Lincoln Hudson to prepare for the
upcoming fight.
For more information contact Mr. Tuilagi Maiava
Saipele Esera on (+685) 751-9458 or email: saipele@eventpolynesia.com.
Niue election likely in
April
19 January 2008 -
Source:
Radio New Zealand International
An election in Niue will likely be held some time in
April.
The Premier, Young Vivian says he will announce the
election date at the beginning of February.
He says an election needs to be held three years
after the last election, which was in April 2005.
He says he is prepared for an election.
“Well, I think you have to judge that by what
happened in the past, so if you ahve a look at the
past, in terms of the pattern of how elections have
been done, then you will have a fair idea of what to
expect.”
The Niue Premier, Young Vivian
Merry Christmas and a
Prosperous 2008 from Event Polynesia
22 December 2007 -
Source:
eventpolynesia.com
At the beginning of this year, we all wondered what
2007 will bring. Just before Christmas, we sit and
look back over the year that was. And what a year it
has been!!
This year we have been blessed and our lives
enriched through meeting and being in touch with so
many remarkable people.
The passing away of more great leaders of the
Pacific were sad moments we all collectively shared.
While we differ in opinion in how to compact the war
against "terrorism," least we forget the sons and
daughters of the Pacific serving around the world
for freedom and peace, in particular the families of
those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Through Event Polynesia Multimedia, we have
endeavored to provide a vehicle for our Pacific
people to tell their stories and be heard,
particularly with our online website portal
www.eventpolynesia.com.
Through Event Polynesia Boxing and Event Polynesia
Entertainment, we hope to provide a platform to
showcase the talents of the Pacific.
Next year we will launch Event Polynesia
Tours as an extension of our service. Keep watching
this space.
And so before we sign off for 2007, we would like to
thank each and every one of our readers, supporters
and contributors and do appreciate all the
advertisers who recognize our readership, coverage
and brand strength.
A special acknowledgment goes out to our business
associates and event partners as we strive to
provide a robust marketing vehicle to promote your
services and products.
From the Event Polynesia Team, we wish you all a
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Indian workers
promised golden future in Niue
18 December 2007 -
Source:
NiuFM
The group of Indian workers stuck in Niue say they
were promised a golden future by the man who
recruited them for a work scheme that's gone sour
and left them penniless and stranded.
Balwant Choor has been on the island for 16 months
working on a market garden in Hakupu, and he says he
hasn't been paid a penny.
Choor says they were signed up for the Niue
Enterprise Agriculture Scheme by fellow Indian, Dr
Tiaz Sandu, who left several months ago to return
home.
He says they were promised good housing and money
but they're living in cramped conditions and can't
get transit visas to New Zealand, to go home to
India. (LISTEN)
The Niue local who went into the scheme with Dr
Sandu says the deal was for Sandu to pay the men's
families.
Maru Talagi says he was told Dr Sandu was putting
money into the men's bank accounts, every week.
New Zealand Museum
returns stolen Niue skull
10 December 2007 -
Source: Marianas Variety
Laga Talagi was a small child on the island of Niue
when he first heard the story about an ancestor’s
skull stolen by European visitors.
Memories of that tale came flooding back when he
learned the Auckland War Memorial Museum had various
remains — including one Niuean skull, in its
possession.
“I felt a chill when I saw the list,” the
78-year-old said. “I clicked straight away.”
The skull is among bones kept in storage at the
museum for decades unbeknown to many Pacific Island
communities.
Other remains from Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands,
Fiji, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tokelau,
Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are included.
Talagi is a retired minister who represents the
Niuean community on the Pasifika board brought
together to see the bones returned to their
homelands.
The skull has been identified as Niuean and Talagi
suspects it is the same one his father told him
about around 70 years ago. How long it lay in its
original burial site is unknown.
Talagi’s father told him it was taken from a sacred
burial site in their village without the permission
of the locals.
The traveler was never heard of or seen again.
“This may have happened more than 80 years ago,”
Talagi said.
The identity of the deceased male may never be known
but he is respectfully referred to as “tupuna”
meaning ancestor or leader.
A memorial service was to be held on Sunday before
the skull is flown back to Niue for burial.
Work to repatriate the other remains is ongoing.
Forum delegates may
have to limit numbers at next year’s Niue summit
02 December 2007 -
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Organisers of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’
summit in Niue next year are considering limiting
the size of the delegations.
A team of seven people, five of whom are from New
Zealand and two who are from the Forum , are
currently in Niue to assess what needs to be done.
They are looking at how to accommodate the numbers
as well issues like catering and security.
Talks are underway with the Niue government about
supplementing the police presence with officers from
New Zealand.
The deputy director of the pacific division in New
Zealand’s ministry of foreign affairs and trade says
the most pressing issue is finding enough
accommodation.
Belinda Brown says they will most likely ask local
people to open their homes to delegates as well as
ask countries to send fewer people.
“We may have to limit the size of delegations for
this Pacific Island Forum and we’re thinking about
that and writing to all the countries in the region
and suggesting that they limit the numbers. At
previous forums we’ve had between 350 and 400 people
coming. That might be quite hard for Niue so we’d
quite like to cut the numbers back.”
Niue hailed by NZ
cancer society for bribing smokers
24 November 2007 -
Source: Pacific Radio News
It might be a bribe but it certainly doesn't seem to
offend anti-smoking campaigners.
New Zealand's Cancer Society has hailed the efforts
of Niue for bribing locals to quit smoking.
Tobacco control advisor, Belinda Hughes, says the
two thousand dollar bait is a cheap and effective
way to help the addicted give up.
Niue is the first country in the world to want to
reward smokers for quiting.
Premier Young Vivian announced the initiative
recently.
Niue government
criticised over internet stance
16 November 2007 -
Source: Radio New Zealand International
The government of Niue is being called on to build a
positive relationship with the company administering
the DOT NU domain name and end a misdirected
campaign to assert sovereignty.
The government’s own commission of inquiry has
dismissed the claims and admonished its advisers.
The man who heads the Internet Users Society, Niue,
which administers Dot NU, American-based William
Semich says the push to assert sovereignty is tragic
because it misdirects the government’s energy from
building a positive relationship.
He says it has cost the country and the Internet
Users’ Society about half a million US dollars.
“just in terms of unnecessary travel, unnecessary
legal expenses, public relations expenses. The whole
commission of inquiry probably cost around three
hundred thousand dollars all told, and all it proved
was that the information that the Government’s
advisers had given them in order to create the false
idea that they had sovereign rights, was false. It
was just really a tragic misuse of our money and the
Government of Niue’s money.”
William Semich says the Society has contributed
about three and a half million US dollars to Niue in
the past eight years, mostly to support the island’s
internet service.
Niue considers
privatising Telecom in face of network woes
08 November 2007 -
Source: Radio New Zealand International
The Premier of Niue Young Vivian says the island
could privatise Telecom Niue as the Government works
through options for repairing a system that
frequently fails.
Phone users often find the connections going dead -
sometimes dozens of times in a single call.
Young Vivian says the problem has to be resolved
before the Pacific Islands Forum summit in ten
months.
He says it will cost millions of dollars to repair
and the first option is to discuss this with its
main aid donor, New Zealand.
But Mr Vivian says Niue already has a team working
looking for the best options.
“What are the things that we need to do? Who are we
going to make choices about and so on? And who is
going to own it and whether it is a joint venture or
full ownership by certain people or certain
companies? All those things have to be considered.”
Young Vivian
Wrecked ship to be
removed soon from Niue reef
31 October 2007 -
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Work to remove a fishing trawler which ran aground
off Niue six months ago is expected to begin
shortly.
The Niue Government has directed the Reef Fishing
Company to have the Jay Belinda removed from Liha
Point because it is an environmental threat.
When the boat ran aground on the reef in March
around a thousand litres of fuel and other
contaminants were removed.
The manager of Reef Fishing, Kim Gordon, says the
underwriters, Shipowners Mutual, have now signed a
contractor to remove the vessel.
They are likely to patch the hull then tow the boat
out to sea and sink it.
Kim Gordon says she is not sure how long the salvage
will take because the vessel is difficult to reach.
“From land it is a 20 to 30 minute hike through the
bush to the edge of the cliff, and then it is 40
metres down the cliff edge to the reef where the
boat is sitting. From sea it is avery vulnerable
position, so although they can come in reasonably
close, it is very difficult to access from the sea.”
Kim Gordon of Reef Fishing
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