The sale of all Lotto products to under-18-year-olds is set to be banned by the Government this year with fines to be issued to retailers caught selling these products to young people.
Sale of Lotto tickets to under 18s to be banned
1News can reveal an amendment to Section 301 of the Gambling Act 2003 — which refers to age restrictions on instant games and similar games — will restrict the purchase of Lotto NZ’s products both in-store and online to those aged 18-years-old and over. Currently, Instant Kiwi is the only Lotto NZ product with this restriction.
The Government hoped to embed this amendment within a proposed omnibus bill planned for introduction to Parliament later this year.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said it was a “really simple” law change that would bring consistency across Lotto’s products and make age restrictions “very clear” to retailers and consumers.
“We don’t think children should be buying alcohol for their parents, buying cigarettes, buying wine — they should also not be buying tickets for gambling for their parents too.”
She said the Government decided on the change late last year and legislation would be introduced in the House of Representatives this year.
“There will be a fine of about $1000 for any retailer who would be caught selling these products to children.”
Lotto NZ was “highly supportive” of the law change, saying it would remove a grey area which it said could be confusing for retailers and customers.
“We believe it will help us in our commitment to minimising gambling harm and will make it clear that Lotto is for adults only, like other forms of gambling,” said head of corporate communications Will Hine.
Advocates also praised the change to legislation, calling it “long overdue”.
“It just doesn’t make sense that somebody aged under 18 can actually go and buy a gambling product, which of course a lotto ticket is, so we’re really pleased that finally this will be in the Gambling Act,” said Problem Gambling Foundation advocacy and public health director Andree Froude.
Solomon Islands has the highest-ranked passport of Pacific Island nations, at 37th equal.
This is according to the Henley Passport Index.
The index, organised by a consulting firm that describes itself as “the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment,” releases the list based on global travel freedoms using data from the International Air Transport Association.
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
The Solomon Islands passport has access to 134 countries out of 227 on the list.
Samoa and Tonga have access to 131 destinations; while the Marshall Islands has access to 129.
Tuvalu is in equal 41st place with access to 128 countries, while Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau can visit 124 countries visa-free.
Further down the list is Vanuatu with access to 92 countries; Fiji with 90; Nauru, 89 and Papua New Guinea, 87.
Singapore tops the list, with access to 195 countries, ahead of Japan (193 destinations) and six countries in third equal position – Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain (192 destinations).
The ranking is the highest for New Zealand since 2017. It peaked at No. 4 in 2015 but dipped as low as 8th in 2018 and 2019.
At the tail end of the list are countries including Yemen, Iran and Syria, with Afghanistan at the bottom ranked 106th, with only 26 countries allowing visa-free access.
Incidentally, Australia also has the most expensive passport in the world – with a new adult passport costing AUD$412 (approximately US$255.30) ahead of Mexico (US$222.82), the USA (US$162.36) and New Zealand (US$120.37).
Henley and Partners said it uses a scoring system.
For each travel destination, if no visa is required for passport holders from a country or territory, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. A score with value = 1 is also applied if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
The total score for each passport is equal to the number of destinations for which no visa is required (value = 1).
Seven people had to be rescued after a fire broke out at one of Auckland’s West Coast beaches this evening.
Smoke could be seen from Piha. Photo: supplied
Fire and Emergency confirmed they were notified of the blaze on Anawhata Beach just before 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Eight firetrucks, three helicopters, and multiple support vehicles were called out to the blaze. Fire and Emergency said the fire was now controlled, and firefighters will return at 6am tomorrow.
Surf Life Saving NZ (SLSNZ) also confirmed that Piha surf lifeguards successfully rescued seven people after they were trapped by the blaze.
At about 7pm, police and fire staff contacted SLSNZ, requesting support to extract people stranded at Anawhata Beach.
Surf lifeguards on three inflatable rescue boats and two rescue water crafts picked up the trapped people from the beach and returned them safely to Piha at about 8pm.
Earlier, a Piha resident said she could see smoke from the Anawhata fire from her home.
“I saw a helicopter with a bucket fly over and local [fire] crews are there now.”
A fire also broke out southeast of Bulls in the Rangitikei District on Wednesday afternoon.
Fire and Emergency said a call about the blaze in Parewānui came in at about 4.45pm.
Ground crews and two helicopters were at the scene, and the fire is now 75 percent contained.
Crews will remain on the site of the fire in Parewānui overnight.
Folau Fakatava’s last All Blacks appearance in 2022 occurred after tearing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament for the third time.
All Black Folau Fakatava. Photo / Andrew Corn
Since then, he has been making every effort to ensure his return to playing.
The 25-year-old also missed selection for the All Blacks XV in 2024.
However, Fakatava can return to the international arena in the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup should he wish to and should he earn the call-up, a report by the Rugby Pass said.
“He would no doubt be a huge asset for the ‘Ikale Tahi, where he could follow in the footsteps of fellow former All Blacks like Malakai Fekitoa and Vaea Fifita”, it said.
“Even if he doesn’t suit up for the Tongan side this year, Fakatava may well be present for the team when they look to assemble their all-star cast at the next World Cup”.
‘Ikale Tahi pledges
After its European tour last year, Tonga experienced a disheartening state, receiving nine consecutive losses out of 10 games, raising significant concerns and increasing the pressure on coach Tevita Tuifua as he sought to turn the team’s fortunes around.
Tonga’s only win was against Canada in the play-off for the fifth spot in the Pacific Nations Cup in September.
However, Tu’ifua reportedly considered bringing in more experienced players, especially those playing club rugby in Europe, for this year’s test rugby season.
Tuifua told RNZ Pacific that he wanted to ensure he had the right mix of players, while also making sure the coaching staff had a strong pool of players to work with.
He said the coaching staff had already discussed their plans with Tonga Rugby Union to ensure the national squad was able to play with consistency next year and beyond.
The focus this year had been on lifting the skills and rugby knowledge of their local-based players by giving them an opportunity to play for the ‘Ikale Tahi in test matches, he said.
This meant many experienced overseas-based players plying their trade in Europe were left out, he said.
“We wanted to make sure that we are able to have our own pool of local players and those playing in New Zealand and Australia who we can call upon,” Tuifua said.
“That is important for our growth moving forward. We have seen what happens when the Europe-based players are not available and we have to run around to find players.
“So our strategy is to upskill our players and have that pool of players ready when we need them.”
Commissioner Sēmisi Tapueluelu of His Majesty’s Prisons has issued a statement following reports of a prisoner’s death, which have been accompanied by conflicting allegations regarding the cause of death.
His Majesty’s Prisons Commissioner Sēmisi Tapueluelu. Photo/Supplied
As Kaniva News reported this week, local media have identified the deceased as Peau La’iafi.
Some media sources alleged the 39-year-old died of a heart attack.
Others, however, claimed that the deceased was a victim of foul play.
We contacted the Prisons’ CEO, Sēmisi Tapueluelu, for comment.
We asked him to clarify the conflicting information we had about La’iafi’s death.
We also requested Tapueluelu to confirm whether this was La’iafi who was sentenced in relation to the death of Manu Crewe of Pelehake in 2017.
Tapueluelu responded after we published our story on Wednesday.
Death in Custody Protocol
Tapueluelu did not deny our news or the identification we reported about the deceased prisoner.
He said that when a prisoner dies, the officer in charge (“pule ‘o e ‘api polisi”) of the nearest police station must be informed.
The officer will present the case to a tribunal with jurors to determine the cause of death.
Correctional officers (“sela”) are prohibited from participating in that tribunal, he told Kaniva News.
The jurors will review all the information pertinent to the death and may request additional investigation if deemed necessary.
Upon finishing their work, the body of the deceased would be handed over to the family.
The deceased
A court decision said La’iafi was sentenced along with two other men after an altercation between them and Crewe.
The incident occurred after the men became aware that Crewe had allegedly sexually assaulted one of the men’s daughters.
Court document shows Crewe admitted to the offence.
During a night of heavy drinking, a heated altercation broke out involving Crewe, La’iafi, and the men.
The tension escalated, resulting in a violent confrontation.
Crewe sustained serious injuries during this incident and was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
A man who was caught selling drugs on Sunday has been sentenced to jail.
Harris Satini
Harris Satini was handed a four-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of one count of possession of an illicit drug and one count of possession of utensils.
His co-accused, Saia Tufui, was also found guilty of one count of Possession of an illicit drug. He was convicted and sentenced to one month imprisonment. However, Justice Petunia Tupou suspended his sentence for a period of 12 months on conditions.
Court document shows that on Sunday 27 August, 2023 at around 8pm, information was received by the police that Harris was selling drugs in Vaini.
He was using two vehicles, that is, his own white land rover and a red car owned by one Afu.
The police acted on the information and dispatched to Vaini. At Afu‟ ‘s residence, they encountered Harris attempting to reverse out of that home in Afu‟ ‘s red car.
He was immediately detained by police.
Harris had a red bag strapped around his waist at the time. Inside the bag was one large pack containing a white substance that was weighed at 10.64g and tested positive for methamphetamine.
A body search of him uncovered in his left trouser pocket two packs of a plant substance which tested positive for cannabis and eight fifty dollar bills. In his right trouser pocket was found one smoking pipe and one lighter, plus four twenty seniti and 1 ten seniti.
A search of the vehicle he was in when the police arrived uncovered one smoking pipe between the front seats. During the search of his own vehicle with licence plate L-
21913, the police found one large-sized pack containing shreds of plant material and a $20 bill in the compartment beside the steering wheel. In the compartment in between the front seats was 1 silver weighing scale; beneath the hand brakes were 31 empty packs and in the back pouch of the front passenger seat were two smoking pipes.
The total weight of the cannabis found in the possession of Harris was 8.40g.
The utensils found in his possession were; one weighing scale, two smoking pipes, one straw and 38 empty packs.
A search of his home, which had been swept and cleaned by Saia, did not locate any offending material.
The police found Saia at Harris‟ ‘s house. Nothing was found on Tufui after a body search.
However, inside the cover of his phone was plant material weighing 0.15g and tested positive for cannabis.
When he was asked about the plant material by the police, he admitted it was his “pongo”.
The public is warned that fish washing ashore on Auckland beaches pose health risks and are unsafe to eat.
Fisheries New Zealand issued the warning following the recent sinking of a commercial fishing vessel in Hauraki Gulf off north Auckland.
People are urged to avoid collecting or eating dead snapper that may float ashore after a commercial fishing vessel’s catch spilled into the water off Moturekareka Island, in Kawau Bay, to the north of Auckland, when it sank on Tuesday night, the NZ Herald reported.
“The vessel sunk in approximately 8 metres of water and had a large quantity of fish onboard, predominantly snapper,” the Fisheries NZ acting deputy director-general Steve Ham was quoted by the Herald as saying.
Members of the public are warned against handling or eating any dead fish.
“We ask people who see dead fish in the area not to collect them as they may be unsafe to eat,” Ham said.
Fisheries NZ will be keeping an eye on developments.
“Fishery officers are monitoring the situation and will be visible in the area over the coming days, and if anyone has concerns about dead fish, call us on 0800 008 333,” Ham said.
Taupo will make history on the 5th of April as Ironfist Promotions will host two-division world champion Lani Daniels (Ngāti Hine/Ngāpuhi) to defend her IBF Light Heavyweight title against Tongan-born New Zealander Nailini Helu at the Taupo Event Centre.
This is a historic fight on so many levels including being the first major World title fight to happen outside of Hamilton, Auckland and Northland, the second world title fight to happen between a Maori and Pasifika, and Nailini Helu becoming the first female Tongan to fight for a world title. This fight is also a rematch as the two first back in 2018 when Lani Daniels successfully defended her New Zealand national (NZPBA version) light heavyweight title.
Taupo is no stranger to boxing as it hosted the North Island Golden Gloves Championship for decades before the competition moved to Tauranga. Nuki Boxing Gym has hosted multiple events over the years in Taupo to add to the busyness of amateur boxing.
Nigel Elliott of Ironfist Promotions will be the sole promoter of this fight, with this being his second world title that he is promoting and over 20 professional boxing fights in his promoting career. He has promoted multiple significant events in his boxing career including four of Lani Daniels’s fights, including her world title defence against the Nigerian Bolatito Oluwole, and other boxers including top 10 WBO Ranked Gunnar Jackson, World title contender Andrei Mikhailovich, Liam Messam, former top 3 IBF Ranked Jerome Pampellone, World Title contender Alrie Meleisea, top 10 WBA ranked Sequita Hemingway and more.
Elliot is hoping to connect with the local iwi and businesses to get this event happening as world title fights are high risk and incredibly expensive to promote, especially in a small country like New Zealand.
Lani Daniels has been on fire, being on her seventh long winning streak since April 2022. She won her first world title against Alrie Meleisea in May 2023 for the IBF World Heavyweight title. She went on to successfully defend it before winning her second world title for the IBF World Light Heavyweight title in December 2023 against now the current IBF World Middleweight champion Desley Robinson.
Daniels has held onto the Light Heavyweight world title for over 410 days, climbing closer to Joseph Parker’s first WBO World Heavyweight title record of 476 days. However, if you combine both of her titles, she has held both for over 612 days. England-born New Zealand Citizen Bob Fitzsimmons holds the record for most world titles by a New Zealander with four world titles across three weight divisions with a combination of 3267 days.
Daniels’s opponent Nailini Helu made her professional boxing debut in April 2016. Right from the beginning, she was deemed as someone destined for greatness in boxing. However, she faced significant setbacks, losing to some of New Zealand and Australia greats including IBF World title contender Alrie Meleisea, IBF World Middleweight champion Desley Robinson, retired WBO World Light Heavyweight champion Geovana Peres, and Lani Daniels. Helu began having a major comeback after taking a four-year hiatus, winning the South Pacific (PBCNZ version) Super Middleweight title in August 2022 and in August 2024, both against Tinta Smith. The title wins gave her a significant boost in the rankings, now being ranked 6th in both Boxrec and the IBF. Helu will make history by becoming the first Tongan female to fight world a world title, making this the second Maori vs Pasifika world title fight.
The undercard will feature a variety of combat sports including Amateur, Corporate, and professional boxing, tag team kickboxing with a possible 4 man kickboxing tournament.
There will be a total of four professional boxing fights including Michael Reynolds from Paraparaumu who is getting assistance from Peach Boxing in Auckland. He will be taking on Brisbane boxer, Faavesi Isaako in a lightweight fight. Putāruru boxer Jadene Tredaway will take on Palmastern North Boxer Tania Barnett in a Super Lightweight fight. And finally, the local hometown hero Cole Campbell who represents Nuki Boxing gym in Taupo will take on Herewaka Katipa from Hamilton in a Crusierweight fight, both making their pro boxing debut.
The event will be streaming live on YouTube under the Ironfist Promotions account. Tickets will be on sale at Eventfinda on the 1st of February. Corporate tables can be purchased at Nigel@ironfistpromotions.co.nz
World title event promoted by Nigel Elliott Ironfist Promotions
April 5th at Taupo Events Centre
IBF World Light Heavyweight title 10×2 minute rounds
New Zealand/Maori Lani Daniels vs New Zealand/Tongan Nailini Helu
Lightweight 4×3 minute rounds
Australian Faivesi Isako vs New Zealand Michael Reynolds
Super Lightweight 5×2 minute rounds
Putaruru Jadene Treadaway v Palmerston North Tania Barnett
Following a regimen that includes sticking to a specific meal schedule, engaging in a 16-hour fasting window, and ensuring adequate water intake could lead to significant health benefits, says a Tongan physical therapist.
47-year-old Stanley Lotima
Sione Takataka, also known as JT Takataka, made the comment amid growing concerns about Tongans dying young from chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Takataka has been working as a private physical therapist in Nuku’alofa for about a decade, and his practice has become one of the most sought-after therapy centres in the kingdom.
Kaniva News has closely monitored Takataka’s streaming videos and has observed that his rehabilitation intervention program significantly aids individuals in taking control of their lives, especially after experiencing a stroke or while facing the risk of one.
Two types of reports indicate a concerning trend of young Tongans dying from chronic diseases.
One source is the official statistics provided by health providers, including Tonga’s Ministry of Health. The other source comes from social media, where reports about young individuals dying regularly have become increasingly common.
Official statistics
More than 80 percent of deaths in Tonga are attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases, according to a report by the ABC.
In November last year, the World Bank approved a US$30 million grant to help Tonga meet the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
The grant under the project Health Enhancement and Resiliency in Tonga (HEART) was intended to benefit all Tongans, especially more than 15,000 people residing in Vava’u and the Niuas, where service delivery capacity will be expanded.
“Non-communicable diseases are a significant health issue in Tonga,” former Minister of Finance Tiofilusi Tiueti, said when receiving the grant.
Social media reports
We use unofficial statistics here to refer to the number of deaths that are not officially recognized by the government but have been reported on social media, as noted by Kaniva News.
Most recent deaths are individuals in their late 40s to late 50s.
When Kaniva News inquired about those deaths on Facebook, unofficial responses mostly attributed them to heart attack, obesity or diabetes.
On average, we observe reports of one or two deceased individuals announced on our Facebook news feed by their families each week.
Based on this informal data, there is a growing consensus among the Tongan online community that Tongans now have a low life expectancy.
Tonga’s life expectancy, or the number of years a person can expect to live, was 72 in 2022.
Therapist’s advice
Takataka, who operates his gym at Teufaiva Park in Nuku’alofa, is known for assisting locals with stroke and obesity recovery.
Sione Takataka (standing) assisting a woman during her rehabilitation process
Individuals experiencing stroke symptoms such as foot inflammation and pain have reported relief after participating in Takataka’s fitness sessions.
In his latest video streaming seen by Kaniva News, Takataka consulted with a person named Stanley Lotima.
He said Lotima was 47 years old.
Takataka said that Lotima initially weighed 157kg and is experiencing leg pain, which he said was a common indication of blood clots. His weight is risky, Takataka said.
He aimed to reduce Lotima’s weight by 10 kilograms as fast as he could.
He said that Lotima’s current conditions could also be an early indicator of a potential stroke. Stroke cuts off blood supply to parts of the brain, killing some cells. They are common and can affect people of all ages, but many patients survive if they receive prompt treatment, according to the BBC.
Takataka told viewers that he was discussing with Lotima the solution to his illness, which is his gym’s “16:8 Intermittent Fasting” programme.
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
The programme means the patient has to fast for 16 hours from the evening until the next day.
They have to choose a certain starting time, like 6pm, and fast until 10am the next morning.
During this timeframe, the patient must not eat anything apart from drinking water or coffee without sugar.
He said that in Lotima’s case, he can eat whatever food he likes as long as he keeps to the timeframe and fasts on a regular basis.
He said they would look at the type of food he should eat later.
He also advised Lotima to squeeze lime or lemon fruits into his food or drink them without sugar during his fast.
In other streaming videos viewed by Kaniva News, Takataka mentioned that people could consider filling their plates with 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent of different foods they prefer.
Takataka’s advices are supported by other academic research.
“Eating a high calorie diet can lead to weight gain and obesity. But the health consequences of diet depend partly on when in the day meals occur”, an article by the National Institute of Health said.
Consuming food during periods of usual inactivity, such as nighttime for humans, may contribute to weight gain, it said.
“This suggests that obesity results in part from a mismatch between meal timing and the natural day-night cycle, or circadian rhythm.
“But the mechanisms by which this happens aren’t fully understood”.
