All posts tagged: New Zealand

UAE and New Zealand to Launch Talks for a Free Trade Deal

UAE and New Zealand to Launch Talks for a Free Trade Deal

Published by skeptic

SYDNEY (Reuters) – New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates will begin negotiations over a free trade agreement, the Pacific nation’s trade minister said on Tuesday. Trade Minister Todd McClay met his UAE counterpart in Dubai to announce the start of talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday. “The UAE is an important bilateral partner for New Zealand, and today’s launch of negotiations is an exciting step towards growing our significant trade and economic relationship,” he said. The UAE is New Zealand’s largest trade partner in the Middle East and exports hit NZ$1.02 billion ($613 million) in the year to September 2023, up 17% from the year before, according to New Zealand foreign ministry data. War in Israel and Gaza New Zealand is also in talks for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional body of six whose members include the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. McClay said he discussed the talks on his visit to Saudi Arabia last week. A free …

Williamson to lead experienced New Zealand squad at ICC T20 World Cup 2024 | Cricket News

Williamson to lead experienced New Zealand squad at ICC T20 World Cup 2024 | Cricket News

Published by Sam

‘When you go to World Cups, you want experience,’ says head coach Gary Stead after Kiwis name provisional 15-man squad. Captain Kane Williamson will play his sixth Twenty20 World Cup championship in June as New Zealand named an experienced 15-man squad with veteran pacer Tim Southee as another inclusion. The tournament, taking place in the United States and the West Indies from June 2 to 30, will be Williamson’s fourth as captain and Southee’s seventh as a player. Southee, 35, has taken a record 157 T20 international wickets and spearheads the attack alongside seasoned pace bowler Trent Boult, 34, who will be playing his fifth T20 World Cup. Seam bowler Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, voted the emerging cricketer of 2023, are the only players in the squad who have not played in a T20 World Cup before. “When you go to World Cups, you want experience,” said New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. “It’s an exciting squad with lots of options for Kane and I to consider in terms of balance, pitches …

Solomon Islands Leader Sogavare Keeps Seat, Vote Count Continues

Solomon Islands Leader Sogavare Keeps Seat, Vote Count Continues

Published by skeptic

(Reuters) – Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has retained his parliamentary seat, results showed on Saturday, but it will be days before vote counting determines whether his OUR party can form the next government. Wednesday’s national election was the first since Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022, drawing the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing. The move concerned the U.S. and Australia because of the potential impact on regional security. Police and defence forces from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji are assisting with election security. Full results for the 50-member parliament, expected to be known next week, will indicate whether any party has achieved a majority or whether negotiations to form a coalition are needed to select the prime minister. Large numbers of independent candidates have won in previous elections, leading to fluid coalitions. The results of the national and provincial elections held in the Solomon Islands are being announced over several days. Electoral chief Jasper Highwood Anisi said vote counting was slow but the integrity of the …

RBNZ Explores Introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency

RBNZ Explores Introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency

Published by skeptic

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has announced that it is exploring the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), often referred to as “digital cash.” This move comes as the RBNZ aims to address the challenges posed by innovations in money and payments to New Zealand’s monetary sovereignty. According to Ian Woolford, the RBNZ’s director of money and cash, the digital cash would coexist with physical cash options and would not require a commercial bank account for usage. Instead, users would only need a digital wallet, payment card, or mobile app. Woolford claimed that the digital cash would enhance privacy, security, and trust for users, and noted that the central bank “will not control or see how you spend your money.” Woolford also explained that it would work offline: It would also work via Bluetooth, so you could make payments without connecting to internet. This would be useful in an emergency, or when the power is out. The RBNZ has launched a consultation period, which will last until July 26, 2024, to …

New Zealand and EU Trade Agreement to Take Effect on May 1

New Zealand and EU Trade Agreement to Take Effect on May 1

Published by skeptic

sydney —  New Zealand said Monday a free trade agreement with the European Union would come into effect on May 1, after the country’s parliament ratified the deal. New Zealand notified the European Union it ratified the agreement earlier on Monday, Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said in a statement. Wellington and Brussels signed the deal in July 2023, with the European Parliament ratifying its side of the agreement in November. New Zealand expects the deal to benefit its beef, lamb, butter and cheese industries, as well as removing tariffs on other exports like its iconic kiwi fruit. The EU will see tariffs lifted on its exports including clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cars, as well as wine and confections. The EU is New Zealand’s fourth-largest trade partner, according to government data, with two-way goods and services trade worth $12.10 billion in 2022. Source link

New Zealand Troops to Help Solomon Islands in Election

New Zealand Troops to Help Solomon Islands in Election

Published by skeptic

sydney —  New Zealand said on Monday it will dispatch defense personnel, helicopters and a naval ship to the Solomon Islands to assist in a national election due next month, where relations with China will be a key issue. The deployment is part of a $6.48 million support program for the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission announced in January and that will help transport election officers and materials around Pacific Island nations. New Zealand’s foreign ministry said the vessel HMNZS Canterbury will leave Auckland on Tuesday to transport two helicopters and crew, along with command and maintenance personnel to the Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara. “New Zealand’s overall contribution will support the Commission to lead the delivery of a safe and successful election,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. “It demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to a resilient democracy in Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific region.” The Solomon Islands is a key ally of China, and closer ties with Beijing following the election of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in 2019 have alarmed the United States …

Despite her advanced Alzheimer’s, the woman I love is still in there

Despite her advanced Alzheimer’s, the woman I love is still in there

Published by Sam

A young Lorraine and Hugh in Timaru, New Zealand, in 1972 My darling wife Lorraine can no longer walk or talk and is doubly incontinent. She now lives in a hospital bed in our Surrey front room. And yet, despite the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has taken so much from her, the woman I fell in love with is still there. Lorraine may not recognise me – sometimes she looks at me, and doesn’t even see me – but she still giggles at the sound of my voice, and smiles when I play our favourite classical music, the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from Spartacus. We are both now 77 and ours is a love story that has lasted almost 60 years. Hugh and Lorraine Webb in 2006 We met on a New Zealand farm in 1969. After working as an engineer in the UK, I decided to go travelling – overland from North Africa, through Syria and Afghanistan, eventually ending up in Nelson, a city at the north of New Zealand’s South Island. I …

The world’s largest Māori and Pacific Island school cultural festival – in pictures | World news

The world’s largest Māori and Pacific Island school cultural festival – in pictures | World news

Published by skeptic

Liston College performers wait backstage ready to perform on the Tongan stage. Students competing on the Māori, Tongan, Niuean, Samoan and Cook Islands stages perform a 20-30 minute set, while those on the Diversity stage – which hosts performances from across Asia-Pacific – typically present a five-minute performance. Photograph: Becki Moss/The Guardian Source link