Alofi, Niue
Niue, a Pacific island that is the world’s smallest self-governing country, may have to give up its independence after a tornado flattened the capital this week. Just 2,100 people live on the coral atoll, only half of them native Niueans. Some 20,000 Niueans have already moved to New Zealand, where they can claim citizenship as former colonial subjects. The Kiwi option is “a blessing and a curse,” said Prime Minister Toke Talagi. “Those people who have contemplated leaving will now be resolved to leave.” He said he feared that the population would drop to an unsustainable 500 in the coming months.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Five takeaways from Rachel Reeves' Spending ReviewThe Explainer The winners and losers as the government sets its budgets for the next four years
-
Is Hamas losing control in Gaza?Today's Big Question Balance of power among remaining leaders shifts as rival group emerges and population turns
-
Mario Kart World: Nintendo Switch 2's flagship game is 'unfailingly fun'The Week Recommends The 'thrilling' racer includes a range of new features including open-world exploration
