TALOFA AIRWAYS REVEALS NEW TONGA SCHEDULE

Talofa Airways will begin its new Tonga service with four flights per week — 2 from Samoa on Monday and Friday (Tuesday and Saturday in Samoa) and 2 from American Samoa on Sunday and Thursday (Monday and Friday in Samoa) — and tickets are now available for sale for return or one-way fares.

Flights from Tonga to Samoa will be on Sunday and Thursday (Monday and Friday in Tonga) and to American Samoa on Monday and Friday (Tuesday and Saturday in Tonga).

CEO Toleafoa Jeffrey Hunter said, “Finally, and in less than one year since commencement of airline operations, Talofa Airways is now ready to provide the much needed direct air services between Tonga and the two Samoas.  It is my hope to expand this service to Niue, Wallis & Futuna and other neighboring islands.”

These flights to Tonga will not affect Talofa Airways’ daily flights between Samoa and American Samoa.

(Source: Media release, Talofa Airways)

NZ STUDENTS TAKE PRIDE IN SAMOAN LANGUAGE

The Manukau Courier reported this week that girls from an Otahuhu school have come out in support of their heritage, culture and their mother tongue, the Samoan language.

Naomi Fruean​, Yvette Brown, Lelia Lina and Julianne Iakopo from McAucley High School won a recent Samoan language debate. Now, they're stressing its importance.

"My grandpa used to say: 'Don't ever think you're too smart or too good to not know your language because that is your culture. You were brought up in a Samoan family, therefore, you have no excuse to not know the language'," says Yvette.

She owes being bilingual to her parents and grandparents.

It is important to know more than one language especially if one's mother tongue is not English, she says.

"I am proud to say I know my mother language."

The future of the Samoan language depends on future generations whether they will continue to carry it on or not, she says.

She told the reporter, if she is "blessed with children," she will teach them their mother tongue and make them aware of the "importance of knowing their culture,"

Julianne says it is important to know the language because the majority of Samoan parents "don't want their kids speaking English to them but Samoan."

"They [parents] teach you [the Samoan language] so that when it comes to having a conversation especially with the elderly you feel comfortable talking to them," she says.

Naomi says the language involves teachings, proverbs and life lessons and it "enables me as a young Samoan woman to grow in life."

The future of the language depends on the Samoan people, regardless of their whereabouts, she says.

She cites a saying: "E lele le toloa 'ae ma'au i le vai'," which means the bird flies but it is tied to the water.

"Wherever you go, your language, your culture, your ethnicity and tradition will always be with you," she asserts.

(Source: Stuff New Zealand)

SAMOA MEDICAL STUDENT CONVICTED OVER ILLEGAL CIRCUMCISIONS

A 25 year old medical student in Samoa's National University faculty of medicine has been dismissed from his studies after he was found performing circumcision for young boys without a medical license.

The defendant, Nelson Meleisea, of Aleisa village has admitted performing the circumcision of 28 boys after a complaint by the Ministry of Health.

He has also pleaded guilty to one count of stealing surgical items from the main hospital for his operations held in two separate villages in December 2015 and January last year.

According to police some of the boys had been hospitalized as a result of infection from the operations.

The defendant had charged $US40 dollars for each circumcision in the village of Lepa.

(Source: RNZI)

SAMOA SUPREME COURT FINDS FORMER PROSECUTION DIRECTOR GUILTY

Samoa's Supreme Court judge Mata Tuatagaloa has found the former director of the National Prosecution Office, Mauga Precious Chang, guilty of negligent driving causing injuries.

In her Appeal Court decision, the presiding judge upheld the District Court verdict of not guilty on two other alternative traffic charges.

This follows an appeal by an overseas lawyer Satiu Simativa Perese, who had been hired by the Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, to take on the case against the former director after she had been cleared.

Last year, the District Court judge Fepulea'i Ameperosa Roma had found the former director not guilty of all charges.

The judge had found the prosecution evidence not proven beyond reasonable doubts.

(Source: RNZI)

SAMOAS WORK ON TSUNAMI WARNING AGREEMENT

The two Samoas are trying to work out an agreement to address their divergence in tsunami warning systems.

American Samoa gets its information from the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, while neighboring Samoa has its own network of seismic centres to make its own warnings.

But Samoa's radio broadcasts are heard widely in the territory, which means Samoa's warnings will be heard in American Samoa, where authorities may not deem a warning necessary.

The head of Samoa's Meteorological Service, Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea recently led a delegation to American Samoa to try and work out a solution.

"There is no difficulty in the operations when it comes to distance earthquakes," Miulipola said.

"But it's just a matter of small minor tremors where when we feel it in Samoa, when we issue our information bulletin or warning when it reaches that threshold level but American Samoa doesn't agree because they are all mandated to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre."

(Source: RNZI)

USP HEAD SAYS OCEAN IS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL FOR PACIFIC

The University of the South Pacific's Vice Chancellor says the Pacific Ocean is not just important to the Pacific Islands, it is a matter of survival and a dignified existence.

Professor Rajesh Chandra made the comment during a meeting in New York to discuss developing regional modes for capacity building and the transfer of marine technology using data-based reporting.

He stated that as an Oceanic University, the Pacific Ocean is therefore vital to the students, USP alumni, to the Pacific Islands governments that own the University, and to all its other stakeholders.

Acknowledging the Chair and organizers of the event, Professor Chandra said he was grateful for the opportunity given the importance of capacity building to enabling both implementation of initiatives and for monitoring, and given the centrality of USP in higher and tertiary education, research and policy work in the Pacific Islands.

The USP is one of two regional Universities in the world, with 14 campuses located in 12 Pacific Islands Counties.

(Source: RNZI)