Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Overnight and early Wednesday morning, Hawaiian Electric restored power to more than 1,500 customers across Maui County, Hawaiʻi Island, and Oʻahu who were impacted by the powerful Kona low storm.

Power restoration is taking longer in areas hit by heavy downpours that caused significant flooding, sinkholes, landslides, and downed vegetation, HECO said.

Customers are urged to remain prepared for extended outages.

As of Wednesday at about 9 a.m., about 330 Oahu customers remain without power from the storm in small pockets across the island.  On Maui, approximately 400 customers remain without power. Overnight, about 600 customers were restored. On the Big Island, about 2,400 customers in various areas around the island remain without power in Kapoho, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Mountain View, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Orchid Isle Estates, Wright Road, and various pocket outages in North and South Kona.

(Hawaii News Now)

HAWAII MAN HITS MASSIVE JACKPOT

A Hawaii visitor won a jackpot in Las Vegas on Sunday.

On March 15, Melvin, of Honolulu, won $100,000 playing live keno at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Around 7 p.m., he placed a $2 wager, and all eight of his numbers hit to score the jackpot.

The Orleans features a casino floor with more than 1,800 slot machines and over 50 table games.

(Hawaii News Now)

FIJI TOURISM SHOWS STRONG GROWTH

Fiji's tourism sector recorded strong growth last year, with latest figures indicating total earnings reached US$1.40 billion (FJ$2.81b).

In a bumper year in 2025, Australian visitors made up half the tourism earnings to Fiji.

Fiji's Bureau of Statistics said its latest earnings data shows an increase of 10.9 percent compared to 2024.

Tourism earnings are calculated based on visitors' average daily spending and total visitor days in the country.

The Fiji Times reports that Australia remained Fiji's largest source market, accounting for 49.4 percent of total earnings.

New Zealand followed on 22.5 percent, while the US is at 11.2 percent, and other Pacific Island countries at over 4 percent.

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

Vanuatu has signed a co-operation agreement with Japan regarding waste management and wastewater treatment.

The Daily Post reports that Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu signed the agreement on Tuesday in Japan with Japan's Minister of Environment Ishihara Hirotaka.

The agreement is expected to advance projects utiliZing Japan's latest technologies in areas such as decarboniZation, waste management, and wastewater treatment to help resolve Vanuatu's environmental challenges.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The Marshall Islands Marine Administrator has advised vessels registered under its flag to stay away from the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf

Attacks on oil tankers near the Strait in the Persian Gulf have increased after regional conflict was sparked by the attack on Iran by Israel and the US.

The US-owned and Marshalls-flagged oil tanker Safesa Vishnu was attacked in the Gulf last week.

Indian media has reported that the attack was launched by Iran and killed an Indian national aboard the ship.

The Marshalls Administrator says it is not in a position to disclose specific details regarding crew welfare or the vessel's condition at this time.

However, its latest advice puts the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz at critical, urging commercial operators against transiting the Strait until the operational situation stabilizes.

ILLICIT DRUGS

The police commissioner says the flow of illicit drugs to New Zealand is enabled by corruption in the island countries.

New Zealand police are increasing their work with counterparts in Samoa and Tonga to try and stop illicit drugs coming through the region.

Commissioner Richard Chambers told Checkpoint that regional police co-operation can help disrupt criminal networks prospering from the drug trade.

He said across the networks have grown their influence by corrupting police officers, customs baggage handlers, port workers, and government officials.

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM

Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Baron Waqa has paid tribute to one of his predecessors in the role, Sir Noel Levi.

The Papua New Guinean, who led the Forum from 1998 to 2004, died last week.

Waqa has acknowledged Sir Noel's significant contribution to strengthening Pacific regional cooperation.

Waqa said Sir Noel was a principled leader who played a key role in shaping regional responses to emerging political and security challenges.

He noted Sir Noel's contribution in mobilising support for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands in 2003, saying he was deeply commited to upholding Pacific values.