PACIFIC NEWS BRIEFS
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Three children have returned to Samoa after undergoing life-saving heart surgeries in Suva, Fiji.
Supported by Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital Gift of Life surgical mission, the children all received free heart surgeries.
The surgeries were performed by the...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — As the Cook Islands approaches the end of its five-year seabed minerals exploration phase and the latest partnership with the superpowers United States and China, the question facing its people is no longer just about mining — but about identity, sovereignty, stewardship...
TONGA KING MOVES TO CONTROL FOREIGN AFFAIRS
There are growing concerns in Tonga about the King's plan to remove oversight of a critical ministry from democratic control and place it under the Palace Office.
King Tupou VI has never made any secret of his desire to maintain authority over the...
PASEFIKA
The United States is looking to build stronger ties with the Cook Islands following a historic diplomatic visit this week by its Chargé d'Affaires, David Gehrenbeck, who met with Prime Minister Mark Brown during the nation's 60th anniversary of self-governance.
In an interview with Cook...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Samoa police are investigating the discovery of an unconscious young woman at the Fuluasou culvert on Monday morning.
According to the Faleata Police Station, the woman is believed to be 18 years old. She was found lying inside the concrete culvert with visible injuries...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) wants more time for residents to share their thoughts about the United States military's plans for the territory.
CNMI's delegate to the US Congress Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the CNMI administration will be requesting a...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Despite repeated concerns from civil society, youth advocates, and legal experts, Tonga has signed a revised sponsorship agreement for deep sea mining.
The deal was signed with Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML), a subsidiary of The Metals Company (TMC), on Monday.
In 2021...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The US has begun talks with the Cook Islands for research on seabed minerals exploration and development, the State Department said on Tuesday.
The Cook Islands lie halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and are made up of 15 islands and atolls. The country in 2021 had a...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The ceremony and fanfare for the new Fono building set for September of this year has once again been delayed — this time to October 3, 2025, according to an unconfirmed report.
The delay is said to be due to unfinished interior projects, such as bathrooms, lighting,...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A trailblazing church leader from American Samoa received a warm welcome last month as he spent several days with Hawaii’s Samoan Catholic Community, filling a week with fellowship, conversation and a final Mass and celebration.
Bishop Kolio Etuale Tumanuvao of the...