Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA —  'Aisake Valu Eke won the secret ballot votes 16-8 at a special sitting on Tuesday.

Vote results announced by Lord Fakafanua saw 16 votes for Eke and 8 for the other nominee, Viliame Latu, from a total vote of 24.

King Tupou VI endorsed the result before the announcement by Lord Fakafanua.

Eke will be officially sworn in at the next sitting of the Tongan Parliament, expected to be on February 3, 2025.

The Speaker Lord Fakafanua confirmed that the names of two contenders were received by the Clerk's office when the nomination deadline closed at 4.30pm on Monday, 23 December.

The two nominees were 'Aisake Valu Eke and Viliame Lasike Latu.

The new Prime Minister had previously served as Minister for Finance and National Planning from 2014, under the former Lord Tu'ivakano government untol March 2017 when he resigned from the government of the late Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva.

He is a former Secretary for Finance in Tonga.

His political career started in 2010 when he was first elected as the MP for Tongatapu 5.

He lost his seat in 2017 but returned to Parliament in 2021, where he was also nominated for PM, losing to Hu'akavameiliku.

(RNZ Pacific)

PLANE CRASH KILLS 2 NEAR HONOLULU AIRPORT

Two people were killed when a plane crashed into a building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

State officials said a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan was conducting a training flight when it crashed into a state-owned building after 3 p.m. on Aolele Street. The building was vacant at the time and slated for demolition.

Both people on board died.

Multiple first responder agencies, including the Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Police Department, responded to the incident.

Based in Hawaii and founded in 1993, Kamaka Air operates as an interisland airline and logistics company that provides air cargo services such as charter service and per-pound service.

According to audio transmissions from Kamaka Air 689, the pilot told the control tower, “We’re out of control here.”

The state Department of Transportation said the pilot made adjustments to minimize impacts from the crash.

David Hinderland, Kamaka Air CEO, said the names of the pilots wouldn’t be released until family members “have had a chance to process this tragedy.”

“In the meantime, we are making ourselves available to the Hawaiian Department of Transportation, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration for investigation into this accident,” he said in a statement. “We will also share appropriate information with the media as it is confirmed over the coming hours and days.”

(Civil Beat)

EIGHT POLICE OFFICERS FACE SERIOUS CRIMINAL CHARGES

Eight police officers in Fiji are facing serious criminal charges, including allegations of sexual assault and illicit drug possession, according to the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

The officers, aged between 25 and 51 are also accused of assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal intimidation and making off without payment.

Fiji police recorded that overall crime in the country was up 19 percent last month, compared to the same period last year.

Serious crime was up 10 percent in November compared to October, including rape, murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, burglary, arson and theft.

Fiji's drug problem continues to soar, with 214 reported drug cases last month.

Some 76 people from around the country were arrested last week alone for drug related offenses.

The acting police commissioner, Juki Fong Chew, said the bulk of arrests were for unlawful possession of illicit drugs and the remainder for unlawful cultivation.

183 cases involved marijuana, 29 methamphetamine and two cocaine.

Crimes against women rose by 22 percent last month and serious crime by 10 percent, the FBC reported.

There were 217 crimes against women, with 80 percent assault and the remainder sexual offenses.

The police said nearly all were committed in the home, where the perpetrator was a spouse or de-facto partner.

There were 101 crimes against children recorded, involving 52 boys and 49 girls, said the FBC.

Half of the cases involved assault, 40 percent sexual offenses and the remainder were linked to other crimes.

(Fiji Broadcasting Corporation)

COOK ISLANDS PASSPORT WOULD REQUIRE GIVING UP NZ CITIZENSHIP

The Cook Islands can only have its own passport if it gives up New Zealand citizenship, the office of New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters says.

The Cook Islands operates in free association with New Zealand.

It means the island nation conducts its own affairs, but Aotearoa needs to assist when it comes to foreign affairs, disasters and defence.

Cook Islanders also hold New Zealand passports entitling them to live and work in the country.

Prime Minister Mark Brown wants his nation's citizens to have their own passports. He previously told RNZ Pacific he viewed this as an "internal matter" that would not affect the unique relationship between the two nations.

However, the office of New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said a separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent and sovereign countries.

"The Cook Islands cannot access these things while it remains in free association with New Zealand, but could do so if it chose to become fully independent," the statement said.

Brown previously said he planned to announce something in 2025 during celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Cook Islands' self-governance.

A spokesperson for Peters said the current relationship worked well for both sides.

"We deeply value Cook Islanders as New Zealand citizens — including the almost 100,000 who live in New Zealand.

"Cook Islanders are members of our diverse family, with their own distinct cultural identity."

(RNZ Pacific)

SYSTANE EYE DROPS RECALLED

If you have eye drops in your medicine cabinet, there is a new recall you need to know about.

Alcon Laboratories is recalling a single lot of Systane Lubricant Eye Drops Ultra PF due to the possibility of fungal contamination.

The recall follows a consumer complaint after someone found a foreign material inside a vial of the eye drops which turned out to be fungal.

Fungal contamination can lead to eye infections. However, no adverse effects have been reported.

The recalled drops come in 25-count packages with lot number 10101 and a September 2025 expiration date.

If you have the eye drops, stop using them.

You can take them back to the place of purchase for a replacement or refund.

(Hawaii News Now)

BODY FOUND IN WHEEL WELL OF PLANE THAT LANDED ON MAUI

Maui police are investigating the discovery of a dead body in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it landed on Maui, the airline and police department said in statements on Wednesday.

The body was found in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on flight 202, which arrived at Kahului Airport from Chicago on Tuesday, United said in an emailed statement. The airline said the wheel well of the Boeing 787-10 was only accessible from the outside of the aircraft, and that it was unclear how or when the person accessed it.

In an emailed statement, the Maui Police Department said it was “actively investigating” the discovery of the dead body.

Neither United nor the Maui Police Department shared further information.

The Associated Press called Kahului Airport on Wednesday and was directed to a public affairs officer for the state department of transportation. A spokesperson for the department said in an email that it had no additional details beyond what United had confirmed.

(Associated Press)

SALVAGE TEAM FOR MANAWANUI ARRIVES

A salvage team has arrived at the wreck site of the survey ship HMNZS Manawanui, which went down off the coast of Opolu, Samoa in early October. The operation to defuel the ship took weeks to mobilize, due in part to permitting and approval processes, but the New Zealand Defense Forces report that work will now begin as soon as the barge's spread-moor anchor system is installed.

The salvors' barge is now in place near the sunken vessel, and the Samoan government has approved a carefully-designed plan to lay out the barge's anchors without damaging the reef. This is the last major step before pumping off the fuel in the vessel's tanks.

The vast majority of Manawanui's fuel remains in place, according to the NZDF, but Samoan media outlets report that water sampling results have confirmed the presence of diesel contamination just off the coast. A fishing ban is in place for the nearby villages, and some local residents have complained that they have lost their livelihoods until they get the all-clear to resume.

Many coastal residents are dependent on subsistence fisheries. New Zealand's government has previously asked to postpone any discussions of compensation, but the Samoa Observer reports that talks about payment have quietly begun.

"We know how important the coastal and marine environments are to the people of Samoa, especially those on the southwest coast of Upolu," said NZDF on-scene commander Commodore Andrew Brown. "As always, progress is dependent on sea and weather conditions . . . While this response is complex and technical, New Zealand is committed to doing the right thing."

(The Maritime Executive)