Regional
Washington, D.C. — The co-chairs of the bipartisan House Pacific Islands Caucus are hailing House passage of legislation that renews and funds the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). The Compacts are the foundation for U.S. relations with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States...
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries La'auli Leuatea Schmidt says the country would not be ruled by outsiders, should a change to the electoral act go through.
This week, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) tabled the Electoral Amendment Bill 2024 in Parliament...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A bill, which would let Samoans living overseas register to vote online was to be tabled in Samoa's parliament on Tuesday.
But, they would still need to complete their registration in Samoa to get their fingerprints scanned and their photo taken.
The Samoa Observer...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Tuvalu's newly elected prime minister Feleti Teo says he will look to review the country's development and cooperation agreement with Australia.
The Falepili Treaty signed last year by former Tuvalu PM Kausea Natano and Australia's Anthony Albanese provides a pathway to...
Boulder, COLORADO — “You don’t count your children until the measles has passed.” Dr. Samuel Katz, one of the pioneers of the first measles vaccine in the late 1950s to early 1960s, regularly heard this tragic statement from parents in countries where the measles vaccine was not yet available,...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Samoa’s deputy police commissioner Papalii Monalisa Tia'i-Keti says police are concerned that drugs were found at Fugalei Market just a short distance away from an all girl's primary school.
Samoa Observer reports police conducted three drug raids in Apia last week...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — Tonga ranked number one worldwide as the country with the most women with obesity, according to a study released by well-known medical journal, the Lancet.
The study found that 81.5% of Tongan women over the age of 20 are living with obesity, an increase of 23.3% from 1990.
The...
Suva, FIJI — Leading Pacific tuna industry expert Dr Transform Aqorau has drawn from the region's experiences with its massive tuna fisheries industry to sound caution in the development of the "next frontier" of deep seabed mining.
Speaking at the Fiji National University in Suva last week, Aqorau...
Suva, FIJI — Kava exports from Fiji have temporarily stopped following the discovery of illicit drugs in kava packs this month.
Green Gold Kava producer and exporter Praveen Narayan told RNZ Pacific he was informed by his agents about the ban on Monday.
He said they tried to send kava out of Nadi...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — A senior bank official the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT) and his sister have been charged after being caught with 15 kilograms methamphetamine over the weekend.
Tēvita Nonu Kolokihakaufisi, 39, and 'Ana Longolongo Kolokihakaufisi, 37, appeared at the Magistrate's Court...