Regional
Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS — The Cook Islands Ngāti Maoate tribe, who have close blood ties to the Mata’afa line of Samoa, have gifted land to the Samoan community on Rarotonga.
Maoate Mataiapo Kiriau Turepu, on behalf of Ngāti Maoate, has gifted an acre of titled land situated in Titikaveka to the...
Apia, SAMOA — The Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and Conservation International successfully completed a recent 2-week survey around Upolu and Savaii to document humpback whales as...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — A 54 year-old-man in Tonga described by police as "a political activist" has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder.
A police statement said an investigation has revealed substantial evidence linking the suspect to a serious crime.
It added that police are actively...
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa’s government has issued a public health notice urging people to get a booster vaccination against COVID-19, as New Zealand experiences its fifth wave of the virus.
In a notice signed by the country’s director of general health, Dr Aiono Alec Ekeroma, Samoa’s Ministry of Health...
Apia, SAMOA — Tiapapata teenager Aniva Clarke was the recipient of the Pacific Emerging Leadership Award at New Zealand’s Sunpix Pacific Peoples Awards last Friday night.
The award recognized the 17-year-old’s work as a Pacific environmental and child rights advocate and making meaningful change...
Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS — The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting opening ceremony erupted with song, dance and the fierce drumming performances involving hundreds of Cook Island children on Monday local time.
The green carpet made of woven coconut leaves was rolled out for Pacific leaders...
Hamilton, NEW ZEALAND — Faith Vui remembers driving a golf cart for her dad in Apia when she was a kid, so it was fitting that he was by her side when she took out the New Zealand Women's Amateur Championship on the weekend.
Vui became the first Samoan to claim the title after winning the 36-hole...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Pasifika Excellence Mural Project is a response to the findings from the Kāpasa Fetu’u Community Needs Assessment that was conducted in 2022 by The Samoan Community Development Centre (SCDC) and their Pasifika Urban Roots collaborative partners.
When asked by Samoa...
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND — As we celebrate 'Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani 2023, one content creator is aiming to preserve the language and culture through food videos on TikTok showcasing Cook Islands cuisine.
Hailing from the islands of Rarotonga, Mangaia and Manihiki, Auckland-based creator...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — New research has found the eruption of Tonga's Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in 2022 shot out an unprecedented amount of water vapor into the sky.
The vapor reached heights of up to 55 kilometres (about 34 miles) and depleted 5 percent of the ozone layer over the tropical...

![Pa Marie Ariki, Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and Maoate Mataiapo Kiriau Turepu, who on behalf of the Ngāti Maoate tribe, has gifted an acre of titled land situated in Titikaveka, Cook Islands to the Samoan community. His great grandmother is the late Lafala Mata’afa.. [photo: Radio Cook Islands] Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and others](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/land_gift.jpg?itok=jJiZl2Pf)



![Ms. Aniva Clarke with her Pacific Emerging Leadership Award last Friday evening in Auckland, NZ. [photo: Supplied] Aniva Clarke](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/aniva_clarke_with_award.jpg?itok=aiSWybSl)
![Cook Islands children perform to welcome delegates at the opening ceremony of the 52nd Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga. American Samoa’s Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga is among the Pacific leaders attending. [Photo: RNZ Pacific / Eleisha Foon] opening ceremony of the 52nd Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/children_perform.jpg?itok=KkPwIpHB)
![Faith Vui wins the New Zealand Amateur Golf Championships finals, Hamilton Golf Club, St Andrews, Hamilton, New Zealand. Sunday Nov. 5, 2023. [Photo: Simon Watts/www.bwmedia.co.nz] Faith Vui](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/faith_vui_jpg.jpg?itok=lwK8P1Dc)
![Members of the The Samoan Community Development Center with its Pasifika Urban Roots collaborative partners helping Pasifika youth in San Francisco create the Pasifika Excellence Mural, which the group says is a direct response to findings in the Kāpasa Fetu’u Community Needs Assessment conducted in 2022 by the partnership. [Vourtesy photo] Members of the The Samoan Community Development Center with](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/img_4208.jpg?itok=CeRB-dRO)
![Puakanio Tarenga or goat curry. [Photo: RNZ / Quin Tauetau-Tohitau] goat curry](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/goat_curry_jpg.jpg?itok=hsIvvGwz)
![This screenshot taken from footage taken by Japan's Himawari-8 satellite shows the volcanic eruption that provoked a tsunami in Tonga. [photo: NIICT / AFP via RNZ Pacific] Tonga eruption](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/tonga_eruption.jpg?itok=bqqA5qTM)