Regional
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Samoa's opposition leader Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi says the country faces suspension by World Rugby today because of "a dirty political move" by the government.
Tuilaepa's spoke to RNZ Pacific after the government announced that it was pulling its support of Lakapi...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An Emmy award-winning costume designer has described the opportunity to work on Disney's Moana live-action film as a "dream come true".
Liz McGregor, who hails from Kolomotu'a in Tonga but is based in Auckland, said she received an email "that came out of the blue" from...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Fossils found in north-west Queensland have given paleontologists "direct evidence" of the behavior of prehistoric animals in the Eromanga Sea 100 million years ago.
This is one of the clearest — and only — examples of "three-tier predator interaction" ever discovered...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Lisa grew up in a small rural village in Tonga.
Her family are farmers and the 23-year-old lived a simple life.
But she always dreamed of something bigger.
So when a Tongan woman living in China contacted her through a family member with an offer of a better life, she...
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming this week’s House passage of a government funding extension bill that would keep the federal government open after the end of the fiscal year September 30.
The extension would fund the government across the board until December 4,...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Opposition is growing in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to a United States congressional proposal that would end automatic citizenship for many children born in American territories from 2027.
CNMI delegate to the US Congres Kimberlyn King-Hinds...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has a blunt message for shop owners selling pipes for smoking meth — stop it now.
While methamphetamine is a banned class A drug with stiff penalties for dealing and possession, meth pipes are sold openly in vape stores, $2 shops and dairies...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt is in New Zealand this week to meet seasonal workers and their families.
He and Labor Minister Fata Ryan Schuster met Samoan Recognized Seasonal Employer workers near Napier on Sunday.
While in Napier, La'auli heard from...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Pacific leaders and environmental advocates have condemned a United States government proposal to advance plans for an offshore mineral lease sale in federal waters off American Samoa.
They say the move - despite about 70,000 public comments submitted during the process...
Washington, D.C — Trump administration has announced a proposed deep sea mining lease sale in federal waters near American Samoa, marking the world’s first attempt to commercially mine the deep sea. The move is a major step toward opening U.S. waters to commercial deep sea mining and comes despite...

![Samoan PM Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt has warned that if the entire management does not stand down, including Lakapi Samoa chairman and former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, his administration, together with former Samoa rugby players and supporters, will establish a rival union. [Photo: Facebook/ HRPP / Savali Newspaper/ Lakapi Samoa. Edited by RNZ Pacific] Former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/lakapi_samoa_suspension.jpg?itok=0Qv1RVF_)
![Award-winning costume designer Liz McGregor who hails from Tonga is no stranger to working on big movie films, but says landing the opportunity to be part of Disney's Moana live-action film was a "dream come true". [Photo supplied] Liz McGregor](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/liz_mcgregor_.jpeg?itok=4uCIJCcV)
![This artwork by Peter Trusler is based on the fossil evidence and depicts an ichthyosaur eating a pterosaur before both are devoured by a kronosaurus. [Photo credit: ABC / Matt White] ARTWORK BASED ON FOSSILS](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/fossised_remains.png?itok=WcID6_HZ)
![Lisa, which is not her real name, returned home to Tonga last week after nine months in China. [Photo: ABC News / Marian Kupu] LISA FROM TONGA](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/lisa_from_tonga.jpg?itok=vl6hrCcl)


![Glass meth pipes like this, sometimes with an attachment so they can double as cannabis pipes, are sold at vape store, $2 shops and dairies around New Zealand. [RNZ / Peter de Graaf] ICE PIPE](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ice_pipe.jpg?itok=oZeyD_Qa)
![Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt embraces New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Apia in March. [Photo Facebook / Government of Samoa] Samoa PM and New Zealand PM](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/samoa_pm.jpeg?itok=wvHtFV4c)
![The US government has proposed for deep-sea mining leases in federal waters off American Samoa. [Photo: US DOI / BOEM] DEEP SEA MINING LEASE AREA](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/american_samoa_lease_area.jpeg?itok=CbiEbagr)
