One afternoon last year, we sat in a village hall in Fiji chatting to residents about traditional ways of forecasting tropical cyclones. One man mentioned a black-winged storm bird known as “manumanunicagi” that glides above the land only when a cyclone is forming out to sea. As the conversation continued, residents named at least 11 Read more
More Samoans are taking up seasonal work in New Zealand to provide for their families, as the effects of climate change continue to ravage the Pacific region, a new study has revealed. Research by Dr Christina Tausa from the University of Canterbury revealed seasonal work in New Zealand was becoming more attractive as Pacific Islanders Read more
After nearly two months of not hearing church choirs singing hymns due to Covid-19 restrictions, Samoans piled into church buildings Sunday morning in unusually large numbers. The streets were again whitewashed with flashy Sunday best attire. Inside one church in Apia, there was initial trepidation as parishioners looked around to see who would be the Read more
Ministers from the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa will continue to refuse to pay taxes despite recently enacted laws compelling them to do so. The matter was not on the agenda for this year’s national conference which ended last week and the church says policy dictates that any resolution can only be revisited after three Read more
The case against 20 clergy of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa for failing to file tax returns may be heading to the Supreme Court after a motion by the defence this week. Read more
Samoan police officers involved in extra-marital affairs are in the focus of Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi. Speaking at a police graduation ceremony the Prime Minister said the Police Commissioner had yet to fully implement his decision last year to weed out at least one half of police ‘couples’ in the force. He is giving Commissioner Fuiavailili Read more
Samoa’s health authorities are desperate for the whooping cough vaccination programme to resume. Following the death of two babies, the programme was suspended in July and the nurses who administered the vaccinations have been stood down. University of Auckland vaccinologist Dr Helen Petousis-Harris told NewsTalkZB in July that one death, let alone two, was extremely Read more
The Salvation Army Church has arrived in Samoa. They began their mission last Sunday at their Worship and Community Centre in Moto’otua. Lat year a delegation from Auckland met with the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoito seeking permission for the Army to establish a presence in Samoa. As a result of the meeting, Sa’ilele wrote asking the Army to Read more
Four church ministers were among those who received money during the ceremony last Saturday when $250,000 was distributed by the Sasina village council. They each received envelopes containing $4,000. Media representatives who attended the meeting also received envelopes containing $100. The money comes from the lease of land made by the Sasina village council to an investor from Read more
“Can you be the Prime Minister who would be bold enough to change your immigration laws so that Samoans can enter your country freely without requiring visas, which cost money most of our poor people don’t have?” This was the question Mata’afa Keni Lesa put to the New Zealand prime minister in his opinion piece Read more