NZ

The trip is expected to be one of the happiest for the islanders who set sail from Samoa on Wednesday and are relieved they will be home for Christmas.

The group had arrived in Apia on a repatriation flight from New Zealand on 13 November.

But they had to spend an extra week in isolation in Samoa on top of the required 14 days after a passenger on the same flight tested positive for Covid-19.

Some of the 33 people who are undergoing yet another 14 days quarantine on their home atolls of Fakaofo and Nukunonu have been stuck in New Zealand since March.

World Rugby's decision to increase the number of teams from twelve follows increasing calls for the event to be expanded, with women and girls now accounting for 28 percent of the global playing population.

Since 2006 there have been 12 teams split into three pools, including next year's tournament in New Zealand..... from 2025 quarter-finals will be included.

Samoa has played in three tournaments, the last was in 2014.

Some 22 people died when the country's most active volcano suddenly erupted last December with tourists on it.

Ten parties now face charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act, which carries a maximum fine of NZ$1.5m ($1.06m; £0.79m).

A further three have been charged as directors or individuals.

These individuals, who have been accused of neglecting health and safety obligations, will face a maximum fine of NZ$300,000.

TV1Samoa reports the passengers have now all been sent to quarantine at various locations around the country for the next fortnight.

Some returning families have been allowed to quarantine in their own homes under strict security conditions.

One family told KHJNews that they were relieved to be back especially to be isolated in their own home.

"At least we can do some cleaning up and odd jobs while we wait out the isolation," said the father.

The Samoan government has planned four more repatriation flights before Christmas.

Fetu Samoa were overpowered by the Kiwi Ferns on their return to international rugby league last year, but head of Rugby League Samoa's New Zealand chapter, Geoff Muliaga Brown, said the upcoming match is a chance at redemption.

"This is a test. You're playing the Kiwi Ferns, they're one of the best teams in the world so we certainly want to make sure we're putting in the work," he said.

"Its unfortunate we can't have girls from overseas involved, which we generally do, but we're quite confident we can put together a very competitive Samoan team."

None of the passengers on the flight from Auckland to Sydney will be required to quarantine in Australia.

However they will have to pay for their own quarantine in a hotel when they return to New Zealand.

At the moment, the bubble is one-sided, with Australians not allowed to enter New Zealand.

Australia and New Zealand are among the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to loosen restrictions on international travel since Covid-19 travel bans came into effect earlier this year.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour's Lemalu Nele Leila said the government is eager to see some of the nearly 3000 workers waiting to be deployed, leave for opportunities overseas.

Lemalu said she's hopeful a group of workers will head off before Christmas, most likely to Australia.

She told the Samoa Observer the government would like them to go from next week if possible.

Lemalu says workers and their families are continually asking when they can go back to New Zealand or Australia.

Matila Ilia-Neemia​ came to New Zealand in 2011 at the age of 13. He became a resident after being adopted by his aunt and uncle, who also have residency.

In 2015, when he was 18, he entered a 71-year-old woman’s home and raped her twice. He was convicted of rape and burglary and sentenced to six years and three months in prison, but was released after serving two years and three months.

At his sentencing, the court heard Ilia-Neemia entered the woman’s home through an unlocked door after hearing the shower running.

It's Fijian Language Week and nearly 20,000 of the islanders in New Zealand are expected to celebrate Fiji's 50th independence on Saturday.

Auckland-based Fijian Nacanieli Yalimaiwai is also a director of Pacific charity trust The Fono.

Yalimaiwai is calling for more participation of his people to ensure their language and culture is preserved for future generations.

"About seven percent of NZ-born Fijians speak the Fijian language. That's very low and should be worrying for our people," Nacanieli Yalimaiwai said.

The newly-appointed Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said he expects quarantine-free travel with New Zealand to be in place by December.

New Zealand's Prime Minister said she expects her country will soon be in a position to open up to the Cook Islands.

Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said his country is committed to making the 'Bula Bubble' work with its major partners in the region.