Samoa

  The Prince and his entourage arrived yesterday after visiting Fiji and Tonga.

Today the Prince will be visiting some of the climate change projects such as the Vaisigano Bridge and the village of Moata'a mangrove reserves, to see, first-hand, the effects of climate change and mitigation efforts in place.

The Crown Prince will also visit Samoa's head of state, Tuimalealiifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II and Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi before leaving later today.

In his intervention during the ACP meeting, Tuilaepa noted that the successor agreement post-2020 must “play a strategic and central role in the achievement of national, regional and all-ACP aspirations”.

To this end, he urged the ACP Group to “ensure that our collective priorities and challenges are fully accounted for” in the new agreement.

The Prime Minister went on to brief the ACP Ministers on the outcome of the 1st Pacific consultations on a Pacific-EU Protocol held in Apia on 26 February, 2019 including Pacific priorities as identified by Leaders. 

Imagine scoring tries that rake in not 5 or 7 but 9 points without even having to convert the try.

And then imagine all that in a rugby competition with a million Australian dollars as first prize.

Well, all those and more are about to hit Samoan and Fijian shores in the form of a fast developing new form of rugby union, Rapid Rugby.

Global Rapid Rugby has received World Rugby sanction to have a competition of clubs based in Asia, Western Australia, Fiji and Samoa.

Some consumers had labelled the increase as astronomical.

Some produce had gone up by more than 200 percent in the space of a month, the Samoa Observer reported.

Local farmers are saying that the weather is putting the heat on them to raise their prices as harvests decrease.

The head of the Met Office in Samoa, Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea, said less rainfall was expected, adding that rivers which used to flow right up to September had already dried up.

The former chief executive officer was suspended by the Public Service Commission last year over allegations of corruption filed by a representative of a foreign company.

Three months after the suspension the cabinet terminated his contract.

In a joint statement issued by the Attorney General's Office it says that after the review of the police file both the police and the Office were of the same final opinion that criminal charges should not be filed.

Newsline Samoa reports Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil confirmed the temporary measure to dilute the heavy workload of security for athletes, officials and spectators that is expected to be faced by the 700 local regular force.

He said more police officers will be needed to cater for the many sporting venues.

Fuiavailili said no police officers will be on leave at this time.

"They will all be working during the Games."

He said they were already seeking to use teachers from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture as auxiliary officers.

According to Newsline Samoa, Galumalemana Afereti Tuiletufuga Hunkin, a matai from Apia with traditional land ties to the area affected, wanted the project stopped, because he feared the dam posed a threat to the safety of the people.

Galumalemana was one of many who attended a stakeholders consultation on Monday with the government utility.

He said the area suffered badly in the floods of 2012 and he feared for future generations of his family who may want to live in the area.

On Monday 18 March, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was informed of the death of a male 58 years old of Moamoa Faleasiu.

The deceased was admitted at the Motootua Hospital due to serious head injuries believed to have been sustained as result of a throwing stones incident on Saturday night, 9 March 2019.

The suspect was arrested later.

The Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the matter with further charges to be filed.

Samoa Police is reminding the public that throwing stone is dangerous and can result in serious injuries or death.

The Samoan leader made the remarks while receiving credentials presented by Chinese Ambassador to Samoa Chao Xiaoliang who arrived here on March 29 this year.

Samoa continues to enjoy mutual benefits from the people-to-people exchanges and the close partnership with China in the development of many sectors of the island nation's economy including tourism, education, health, sports, agriculture, human resource development and infrastructure, he said.

The aircraft teams in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia have been communicating with customers, whose contact details were provided when their reservations were made, to personally advise them about the situation and provide alternative flight options. 

The teams have processed customers’ selected flight options at cost to Samoa Airways and rerouted them accordingly. In cases involving bookings processed through Travel Agents, our staff have liaised directly with Agents to assist our mutual customers.