Samoa

In December, Samoa's Land and Titles court ruled in favour of the title going to Papalii Faamausili Moli, the son of the late head of state, susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II.

Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said it has now been a decade since the death of the last holder of the title because the family remain divided on who should inherit it.

Autagavaia said Papalii Faamausili Moli Malietoa was humbled and pleased at the latest court ruling, but it did not look like the end of the matter.

Australia's Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has said China lends funds to countries in the Pacific on unfavourable terms and constructs "useless buildings" and "roads to nowhere" in the region.

Tuilaepa said such comments could damage Australia's relationships with countries in the region.

In an interview with the Samoan government's Savali newspaper the prime minister said China-funded buildings had provided modern facilities which raised work quality and productivity.

The outbreak has claimed five lives since October.

On Thursday, Tuilaepa told Radio 2AP that there had been a strong educational campaign by the ministry on prevention but people did not seem to be listening.

"They don't listen and take action on these prevention issues but when they get sick they start complaining, but the Ministry is doing its job," he said.

The prime minster called on village based women's health committees to work more diligently in ridding the country of dengue through clean up campaigns.

Seu passed away in Apia on Saturday night.

He served the Asia-Pacific region for many years in his capacity as Lecturer at the University of the South Pacific - Alafua Campus (USP) and as the first Director of the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community (SPC) based in Suva.

Seu also worked as a Rural Development Extensionist for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for the Asia and the Pacific Region in Bangkok, Thailand until he retired.

The government initially put the transition out to tender back in 2016.

The original plan was for the country's television services to use digital last year.

But local television operators raised concerns over cost.

The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupa'i, said the project's cost for the government was expensive - the first phase would cost around US$4.5 million.

The Minister said the government was negotiating with overseas companies who were interested.

The electoral commissioner, Faimalo Mathew Lemisio, told the Samoa Observer that amendments have been drafted and given to cabinet, which is currently deliberating.

In the last electoral review, the districts of Vaimauga and Faleata were given additional urban seats which became effective in the 2016 general election.

Our correspondent said it looked likely those districts would each get another seat to cater for continuing migration from rural areas, as people search for employment.

His body was found in bush near Satapuala primary school.

Police spokesperson Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo said the dead boy and another child from the same village had escaped after getting caught for allegedly stealing cannabis plants from an illegal marijuana plantation, thought to have been operated by several men from the village.

Five men between the ages of 30 and 50 were arrested after police raids in the village on Thursday and Friday.

The police said they found more than 140 marijuana plants, some of which were five feet tall, as well as seedlings and seeds.

One of the group's leaders the lawyer, Unasa Iuni Sapolu, said it is beginning village visits in Salelologa to get more signatures and build awareness.

The group wants to inform as many Samoans as possible about what it said is a need to repeal the Lands and Titles Act of 2008 because customary land could now be used as collateral for loans and mortgages.

Unasa Iuni Sapolu said the plan was to present the petition to parliament when it resumes on January 23.

The management of the two offices has been separate over the last ten years.

The director general of health and head of the ministry, Leausa Dr Take Naseri, said many difficulties had been noted in the running of the health service as a result.

His comments came after prime minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi met the two sides of the health service this week when he addressed several problems.

The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, wants more dengue warnings to reach travellers leaving from New Zealand and Australia.

Samoa's health ministry says nearly 2500 people contracted the mosquito-borne disease in the last three months of last year, and five of them died of it.

Aupito William Sio, who's currently in Samoa, says that on his way there he didn't notice much information for travellers about the disease.

"I'm not quite sure what the best way of getting the message out," he said.