2018

The most interesting thing about the New Year in Samoa is the fact that one can take an hour's flight to American Samoa, which is on the other side of the dateline, and celebrate the New Year twice, twelve hours later as it is one of the last places to hit midnight.

Often, Samoans and visitors to the country celebrate with fireworks and traditional juggling and dancing.

People visit from all over the globe in order to be the first to see the New Year.

Japanese ambassador to Fiji Masahiro Omura said the meeting was held once in every three years since 1997.

“This is an important meeting where leaders of 14 Pacific Island countries get together and we are hoping they all will participate again come next year,” he said.

Omura said Japan was also promoting various forms of exchange programmes for Fiji.

Genia was long adamant Queensland was his preferred destination for an Australian return, but with three halfbacks already on their books, the Reds could not accommodate the cost of their former nine.

"It was a simple decision because it didn't work out in terms of being accommodated at the Reds," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"So, I could've waited and waited until the 31st of December but I just decided to make a call and I'm pretty happy with my decision, pretty comfortable."

The schedule of sporting events has been released and for the next month people are being encouraged to consider which events they would like to attend.