Samoa

ABC reports Miss Fa'afafine takes its name from the Samoan word for the society's "third gender", which literally translates to "in the style of" (fa'a) "woman" (fafine).

Estimates of the proportion of fa'afafines in the population range from 1 to 5 per cent, and they have been a documented and accepted part of Samoan society since at least the early 20th century.

So'oalo Roger Stanley, who heads the fa'afafine organisation responsible for the September 2 pageant, said the event draws a big audience because contestants do not take themselves too seriously.

What inspired your move and how long have you been there?
We've been in Samoa for two months on a three month contract with the Samoan National Health Service. A friend from university mentioned Samoa was always short of doctors and we had recently finished up a job on Thursday Island in Far North Queensland, so a quick email set the ball rolling.

They were long considered uncouth in the western world and some Asian cultures still see tattoos as the marks of a criminal.  

Yet even this was not always the rule: For people in some other Pacific Rim countries, tattoos were a part of cultural expression and a rebellion against European and North American colonialism.

RNZ reports the acting police commissioner, Afamasaga Michael Soonalole, said the two suspects and one other man, all of them Chinese, arrived in Samoa from Fiji early this month and stayed in a local motel.

One of the trio has left the country.

The acting commissioner said the alleged theft was discovered after the bank viewed surveillance footage of people using the ATM machines at night.

He said the suspects used a machine to produce cards enabling them to access pin numbers and get out cash.

Greg Cornwall works for Pacific Islands Resort Consultants Ltd based in Nadi Fiji and he is in Samoa for the second Pacific Agribusiness Forum where discussions have focused on making tourism in Samoa a sustainable method of development by encouraging a link between the two sectors.

Cornwall says one of the ways of increasing the link is encouraging restaurants and hotels to buy local produce.

“The good thing about local produce is that the price is dropped, there’s no freight, no middle man and nothing extra behind your purchases,” said Cornwall.

RNZ reports Fuiavailili Egon Keil is facing one charge each of perjury, unlawful detention, providing false statements, and disorderly conduct.

The charges were laid following an inquiry over a complaint about an unlawful arrest during a police drug raid at the Fugalei market last year.

Fuiavailili Egon Keil's lawyer said the National Prosecution Office which brought charges against him, has not served the charges and trial documents to the defense.

These sectors are namely tourism, local produce, food security and health.

Tuilaepa linked the different sectors and addressed a much broader issue that has been directly affecting the Pacific region, including the dependence on imported food products as opposed to the more government preferred local production.

“Our islands used to enjoy the availability of food, and such food security came from things like subsistence farming and local production. Now our food security is being eroded by the growth in reliance on imported goods,” he said.

The sport of outrigger paddling, also known as 'Vaa', celebrates Polynesia's seafaring skills, especially Samoa which was once known as The Navigator Islands.

Competitions kicked off from 26 August with an Ava ceremony at Apia Harbour followed by the sprint races. The 15km and 18km marathons and 30km relay will be held today and tomorrow August, which makes the perfect lead up to the Teuila Festival – the biggest Samoan cultural festival in the South Pacific Festival calendar which kicks off 4 September.

Chung has assisted many of the world's most famous hotel brands with their operations, whilst cooking for some of the globe's most famous names - think Nicole Kidman, The Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake.

This week he is in Samoa conducting the training in the 2nd Pacific Agribusiness Forum.

The chefs will be preparing a four course meal for a banquet that will be held at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel tomorrow night.

The new school facilities include eight classrooms, an office, library, conference room, and storage room, bathroom facilities for school children, water fountain, and desks and chairs for students and teachers.

The new building was funded through a grant of $347,280.00 Tala under Japan’s Grassroots and Human Security Project as well as contributions from the village and school committee of Satalo.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in his address mentioned the importance of good school facilities in the overall education of Samoa’s children.