Samoa

RNZI reports the defendant, Toni Eteuati, was sentenced this week by the Chief Justice.

Eteuati bashed his wife Fatima Tupa'i with a rock while she was sleeping their two children.

She had left Eteuati because he was violent and taken her children with her to stay at grandmother's house.

The Ministry has seen Samoa’s growth in cattle farming, hence the plans to build a permanent meat factory or slaughterhouse.

“We have a temporary slaughterhouse and it will begin the local production of meat for Samoa while we work on the permanent factory to be completed by 2017,” said Associate minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Faasootauloa Pati Taulapapa.

“We have high hopes that this push will lessen our dependence on imported meat products, instead use our developments that our people are working on,” he added.

Following their week in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga will return home wondering what might have been following two matches which could have potentially ended quite differently.

For the side coached by former American Samoa U-20 international Fred Maiava there are a lot of positives to take from this competition, and improving over the course of the three games is one of them.

Police spokesperson Inspector Maotaoalii Kaioneta Aliisolia says the incident occurred during a drinking party involving a group of men at Faleata.

Reports indicate the accused and the 20 year old victim had an argument and the accused went to his car.

“The accused turned on the car and he ran over the deceased killing him,” said Maota.

“We have yet to discover why the dispute happened in the first place. But it is obvious that most of the murder cases we have piling up are related to alcohol or a person under its influence,” he said.

"I am so happy; I never ever thought that something like this would happen to me," said Lupeoaunu'u.

She was 11 when she entered in the 2015 competition, which called for stories from child authors from across the globe, winning a Gold Medal Award for her story centred on a young girl named Katalina.

RNZI reports Professor Stephen McGarvey from Brown University studied type 2 diabetes in American Samoa and Samoa.

He said the introduction of carbohydrate rich foods from Australia, New Zealand and America disrupted the traditional lifestyle.

Men:

Samoa - Nevo Ioane (62kg category)

Australia – Simplice Ribouem (94kg category)

New Zealand - Richard Patterson (85kg category)

Fiji - Manueli Tulo (56kg category)

Kiribati - David Katoatau (105kg category)

Nauru - Elson Brechtefeld (56kg category)

American Samoa: Tanumafili Jungblut (94kg category)

PNG -Morea Baru (62kg) category

Women:

Samoa - Mary Opeloge (75kg category)

Australia - Tia-Clair Toomey (58kg category)

New Zealand - Tracey Lambrechs (+75kg category)

The meeting will focus on issues pertaining to the preservation and good distribution of water resources.

Samoa’s participation will reaffirm its support for the importance of water resources in small island states, and this is ample opportunity for our country to further showcase its developments and plans for the preservation and good distribution of this important resource.

The NHS though is still under the watchful eye of the Minister of Health Tuitaama Talalelei Tuitama, who reminded the NHS staff that while this is an important event, it is better to ask themselves, what are they celebrating?

“What steps have we taken since the separation? There is no question though that we have certainly moved forward,” he said.

“However, with that being said, have we uplifted? Have we moved upward as well? We need to look at ways to highlight that we are not only moving forward but also raising the standard of the health services in Samoa,” he added.

According to RNZI, Taumeasina Island Resort's General Manager, Nathan Bucknall, said 180 full time workers were on the payroll and it can accommodate 340 guests.

"It's very unique for Samoa and I think unique for some parts of the South Pacific as well. We're an island that's five minutes away from the capital city of Samoa, Apia," said Mr Bucknall.

"We'd like to think we are, and we will continue to be, one of the best resorts in the country from a service level perspective."