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Miss South Pacific to be crowned tonight in Fiji, airing locally at 7:30 pm

Gov. Togiola Tulafono has sent a congratulatory message to the Miss South Pacific Pageant board of directors as 12 contestants from the Pacific region will tonight vie for the title in the final competition at Albert Park in Fiji’s capital Suva. Fili Sagapolutele [+]

Court hears illegal drugs and liquor sold on Sunday

 Chief Justice Michael Kruse has ordered the Attorney General’s Office to look into a store in Pago Pago that allegedly sold beer on a Sunday, and one of those beer bottles sold was used to assault another person. Fili Sagapolutele [+]

Senator Lualemaga calls for feasibility study for evacuation highway

Sen. Lualemaga Faoa has called on Gov. Togiola Tulafono for a feasibility study of a possible second highway to be considered an evacuation highway on the mountain, as part of an evacuation plan in the event of a disaster such as a tsunami. Fili Sagapolutele [+]

Community Briefs

Today, the American Samoa Power Authority is shutting down electricity in the town area and the Eastern district for ASPA to do transition work. Samoa News Staff [+]

No time to waste in implementing second regional strategy on HIV

(BASED ON PRESS RELEASE)— Tuesday 24 November 2009, Suva— Key partners in the implementation of the Pacific Regional Strategy on HIV and other STIs (sexually transmitted infections) ended their annual two-day planning meeting with a call to use evidence from the surveillance data collected over the last five years and findings of recent evaluations as a basis for future action. [+]

Lorissa Matautia, poster girl for healthy living

SUVA, Fiji— Far too many people are dying of lifestyle illnesses in the Territory. And in her 12-month reign as Miss American Samoa, Lorissa Matautia wants to effect change. Tupuola Terry Tavita [+]

Federal counterparts join local ASDHS to enhance outreach programs

The local Department of Homeland Security last week hosted a Tsunami Outreach Awareness program involving local responders and others officials and were joined by their federal counterparts. Fili Sagapolutele [+]

New Caledonia launches its first Web-based television

NOUMEA, November 19— New Caledonia has launched its first Internet-based television, called “tatele.nc” (your TV). [+]

Ofu beach featured as one of five undiscovered beach destinations

A travel guide says Ofu Beach is among the five undiscovered beach destination around the world. “These beaches are quiet and secluded spots where you escape from the rigors of life any time of the year. Samoa News Staff [+]

DEVFISH creates economic benefits for Pacific Islands

(BASED ON A PRESS RELEASE— MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER)— As the Steering Committee for DEVFISH met today, a publication was launched profiling achievements of the project. The Development of Tuna Fisheries in the Pacific ACP Countries Project (DEVFISH) is a European Union funded regional project, which encourages and guides governments to make policy changes that can make it easier for local Pacific fishing industries to grow and profit. [+]

Ambassador's partner "sensitive issue" in Samoa

The gay man just appointed as American ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa will get a warm welcome in the Islands but the status of his partner will cause difficulties in Samoa, according to a highly placed observer of gay and faafafine affairs. GayNZ.com [+]

Samoan relief project in doubt

Doubts have been cast on the Wanganui District Council-led Samoan tsunami project, just 10 days before the relief team is due to leave for Samoa. The Wanganui Chronicle understands some members of the local Samoan community are unhappy with the way the project has been organised. Anne-Marie Emerson, Wanganui Chronicle [+]

Obama and GOP differ over recipe for jobs, economy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama and a top House Republican acknowledged in holiday messages Thursday the economic struggles facing Americans this Thanksgiving but offered starkly different recipes for relief. [+]

Robotic hamsters are holidays' unlikely new craze

NEW YORK (AP) -- When Lori Fowlkes first saw robotic Zhu Zhu Pets toy hamsters in September, she remembers her kids started jumping up and down and saying "Please! Please! Can we buy them?" [+]

Soldiers in Afghanistan enjoy turkeys they raised

BARAKI-BARAK, Afghanistan (AP) -- As daylight faded and the winter cold set in, soldiers huddled inside a crude wooden hut to tuck into Thanksgiving turkeys the unit itself had fattened and to give thanks for having survived a year of combat in Afghanistan. [+]

China vows to dramatically slow emissions growth

BEIJING (AP) -- China promised Thursday to slow its carbon emissions, saying it would nearly halve the ratio of pollution to GDP over the next decade - a major move by the world's largest emitter, whose cooperation is crucial to any deal as a global climate summit approaches. [+]

CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen

ATLANTA (AP) -- There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine. [+]

Coma recovery case attracts doubters

BRUSSELS (AP) -- Rom Houben's mother remembers her son's amazement when he finally started communicating again after spending 23 years locked in a paralyzed body that was misdiagnosed as vegetative. [+]

Curbing global warming saves lives, studies say

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, new research suggests. [+]

Holiday Web shopping looks brighter than last year

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Online retailers hope the convenience of the Web, plus discounts and deals, spur still-nervous shoppers to spend more online this holiday season - even as traditional retailers brace for mediocre sales. [+]

Vicki Kennedy describes husband's cancer battle

CHICAGO (AP) -- The widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told Oprah Winfrey in an interview broadcast Wednesday that even as her husband knew he was dying of brain cancer he had been "in training" to make sure he had enough strength to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration. [+]

Sting offers a 'spooky, ghostly' seasonal album

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sting and his wife Trudie keep with tradition on Christmas Eve: They go to a local church, sing along to carols, then head back home to their English estate to open presents with their family. [+]