Regional
Apia, SAMOA — A Pacific Games medal ceremony has been trumped by a marriage proposal near the golden shores of a Samoan beach.
Captain of the Cook Islands women's va'a team Emilene Taulu was taken by surprise when her partner remained kneeling after a group haka at the medal ceremony for women's...
Apia, SAMOA — The man who shot his 34 year old girlfriend on the face at close range, disfiguring her for life, was jailed this week for 28 years for attempted murder.
Peter Tulaga, 35 years old, left the court immediately, while his sister and family members waited to say goodbye.
In court, the...
Porirua, NEW ZEALAND — The former deputy mayor of Porirua says she's complained to Vodafone after she was kicked out of their store for speaking Samoan.
Litea Ah Hoi said she was leaving North City Mall in Porirua after a store staff member had refused to serve her when she stopped and spoke in...
Apia, SAMOA — A 47-year-old father of five in Samoa, David Crichton, has been sentenced to 4 years and 8 months jail for stabbing his wife seven times with a kitchen knife.
The police said the crime happened in front of the couple's children.
They had been separated for two years when the stabbing...
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's Supreme Court has imposed a 28 year jail sentence on a man who tried to murder his partner.
Peter Tulaga was found guilty of attempted murder by a panel of assessors during a trial in May.
The presiding judge also found him guilty of other charges, including having an illegal...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — Alleged bullying and racism from the audience at Tonga's Heilala beauty pageant is deeply regrettable, pageant organisers say.
The Nuku'alofa crowd reacted angrily last week to a speech from the former Miss Heilala, Kalo Funganitao, who condemned pageant officials for tormenting...
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's probation committee has decided to recall Alatise Vitale, who was convicted of murdering the Minister of Works, Luagalau Levaula Kamu, 20 years ago.
He is to continue serving his life sentence.
The committee decided that Vitale had breached parole conditions after being...
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND — A study has been commissioned to examine the mental health needs of Pacific Islanders forced to leave their homes by the climate crisis.
Auckland University's Jemaima Tiatia-Seath, co-head of the School of Māori and Pacific Studies, has been granted about $US400,000 for the...
Nuku'alofa, TONGA — The Papua New Guinean beauty queen who endured a racist insult at a Tongan beauty pageant over the weekend has thanked Tongans for their support and called for unity of Pacific people.
Miss Pacific Islands Leoshina Kariha was in Nuku'alofa on Friday for the Miss Heilala beauty...
Otago, NEW ZEALAND — A Samoan national who groped a 12-year-old girl while on a religious camp in Central Otago will be sent home.
Ulimasao Meka (27) was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court this week to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to assaulting a child.
Because he had been in...