Regional
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A rare spade-toothed whale is being dissected in New Zealand in a world-first examination of a complete specimen.
The whale, a five-meter long male, washed ashore in Otago in July, sparking interest among scientists and local Māori.
Spade-toothed whales, named for their...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to be national intelligence...
Apia, SAMOA — The crew of the HMNZS Manawanui didn't realize autopilot was engaged as it crashed into a Samoan reef, a military Court of Inquiry has found.
New Zealand’s worst peacetime maritime accident occurred in October when the ship sunk off the coast in bad weather, with all 75 crew making it...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On Saturday, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te landed in Hawaii, bowed his head, and was garlanded with flowers.
It was his first stop in what will be an almost week-long sweep through the region, which will also take the president to the handful of Pacific nations that...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Speaker of the Samoa House, Papalii Lio Masipau, and Minister of Justice, Matamua Seumanu Vasati Sili Pulifana, were detained at Auckland International Airport on Thursday, along with two other passengers, after allegedly bypassing security screening in Apia.
The...
Apia, SAMOA — After an interim report found the sinking of the HMNS Manawanui was due to human error, Samoans say they are still looking for better answers on the environmental and economic costs of the disaster.
Details from the interim Court of Inquiry report concerning HMNZS Manawanui were...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A new study on plastic consumption warns that business as usual will result in nearly double the amount of plastic pollution.
World leaders, including the Pacific, are currently meeting in South Korea to try agree on a new international treaty to fight plastic pollution...
Apia SAMOA — In Samoa families are increasingly choosing to send patients to India or Fiji rather than New Zealand to avoid high medical expenses.
I presented and compared the costs of New Zealand and India and for example, a cardiac lesion, it would cost only US$7000 in India, but I think it's...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — [Editor's note] American Samoa is often vulnerable to such epidemics due to the frequency of travel between the two Samoas. To date, the territory’s health providers — the Department of Health and LBJ hospital — have not commented on any possible local case(s).
Samoa's...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The New Zealand-based salvage companies engaged by the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) are preparing to remove and dispose of the fuel and pollutants from the sunken HMNZ Manawanui.
The NZDF said work continues at the highest level to ensure biosecurity requirements and...