Samoa

In preparation for the 48th Forum Leaders Meeting, the Forum Officials Committee Meeting, the governing council of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, will meet in Suva on 8 and 9 August preceded by the Smaller Island States Officials Meeting and the Pacific ACP Officials Meeting on 7 August, 20167.

A meeting of the Forum Foreign Ministers will also be held on 11 August 2017 in Suva.

The Smaller Islands States Leaders Meeting will be held in Apia on 4 September. This will be followed by the Pacific ACP Leaders Meeting.

The orientation sessions at APTC campuses in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu on January 16 and 17, provided valuable information to new students on APTC facilities, student support services, regulations, and their responsibilities.

APTC is an innovative development program funded by the Australian Government, delivering internationally-recognised Australian skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers for skilled workers across the Pacific.

Nafanua, Leilani and Emma are 14, 12 and 10-years-old respectively, and their dad Xavier Lui is teaching them the traditional skills of Pacific sea voyaging.

Emma says she likes seeing turtles, riding the bow of the va'a ("boat" in Samoan), and feeling connected to her culture.

"It uncovers the history and you can make your own history while you sail, go on that big boat and make your own," she says, gesturing to the Samoan Voyaging Society's double-hulled canoe, the Gaualofa.

The centre issued warnings for Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae.

It said people near impacted coastal areas should stay alert and exercise normal caution near the sea.

American Samoa had issued a tsunami watch following the earthquake but that was later cancelled.

The quake, which hit just before 5am local time on Friday morning, was initially reported to be of magnitude 8 by the US Geological Service but was downgraded shortly afterwards.

Oceania Football Confederation Deputy General Secretary and incoming FIFA Chief of Women’s Football, Sarai Bareman said the role that journalists play is very important for women.

Bareman told journalists involved in the Women in News and Sport (WINS) program to uplift women involved in sports and celebrate their achievements.

WINS hosted a workshop on Wednesday, Nov 23 in conjunction with the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and participants were treated to a diverse range of FIFA speakers.

The pageant week begins with a church service and over the course of the week will assess each contestants through various activities planned.

Contestants representing eight Pacific Islands - American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga have all gathered in Apia, Samoa.

Contestants and their teams started arriving in Samoa last week for the 30^th anniversary of the Miss Pacific Islands.

The team of more than 10 departed the country at 1:51pm on Virgin Air.

They will fly through Brisbane and then Auckland, New Zealand where they will spend at least 8 hours before continuing to their destination.

They are expected to touch down at the Faleolo International Airport at about 13:55pm tomorrow, Samoan time (9:00 am PNG time).

Miss PNG, Kellyanne Limbiye and Miss Pacific Abigail Havora will be stepping out fully dressed with their crowns and sash.

“I am super excited, nervous, just full of emotions right now,” Limbiye said.

The pageant will be staged from Sunday 27 November to Friday 2 December with theme, ‘Celebrating our History and Embracing our Future’.

Eight beautiful contestants are vying for the crown, with the pageant night to beheld on Friday, December 2 at 7pm at Gymn 1 in Tuanaimato.

Competing this year are contestants from the Pacific Islands of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga.

The eight Pacific Island beauties are:

Better known as the Mitre 10 Mega man, Levi Vaoga spent a decade pulling trucks and flipping tractor tyres for the hardware franchise promoting the message "big is good."

But as the New Zealand-born Cook Islands filmmaker Jamie Aureka Maoate Dunn discovers in "The Life I've Lived," there is more to Levi Vaoga than meets the eye.

Levi Vaoga's journey from farmhand to competitor in eleven world strongman tournaments is an honest first-hand account and Jamie Dunn hopes it strikes a chord with young people.

Having lost their opening two matches of the tournament, Samoa won three straight to join Fiji and the Cook Islands as the top three teams in the Pacific.