Samoa

After three years, the Miss Pacific Islands pageant 2023 is back and commences on Sunday 29th – through to 4th February 2023. The topic for the pageant is ‘Strength in Unity’. 

Before Miss PNG’s departure, her family hosted a luncheon to officially hand her over to the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant Papua New Guinea to contest the Miss Pacific Islands Crown and complete her 12-month reign.

Meagen Gunemba’s two second-half goals, either side of Samoa having a penalty saved, secured the win after Charlie Yanding had given PNG a first-half lead.

While Samoa were intent on playing out from the back, Papua New Guinea were happy to press them in midfield, continuously winning the ball as a consequence.

Early chances followed for PNG, Gunemba heading over and Samoa goalkeeper Ronisa Lipi making a sharp save from Sonia Embahe.

The game at Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium represented a return to international football for many after years of disruption. The magnitude of the occasion was made evident by powerful scenes as both Samoa and Tonga players sung their respective national anthems.

While Samoa looked to control the game in hope of unleashing their main threat in striker Torijan Lyne-Lewis, Tonga were comfortable playing on the the counter-attack with Laveni Vaka’s endeavour causing disruption.

This was underscored during a recent virtual Japan Market Brief for exporters and stakeholders in the Pacific and facilitated by the Pacific Islands Centre (PIC) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus).

The Brief was attended by PHAMA Plus partners and stakeholders from industry working groups, government agencies and business associations.  It provided insight into doing business in Japan, market opportunities, market access information and service offering for interested exporters.

In July 2021, ANZ customers in Australia and New Zealand sent 11,668 International Money Transfers to family and friends in the Pacific, worth AUD$ $13.1m (US$9.6 million), a 21 percent increase in volume when compared to the same period last year.

“In the Pacific, international money transfers - also known as remittances - are about more than money: they are about family, safety, culture, and community,” ANZ Regional Executive, Pacific, Tessa Price said.

It’s a move which has the potential to reverberate across the international game like Jason Taumalolo’s switch to Tonga.

The problem is, Papalii doesn’t have a Samoan team he wants to go back to.

“100 per cent I would [return for Samoa over Australia],” he tells foxsports.com.au.

Latest figures show the value and volume of transfers made by ANZ customers to the Pacific has increased substantially on the same period last year.

In February 2021 ANZ Australia and New Zealand customers sent a combined volume of 8,761 International Money Transfers worth AUD$12m (US$9.2 million) – a 95 percent increase in volume and 33 percent increase in value compared with the same period last year.

Money sent back to the Pacific from overseas, known as remittances, can make up a large part of a Pacific household's disposable income - up to 25 percent.

The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the grant aid will be used to secure cold-storage facilities, transport vehicles and other equipment necessary for the stable delivery of vaccines in those countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, according to the ministry.

Japan aims to help ensure the delivery of vaccines "to each and every person in the all corners of developing countries" with the hope of containing the coronavirus pandemic as quickly as possible, it said, adding the aid will be delivered through the United Nations Children's Fund.

Agreeing in unison on the initiative's timeliness, the respective governments and its people all see the urgent need to educate youths and individuals on online safety etiquettes.   

‘I Am Digital’ is a new social media online safety education campaign for Save the Children and Facebook, uniquely tailored for audiences in the Pacific Islands. The high-profile campaign is designed to help educate and empower Pacific Island teenagers and young people to have safer and more positive online experiences.

The ‘Get Safe Online Pacific’ guidance provides essential tips and information for people across the Pacific to help make sure their experience of sending or receiving money overseas is successful, safe and economical.

Sending and receiving remittances to and from Pacific Island countries has become hugely important to the very survival of island nations throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the World Bank, in 2017 alone nearly 20% of Tonga’s GDP came from remittances.