Samoa's Alex Rose snatches discus bronze from Australia and makes history at World Athletics Championships

Alex Rose etched his name into the history books this morning in Tokyo, winning bronze in the men's discus with a throw of 66.96 metres, in a groundbreaking first for both Samoa and the Pacific Islands at the World Athletics Championships. The...

Blessing ceremony precedes first surgery in LBJ’s new operating suite

The LBJ Tropical Medical Center held a blessing ceremony Monday before the first operation was conducted at its new operating suite. Acting Governor Pulumataala Ae Ae Jr. joined the LBJ Hospital Board, doctors, nurses, and employees, at the...

Pacific news in brief for 23 September

Ian Tarutia said the minimum wage increase will enhance the purchasing power of workers. Photo: 123RF Papua New Guinea - wage The PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the Labour and Industrial Relations Department must ensure stringent and...

U.S. House Passes TRAVEL Act for Veterans in the Territories

Veterans living in the territories have won a victory in the U.S. House, securing bipartisan legislation to give them access to specialized VA medical care without traveling thousands of miles. KHJ News Washington DC correspondent Matt Kaye...

DoH stops sale of products after expiration/use by dates

The Department of Health has served notice that all products must be removed from shelves and cannot be sold after the date of expiration or best used by date shown on the product. Previously DOH had allowed a 30 day grace period for such items to...

Inmate escapes, reported walking around the village of Leloaloa

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 21, 2025, the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) received a call notifying officers of an inmate identified as Casimire Wei walking around the village of Leloaloa. Wei was charged with one count of Escape from...

Woman assaulted with tree branch

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 24, 2025, a concerned citizen called the Tafuna Police Station (TPS) to report a victim who was allegedly assaulted at the Golf Course in Iiilii. An investigation later revealed that the suspect was the victim’s...

Governor names new Parks & Rec director

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula has appointed Andrew Pelesasa as the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. His nomination has been submitted to the Fono for a confirmation hearing. This marks the second...

Photo Essay: Kalaupapa National Historical Park Reopens

Kalaupapa Saints Tour brings visitors back to Molokaʻi’s top tourist attraction. On a media tour, Bryce Moore, left, and Star-Advertiser reporter Allison Schaefers photograph a grave in Papaloa Cemetery. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025) A Mokulele...

Eastern District lawmakers unhappy with state of roads

Senators and Representatives from the Eastern District have decried the state of roads on that side of the island and particularly the unfinished road project between Alofau and Amouli which they said has created hazrdous driving conditions and if...

Police arrest man for causing damage to his father’s home

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 19, 2025, a father called the Leone Police Substation (LPS) and reported his son who was allegedly causing a disturbance in their home. The suspect was later arrested and charged with: Count 1: Private Peace...

DPS CIIB investigating alleged assault involving three TCF inmates

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB) of the Department of Public Safety is currently conducting an investigation in response to a reported assault involving three inmates at the Territorial...

Quid pro quo: Guam lists demands in exchange for role as frontline defense

Guam Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, left, joins CNMI Gov. David Apatang and American Samoa Gov. Pula Nikolao Pula at the 2025 IGIA Mid-Year Senior Plenary Session held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Guam Governor...

Courtroom left in shock when defendant in Figiel trial suddenly bolts from the room

Apia, SAMOA — The testimonies of two medical professionals in the high-profile murder trial of celebrated Samoan poet and playwright Papalii Sia Figiel on Thursday, September 11, 2025, confirmed that she is suffering from a serious psychotic...

Innovative Readiness Training 2025 AMSAM

The 2025 Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) in American Samoa brought combined efforts from the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, National Guard, and Reserve forces with the Samoan Department of Health to deliver medical, dental, vision, and behavioral...

State Department publications riddled with omissions and inaccurate info on Pacific island entries

Photo courtesy of the State Department The Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Palau is named U.S. Embassy Koror, which refers to the capital of Palau. However, the embassy’s official website says the embassy is actually in Airia. In one...

Partial Solar Eclipse On Sept 21 Where Stargazers Can Watch Live

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Skywatchers in some parts of the world will witness a celestial wonder as a partial solar eclipse will be seen on September 21. This occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, covering half of the solar...

RFK Jr.’s Lies Stain the Republic

We all know that it’s only a matter of time before a significant number of children in this country start dying of entirely preventable infectious diseases. That’s what happened in American Samoa in 2019, when 83 people, mostly children, died of...

Designing and Implementing a Counterspace: The Burke Museum’s Research Family

In the spring of 2013, a group of Pacific Islander students at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle created the first version of an initiative known as Research Family. As its name implies, Research Family brings family-like relationships...

‘Unleashed’: Council opens Marianas Trench, three other Pacific marine sanctuaries to commercial fishing

Marianas Trench/Photo courtesy of NOAA The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council moved to allow commercial fishing within four federally protected areas in the Pacific, following a presidential directive that a federal court struck...