Legal challenges to two Samoa by-election winners, Fiji's Lautoka tops football league, health workers flown to American Samoa, Vanuatu gets Maritime Council seat, and more.
Lautoka FC have been named head of Fiji's premier football league. The team were in Wellington for the BOG Tournament in March. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Dom Thomas
Two Samoa by-election winners face legal challenges
Two recently sworn in by-election winners for the Samoan parliament are facing legal challenges.
First time MP for Falealili II electoral constituency, Fuimaono Maiava Tito of the ruling FAST party has been sued by Leleimalefaga Ne'emia Fonotia, the Human Rights Protection Party candidate who was second in the final vote count.
In the Sagaga 2 seat, by-election night winner Maulolo Tavita Amosa of HRPP faces a challenge by FAST candidate Fata Ryan Schuster, who was third in the polls.
All parties were to appear this morning to set dates for hearings on charges on treating and bribery.
No petitions were filed in the other four electorates involved in the by-elections.
Lautoka tops Fiji football league
Lautoka FC have been crowned Fiji Premier League football champions after beating Nadroga FC 3-0 to give themselves an unassailable lead at the top of the table with a game to spare.
Lautoka coach Imdad Ali said discipline and hard work were key to his squad's success this year.
Tailevu Naitasiri will be promoted to the Premier League next year, with the team they will replace in the top flight still to be determined.
Meanwhile, American Lisa Cole has been confirmed as the new head coach of the Fiji national women's football team.
Cole previously coached the Papua New Guinea women's team that competed at the FIFA Under 20s Women's World Cup in 2016.
Most recently she served as the coach of the Antigua and Barbuda women's team.
She will take charge of the team for the OFC Women's Nations Cup in 2022, as Fiji vie for a spot at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which will be hosted in Australia and New Zealand.
Pago Pago, capital of American Samoa. Photo: 123rf
Health workers flown to American Samoa, patients to Hawaii
A charter flight carrying almost 80 healthcare workers and their families from Fiji is to arrive in American Samoa today to boost the workforce.
RNZ Pacific's correspondent reported the essential healthcare staff are for the Department of Health and the LBJ Tropical Medical Centre.
The American Samoa Covid-19 Task Force said the new arrivals will be quarantined for seven days.
Meanwhile, a special medical charter left the capital Pago Pago early this week for Hawaii with 151 passengers.
Many of the travellers were patients from LBJ hospital seeking medical treatment in the US, but some were non-medical passengers.
Vanuatu gains seat on Maritime Council
Vanuatu has been elected to the International Maritime Organisation Council.
The country was elected during the Council's 32nd Assembly as a Category C member with 19 other countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, RNZ Pacific's Vanuatu correspondent said.
Category C represents states with special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.
Vanuatu is the first Pacific small island developing state to be elected.
Its ambassador Laurent Parente was also elected chairperson of the council's assembly committee, which deals with all administrative, financial, legal and technical matters.
Vanuatu secured a substantial number of votes, placing it equal with Mexico and the Philippines and before Qatar, Denmark and Thailand.
Vaccination deadline extended for American Samoa political employees
Those working for American Samoa's top politicians have been given more time to get fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
RNZ Pacific's correspondent reported that Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga pushed out the deadline for Executive Branch employees to get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 till next month.
American Samoa's executive branch includes the governor, lieutenant governor, and executive cabinet.
Lemanu also extended the deadline for "overstayers" to apply for the Amnesty Programme.
Previously, all Executive Branch employees were given until 15 December to be fully vaccinated. They now have until January 14th.
The last Amnesty Programme was in late 2019 during the measles epidemic, where many people died in neighbouring Samoa and restrictions were placed over entry into the territory as well as a mass measles immunisation drive.
Call for UN to reject results of New Caledonia referendum
Pacific civil society organisations are calling on the United Nations to reject the results of New Caledonia's third and final independence referendum.
The vote was held on Sunday in spite of requests from indigenous Kanaks for it to be postponed because of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pro-independent groups boycotted the vote, resulting in a record low turnout and an overwhelming majority in favour of staying with France.
In a joint statement nine Pacific NGO's accused France of "colonial manoeuvring" while New Caledonians were caught in a Covid-19 health crisis "to arrive at a premeditated outcome."
They said the outcome of the referendum could not be taken as the "genuine resolve of the Kanak people" and called on the United Nations to reject the poll result.