American Samoa's new airline Pago Wings. Photo: World Airline News
American Samoa - airline
American Samoa's new airline, Pago Wings, hopes to begin offering charter flights on November 1 while it applies for US Government approval for scheduled air service.
Pago Wings, owned by businessman Papali'i Laulii Alofa, will be operating the charters under Hawaii-based Pacific Air Cargo.
Pago Wings chief executive Marshall Ashley said they will be looking primarily at charters for Manu'a including government operations flights.
The first aircraft for the airline, a 9-seater Tecnam Traveller arrived in the territory late last month.
The airline plans to have 10-12 pilots rotating in and out of Hawaii for the service in the territory, with one pilot stationed permanently on island.
Samoa - airways
Samoa Airways luggage at Faleolo International Airport is being loaded by hand due to an equipment fault.
The airline's interim chief executive officer Fauo'o Fatu Tielu told Samoa Observer the container loader machine at the airport is still out of action but it should be up and running soon.
He also denied the airline has cashflow problems following allegations it wasn't able to pay duty for importing its spare parts.
Fauo'o said the airline bought two new belt loaders last month while they wait for the new equipment from Europe.
He said last week that the company that supplies spare parts has relocated to the United States causing the delay.
So far there have been no delays in flights out of Faleolo International Airport since they introduced manual labour.
Samoa - bikes
Samoa Police will be using electric bikes during patrols in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting next year.
Australia Federal Police instructors have been in Samoa running training courses ending with three qualified instructors, and 16 officers who are now trained in the bicycle patrol officers program.
The Australian government donated electric bikes worth over US$53,540.
Samoa - opening
Samoa is planning to open the new Samoa Export Authority before the end of the year, replacing the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation at a cost of up to US$10 million.
TV1Samoa reports Minister of Agriculture Laauli Leuatea Schmidt said they are already moving to establish working relationships with American Samoa following the recent Atoa Samoa talks.
The new initiative was part of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party election campaign manifesto and the government has already pumped more than thousands of US dollars into establishing it.
Schmidt said they've already started looking at sending raw material to American Samoa for production into export quality products for the United States market.
Fiji - chiefs
Fiji's defunct Great Council of Chiefs is set to be re-established.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced his cabinet would seek to amend a law which saw the disestablishment of the council in 2012.
Former prime minister Frank Bainimarama dismantled the council which he said promoted inequality.
Advocates for the Great Council of Chiefs, say it pushes for the preservation of native lands and marine and natural ecosystems.
Guam - custody
Three teenagers in Guam have been held in custody over the past two weeks on suspicion of terroristic conduct and making social media threats.
The Guam Daily Post reports one of the three held in custody is a 15-year-old female student, suspected to have published posts on social media threatening to conduct a school shooting.
Another 15 year old male student is being investigated on suspicion of threatening to incite a school riot.
In Guam and the United States, threatening a school on social media is a federal crime, carrying a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.
Papua New Guinea - education
A 76-year-old man in Papua New Guinea is among thousands of grade 8 students undertaking their final examinations in the country this week.
The Post Courier reports, the father of six - Michael Wandul - is a student of a primary school in Lae.
Wandul sells betel nut in the morning before heading off to school in uniform.
He told the Post Courier that "education has no age limit".
Pacific - science
There are high hopes the establishment of a Pacific Science Academy will give Pacific nations autonomy over their science.
Auckland University's Sir Colin Tukuitonga said up until now, the Pacific has been one of the only regions in the world not to have a science academy.
He said the team will tackle big issues
More than 70 researchers and officials have met this week in Samoa to workshop ideas and funding strategies for the initiative.
Tonga - cyclones
Tonga Meteorological Service says its expecting up to three tropical cyclones for the kingdom, including at least one severe tropical cyclone for the 2023-24 cyclone season.
It says Tonga can expect tropical cyclones to occur between January and March, with most events occurring in February.
Last month, El Niño was officially declared for Tonga by the Tonga Meteorology Service.
Matangi Tonga reports this means that the tropical cyclone season will be longer than normal from this month and extending into May 2024, due to the El Niño conditions.
Currently, Tongatapu and 'Eua are already in drought conditions, drought warnings are in place for Ha'apai and Vava'u Island divisions, and drought alerts are in place for Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou.
