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ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Pacific Break 2025 will launch in Samoa — here's what you need to know
ABC Radio Australia's Pacific Break, the Pacific's biggest music competition, is back for 2025. On Friday, June 27 2025, the search begins to discover the Pacific and Timor Leste's best original artist. Pacific Break will launch for the first time in Samoa with a star-studded concert at iconic Friendship Park in Apia. Best of all, it's free. Here's what you need to know. When and where is the launch concert? This year's Pacific Break launch event will be taking place in downtown Samoa, at Friendship Park in Apia. Friday, June 27. Free entry from 5pm Friday, June 27. Free entry from 5pm Performances will run from 6 - 9pm Who is playing? This year's concert features a star-studded line-up of Pacific Break's biggest names, plus some of Samoa's biggest local acts. Mr. Cowboy (Samoa) Mr. Cowboy (Samoa) Tofaga Meke (Samoa) Tofaga Meke (Samoa) Chris Rohoimae (Solomon Islands, Pacific Break Winner 2024) Chris Rohoimae (Solomon Islands, Pacific Break Winner 2024) Ju Ben (Fiji, Pacific Break Winner 2023) Ju Ben (Fiji, Pacific Break Winner 2023) Danielle (PNG, Pacific Break Winner 2022) Plus more! The event will be hosted by Young Sefa, and Michael Chow and Jacob McQuire from ABC Radio Australia's Nesia Daily. Samoa's Sam Ah Chookoon, aka Mr Cowboy, will be performing at the Pacific Break 2025 launch concert. ( Supplied ) Do I need to purchase tickets? No, this event is family-friendly, all ages, and free. Will there be food and drinks available? Food stalls will be available at Friendship Park, selling food and non-alcoholic beverages. Adjacent to the concert, Apia's monthly Waterfront Night Market will also be taking place at the Samoa Cultural Village, with many delicious food and drink options for you and the family. Pacific Break is an alcohol and drug-free event. Ju Ben performs at the Pacific Break launch concert in Fiji last year. ( Supplied ) Want to know more about the 2025 Pacific Break competition? Once again, ABC Radio Australia is on the hunt for the next big Pacific artist! Pacific Break is ABC Radio Australia's yearly grassroots music competition that aims to uncover the best original and unsigned talent from across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Entries for this year's competition will open Friday, June 27 and run until midnight, Monday, August 25. Submit your original track via WhatsApp, email and online and you could be the next winner, taking off on an all-expenses-paid trip to perform at WOMADelaide, Australia's biggest world music festival. Find out more by heading online to The winner will be announced on ABC Radio Australia's morning program Nesia Daily on Thursday, October 16 2025. Anything else I should know? Please note the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will be filming a television program during this event. By attending the event, you are giving permission to be filmed as part of the event, and as such, your image could be included in the on-air program as well as online.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
A decade after Tropical Cyclone Evan, Samoan villages endure a silent struggle
By Sanjeshni Kumar, PINA Photo: RNZI More than a decade ago, Tropical Cyclone Evan, a Category 4 storm, roared through Samoa's capital, Apia, and its surrounding villages. It left behind more than just destruction. It redefined landscapes, disrupted lives, and reshaped the livelihoods of communities like Lelata and Magiagi. Today, its legacy endures - not in broken homes, but in the unpredictable power of the Vaisigano River. When the Vaisigano river burst its banks in December 2012, it swallowed farms, homes, and memories, creating a new channel that veered closer to homes and families in Magiagi and Lelata. It hasn't moved back since. Elina Va'a, an elderly resident of Magiagi village, still recalls the chaos that unfolded the day TC Evan hit. "The water destroyed all of our farming and our house," Va'a said, standing near the very site where her childhood home once stood. "We were five siblings living here with our parents. After the cyclone, we had to relocate immediately." Floodwaters submerged roads, and neighbours had to come to their rescue. That Christmas and New Year's, the family found temporary shelter in an LDS church nearby. "It felt like we were losing our own land, the place we belonged to," she said. They have since rebuilt, not just on higher ground but with stronger foundations. "Our new house is safe now. Even when it floods, the floodwaters don't reach us anymore. But the area where our old home stood, that still floods." For 29-year-old Asuelu Saifoloi of Lelata village, Cyclone Evan marked the start of an ongoing struggle with water and loss. "I was inside the house. When the river burst, it came up to my neck," he recalled. "We looked outside - everything was brown water." The devastation didn't end with the storm. "My cousins had a cocoa plantation that was their income. We planted root crops for food. But after 2012, we stopped. The land isn't safe." Now, even regular rainstorms bring anxiety. "Flooding happens almost twice a month," he said. "When it rains in the mountains, the river can rise without warning. We see grey clouds - and we know. The river might come." This year, during Mother's Day, the river rose again. "We had to cross it every day from Monday to Sunday that week," Saifoloi said. "Thankfully, we had high enough vehicles. But others - they had to walk barefoot through the current. That's what we experience constantly." At times, the only option is to wait it out. "We park on the riverbank and sleep in the car for five hours until the water drops," he said. "Our kids miss school. We miss work. Just to stay safe." Despite repeated promises, a long-term solution remains out of reach. Saifoloi believes the government needs to act and emphasised the need for proper infrastructure, especially at the river's origin point. "We're still waiting for the government to redirect the river or rebuild the wall - especially at the beginning. That's where the problem starts. Not just where it ends," he said. This isn't just about convenience - it's about survival. Medical emergencies are postponed. "When my mom got sick, the river was too high. We had to wait for the water to go down before we could take her to the hospital." The land where Lelata village sits is customary, passed down through generations, rooted in identity. "This is our inheritance," he said. "Our ancestors called us to live here. Leaving it behind isn't just relocation. It's losing who we are." But the land is shifting. The river has eaten away at the banks. What was once fertile soil is now a mix of sand and debris. "Crops can't grow on river sand. The soil's not what it used to be," he explained. "Why would we plant crops, only to see everything washed away again? "We've tried. But it's heartbreaking to see all your effort destroyed overnight." Instead, they focused on resilience. "So now, we just focus on making our homes strong, raising the foundations, cementing them. Because that's all we can afford. "But building a proper river wall? That costs millions. We don't have that kind of money." Today, only a fraction of the original families remain in Lelata. "From 160 people, now maybe 50 or 60 are left," Saifoloi said. "The others left because their kids kept missing school, and they couldn't keep crossing the river every day." Reaching out for help is difficult. "We go through the proper channels," he said. "We try not to overstep. But the truth is - we're still fighting a silent battle. We're protecting our families and hoping one day the promises will be kept." Even healthcare is dictated by the river's moods. "If someone gets sick and the river is too high, we wait. We wait until the water goes down - then take them to the hospital." Despite the hardships, there's no bitterness in Saifoloi's voice - only resolve. "I still believe this problem can be solved. We're not asking for luxury. We just want protection - walls to hold the river, a future that isn't underwater." In response to the risks posed by increasing climate-related disasters, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Vaisigano Catchment Project - "Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment" - was developed by the Government of Samoa in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme in 2016. Launched in 2017, the project aims to protect communities living near the Vaisigano River from flooding, especially during heavy rains and cyclones. It focuses on preserving forest and river ecosystems to absorb excess water and reduce flood damage. It also supports local livelihoods - especially those of women and unemployed youth - by creating paid opportunities to plant trees, rehabilitate degraded areas, and manage nurseries. In doing so, it strengthens both environmental resilience and social well-being. The total cost of the project is US$65.7 million, with US$57.7 million funded by the Green Climate Fund and US$8 million provided by the Government of Samoa as co-financing, according to official project documents. For now, families in Lelata and Magiagi continue to live with their inheritance, not just the land, but the risks that come with it. "If our children want to leave, that's their choice. But for us, this is home - and we'll keep hoping, keep waiting, because this land is our story," Saifoloi said. This article was first published by PINA .
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Samoa parliament to be dissolved in June, election date to come
The Samoa Electoral Commission show votes being tallied during the general election in the capital city of Apia Photo: AFP or licensors Its official. Samoa's parliament will be dissolved next week and the country will have an early return to the polls. The confirmation comes after a dramatic day in Parliament on Monday, which saw the government's budget voted down at its first reading. In a live address today, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa confirmed the dissolution of Parliament. "Upon the adjournment of Parliament yesterday, I met with the Head of State and tendered my advice to dissolve Parliament," she said. Fiame said that advice was accepted, and the Head of State has confirmed that the official dissolution of Parliament will take place on Tuesday, 3 June. According to Samoa's constitution, an election must be held within three months of parliament being dissolved. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa in parliament on Tuesday. Photo: Samoa Government Fiame reassured the public that constitutional arrangements are in place to ensure the elections are held lawfully and smoothly. In the meantime, she said the government will operate in caretaker mode with oversight on public expenditure. "There are constitutional provisions governing the use of public funds by a caretaker government," she said. "Priority will be given to ensuring that the machinery of government continues to function." She also took a moment to thank the public for their prayers and support during this time. Despite the political instability, Fiame said Samoa's 63rd Independence Day celebrations will proceed as planned. The official program begins with a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 1 June at 6pm at Muliwai Cathedral. This will be followed by a flag-raising ceremony on Monday, 2 June in front of the Government Building at Eleele Fou. The dissolution of Parliament brings to an end months of political instability which began in January.
ABC News
27-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Bee the change: How a young Samoan beekeeper is fighting to protect these precious pollinators
World Bee Day is a chance to recognise the tiny but mighty workers that keep our ecosystems thriving. In Samoa, one young woman is doing her part to protect these buzzing heroes. Three years ago, what started as a hobby for electrical engineer Luna-Rossa Lomitusi-Ape has grown into a thriving bee farm, where she now manages nine full beehives, two 'baby hives', and helps care for other hives in rural villages across Apia. Initially, the 24-year-old told Nesia Daily she was torn between "bees or fashion" when deciding on a small business, but it was her father's advice that helped her choose: "it's better to choose the bees because at least you get the honey." Luna-Rossa's trick to reducing the amount of times she gets stung by her bees is "inner peace" as bees will see you as a threat if you are feeling anxious or stressed. ( ) Apiaries like Luna-Rossa's are now part of a growing movement to protect Samoa's declining bee population — an issue that's becoming more prevalent with each season. "We have really bad rain patterns now," the young beekeeper explained. "This is the longest rainy season we've had. You make less honey because of course the honey is for the bees during times of shortage." Alongside threats like habitat destruction and climate change, Luna-Rossa says bees in Samoa are often destroyed simply because people want to avoid getting bitten or stung - something she believes comes down to a "lack of awareness of the importance of bees." As well as tending to her own bees, Luna-Rossa also removes them from residential properties. ( ) Despite the challenges, Luna-Rossa remains passionate about bees and the critical role they play in our food systems and environment. If you want to foster a more bee-friendly environment, she suggests an easy way to start is by growing "pollinator-friendly plants in front of your houses, on your little balconies in the city, because bees are literally everywhere."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Samoa's leader seeks an early election after opponents reject her budget
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samoa 's Prime Minister said she would seek to dissolve Parliament, prompting an early election, after a vote on her government's budget for the next year failed Tuesday. Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa's admission of defeat followed months of political havoc in the South Pacific island nation, during which the leader survived two votes of no confidence and struggled on with a minority government. Her budget was rejected during a swift vote in the capital Apia, with 34 lawmakers against it, 16 in favor and two abstaining. An election must be held within 90 days. Samoa, a country of about 200,000 people, was due to go to the polls next April. Samoa's first woman leader Fiamē has led Samoa since 2021, when she ousted her predecessor of 22 years. She is the country's first woman prime minister and in 1991 was the first woman appointed to Samoa's Cabinet. The daughter of a former prime minister, Fiamē is one of the region's longest-serving politicians. She came to power after splitting with the previous leader's party over constitutional changes that she said would undermine the rule of law. Fiamē holds a chiefly rank as a village leader, rare for women in Samoa. She remains an outlier, too, in Pacific island politics, where only 8% of parliamentarians are women, according to January figures from the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Politics roiled for months Tuesday's budget defeat capped months of political turmoil after Fiamē in January sacked a Cabinet member who faced a raft of criminal charges and is also her party's chairman. He in turn expelled Fiamē from the FAST party and forced her into a minority government. She beat two no-confidence motions since. Debate over the efforts to unseat her provoked outrage among some in Samoa when Fiamē's opponents derided her for being unmarried and suggested she needed a husband's advice. Earlier this month Fiamē told reporters she would contest the election next April. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Warnings about election readiness In Parliament Tuesday morning, the leader warned lawmakers that rejecting the budget would provoke operational problems for the government, according to Pacific news outlet PMN. Fiamē also cautioned that a re-registration process for Samoa's voters, which was expected to conclude before next April's vote, had only captured 52% of Samoans in the new system so far. The old registration system was obsolete, her government said last year. Fiamē has drawn attention outside Samoa for urging larger powers, such as Australia, to do more to curb the effects of climate change, which have been ruinous for low-lying Pacific island nations. She also took a more cautious approach than her predecessor to Beijing's bankrolling of infrastructure projects in Samoa, which is heavily in debt to China. Samoa has this year faced severe electricity shortages that Fiamē warned in April could seriously hamper the country's economy.
