NEWSROOM: 23 September - 29 September 2007

62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
29 September 2007 - Source: Government Press Secretariat

Cabinet has approved the attendance by the Honourable Prime Minister, Susuga Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, in the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, that is taking place in New York, USA, this week, 26 September - 01 October, 2007.

The Honourable Prime Minister is presenting a paper to the General Assembly which will be based on the United Nations initiatives and programs.

Additonally, the presentation will also focus on Samoa’s graduation from least developing countries status within the UN system; the development of small Pacific Island economies with emphasis on the effects of climate change and global disasters.

The Honourable Prime Minister is also attending the Commonwealth Ministers of Foreign Affairs Meeting, which is also taking place in New York, to coincide with the General Assembly. The Meeting will discuss preparations for the upcoming commonwealth Leaders Meeting in Uganda, in the month of November.

The Honourable Prime Minister is accompanied to these Meetings by his Good Lady,
Gillian Malielegaoi, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Afioga Vaeolenofoafia Tapasu Leung Wai, and the CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Afioga Aiono Mose Sua.
 

Miss Samoa Pageant 2007 venue details confirmed
28 September 2007 - Source: Miss Samoa Pageant Press Release

THEME: “CELEBRATION OF WOMEN”

Date of the Pageant: 20th October 2007

Venue: Yet to be confirmed

Major Sponsor: SamoaTel

Deadline of Entries: 20th September 2007

Number of Contestants: 10 Confirmed.

List of Contestants:
1. Miss Macdonald’s Family Restaurant – Amberita Afamasaga
2. Miss Samoa Realty – Jasmine Lee Hang
3. Miss Polynesian Flava – Victoire Pauline Faaleava
4. Miss Crystal Le Diva Creations – Felicity Latulipe
5. Miss Pacific Express – Siatua Lautua
6. Miss Imania’s Creations – Lauiula Fidow
7. Miss Malia’s Collection – Honey Sooialo
8. Miss Sons of Manasseh California – Rose Siusiu Asaasa
9. Miss Samoa New Zealand – Sherry Elekana
10. Miss Samoa Australia – Salamasina Sarah Vallee

Pre – pageant program – one week commencing 12th October 2007

Conditions of Entry – Refer to R& R

Categories of the Contest:

1. Traditional Wear
2. Sarong
3. Talent
4. Puletasi and
5. Interview

Tickets will be on sale soon at the STA Information Fale.
 

Financial assistance for Pacific Society of Anaesthetists
27 September 2007 - Source: Government Press Secretariat Press Release

Cabinet has approved financial assistance for the Pacific Society of Anaesthetists’ 19th Refresher Course, which is scheduled to take place in Apia, from the 27 – 29 September, 2007.

The Meeting is an important opportunity for Samoa to upgrade the development of anaesthetic, emergency and intensive care management and to be introduced to the some of the world’s anaesthetic and intensive care specialists.

Samoa will be hosting the Refresher Course for the first time and more than thirty participants from around the Pacific region are expected to attend.
 

Digicel’s Movie Matinee for the special needs children
26 September 2007 - Source: Digicel Press Release

Students from Special Needs schools and units were ‘shouted’ to the movies by Digicel on Monday. Over Monday and Tuesday, more than 270 special needs students and their care-givers enjoyed time-out at the movies.

“We made a promise to Samoa’s special needs community when Digicel launched in November 2006, and this is one of those promises being delivered”, says spokesperson Pepe Christian Fruean.

Digicel booked out the Magik Cinemas for the two sessions and provided all of the children with special treats to complete their entertainment experience.

“This event first took place in 2005 under Telecom Samoa. With constant requests and reminders from the special needs children since then, today we make their wish a reality.”

The movie matinee event is one of the many community events supported by Digicel under its DigiCare program, which was formally launched on 11 September at Mapuifagalele.

The cartoon Rattatouille screened on both days.

“This is an excellent movie for the children, it’s fun and exciting but it also carries the message that you can do anything”, says Leata of Loto Taumafai. She finished off with a big whoop, ‘Seki a le Digicel”.

As with the 2005 movie event, transportation was provided for some of the schools, including Lalomanu’s 25-strong contingent. Nuanua o le Alofa also pitched in to bring the 22-member party from Sale’imoa. President, Mr. Nofo Mapusua reiterated his gratitude to Digicel for continuing with this very important activity for the Special Needs Community.

For some of the Special Needs children, this will be the first time they would have been to the movie theatre. For most, it will be a lifetime highlight and thrill.

“We aim to make a difference in our people’s lives. In this event we hope our special needs children will have had a fully entertaining experience. I know we’re very happy to be a small happy spark in their lives”, states Pepe Fruean.

Attendance:
Monday, 24 September
Screened (9:30am):
Loto Taumafai (89); Early Intervention Program (24); Vocational Unit (15); SENESE (25)

Tuesday, 25 September
Screened (10:00am):
Magiagi Primary School (20); Sale’imoa (22); Lalomanu (25); Aoga Fiamalamalama (20); Falefitu (18); Nuanua o le Alofa (20); Early intervention Sale’imoa (5).

About Digicel Pacific Limited

Digicel is committed to building a world-class; pan Pacific, state-of-the-art mobile telecommunications network that will deliver competitive rates, unbeatable coverage and superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and the latest handsets to Pacific Islanders.

To date, Digicel has launched GSM services in Samoa and Papua New Guinea. The Governments of Fiji, Vanuatu and several other countries in the Pacific have committed to license Digicel shortly.

Digicel is the proud sponsor of Fiji Rugby, and is the title sponsor of the Digicel Fiji Sevens Team and the Digicel Pacific Islanders Rugby Team.

Digicel Limited, the sister company of Digicel Pacific Limited, launched in 2001 and is now the largest GSM provider in the Pan Caribbean region employing in excess of 3500 persons.
 

Jones considers league as union softens up
25 September 2007 - Source: Samoa Rugby Football Union Press Release

The return of "The Chiropractor" Brian Lima to the Samoa line-up against England on Sunday has reignited the debate about tackling in rugby.

Lima's coach and former All Black Michael Jones lamented this week that the game had become "too sanitised" and was frustrated that his players had been forced to tone down their physical approach after a crackdown from World Cup organisers.

Jones said the game was turning so soft that he would encourage his son to play rugby league instead.

The opposite view is that challenges such as Lima's hit on South African Andre Pretorius are highly dangerous, have no place in the game and are the real reason why parents might want to steer their children away. Lima has earned a justified reputation for hard tackling, even among the big hitters of the Pacific islands, and his destruction of airborne Springbok first five-eighths Derick Hougaard was one of the iconic images of the last World Cup.

So, perhaps it was understandable he would come out all guns blazing as a replacement against the same opponents two weeks ago.

His first action proved to be his last as a tackle that was more of a flying head butt somehow did not cause Pretorius any major damage but knocked Lima unconscious. He returned immediately to the bench and was forced to miss the next game against Tonga, his first absence in five World Cups.

That he escaped any punishment or a subsequent citing, especially in the light of Schalk Burger's initial four-match ban for a late hit in the same match, provoked outrage in South Africa.

Others of a more neutral persuasion were also unimpressed.

"Everybody loves Lima...but the sugary sweetness with which he was welcomed on and waved off the pitch within minutes cloaks the reality of Samoa," former England first five-eighths Stuart Barnes wrote in the Sunday Times.

"There is an element of political correctness in the way the rugby world allows the savage swinging arms which are the trademark of the South Pacific."

Jones, unsurprisingly, sees it differently. "You've got to take the brutality out of the game and I'm all for that but there is a danger of it being over-sanitised," he said.

"Traditionally, Samoans hit hard with a lot of impact. Bodies are flying but the collisions often look far worse than they are. There's no malice in a lot of our tackling.

"We have to change our style, to tone it down a bit. It goes against the grain. This is part of our DNA, we are wired to tackle hard, but you just can't afford to now.”

"It's getting to the point where I'd think about telling my son to go play rugby league. It's getting to the point where I might well opt to play rugby league myself."

And as far as trying to tone down Lima, Jones recognises a pointless task when he sees one. "We trust him, he's been playing this game longer than most of us have," he said. "I'm not going to change his tackling at this stage."
 

Eighteenth SPREP Meeting ends on a positive note
24 September 2007 - Source: SPREP Press Release

The eighteenth Secretariat Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) Meeting of officials has endorsed 2008 to be the Pacific Year of the Reef. It will be officially launched during the 8th Pacific Islands conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Alotau, Papua New Guinea in October this year.

The 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef, was just one of a number of proposals endorsed at the meeting in Apia this week.

It was with a sense of accomplishment that the eighteenth SPREP Meeting of officials ended in Apia on Friday, endorsing future work plans and objectives for the inter governmental organisation.

“We thank you for supporting and endorsing the 2008 Annual Work Plan and Budget and the new initiatives proposed, for offering your assistance as well as for requesting our assistance in addressing your needs,” said SPREP Director Asterio Takesy, “it’s another vote of confidence from you, in the work we do.”

The representatives from Guam, Mike Gawel and Lorilee Crisostomo chaired the meeting that also endorsed an Independent Corporate Review for SPREP in 2008. The report will be presented to the 19th SPREP Meeting in 2008.

“We wish to thank distinguished delegates for the strong interest shown in the affairs of the Secretariat reflected in the approval granted for an Independent Corporate Review. This is the first time our Governing Council has considered and endorsed a proposal for such an important exercise.

“We also look forward to the recommendations of the review, which we believe can only strengthen and enhance the capacity and effectiveness of our Secretariat to deliver services to Members”

The closing of the SPREP conference was not only about official work. It opened with the remembrance of senior officials from the Ministry in Environment in French Polynesia, who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash on August 9 this year in Tahiti. A moment of silence was observed by the meeting.

During the meeting sentiments were shared towards F. Vitolio Lui, the Deputy Director of the Intergovernmental organisation. This was his last SPREP meeting as the Deputy Director as he will be retiring before the nineteenth SPREP meeting.

The final report of the eighteenth SPREP Meeting of officials will be made available on the SPREP website once it has been completed. The nineteenth SPREP Meeting will be hosted in the Federated States of Micronesia.
 

Trade discussions between Samoa, Australia and NZ
23 September 2007 - Source: Government Press Secretariat

Cabinet has approved the Report on bilateral discussions between the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister, Afioga Misa Telefoni, and New Zealand and Australia’s Trade Ministers, during the Trade Ministers’ Meeting, which took place in Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 31 July – 03 August, 2007.

Matters of importance that were discussed include Samoa’s accession to the World Trade Organisation. The Hon. Deputy Prime Minister sought discussion with New Zealand’s Trade Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, on bilateral issues for Samoa’s way forward. New Zealand and Samoa aim to formalize their bilateral agreement by November, 2007.

Additionally, following discussions with Australia’s Trade Minister, Hon Warren Truss, regarding permission for a further derogation to allow electrical harnessing manufactured by Yazaki Samoa Ltd to be imported from Samoa into Australia, the Australian government has approved a further 3 years derogation for electrical harnessing.
 

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