With the dust settling Won the Bank South Pacific’s takeover of Westpac, the newest business in town is already hard at work to become the banking giant of Samoa.

And a driving force behind the establishment is Maryann Lameko- Vaai, who was named the General Manager last week when the Bank was officially launched at Vailima.

It has been quite a rise for a woman who only three years ago had never worked at a bank.

“I was hired by Westpac in 2012 so I have been with the bank for about three years now,” she tells the Samoa Observer.

“I am a chartered accountant and auditor by profession, so my interest has always been in accounting, finance and investment.

“Prior to moving to the bank, I spent 12 years with a locally-owned computer company called Computer Services Limited, and when the opportunity presented itself to join Westpac; it was time to try something new.”

It didn’t take long for Mrs. Lameko-Vaai’s new career to grow on her, and she hasn’t looked back since.

“Banking became a passion very quickly and I found myself totally immersed and equally inspired by the role that the banking system plays in the economic and social development of our country. I guess you can say I got hooked.”

Mrs. Lameko-Vaai was pleased when Westpac named her as Acting General Manger in the lead up to the takeover, but was surprised when B.S.P later annointed her as their official General Manager.

It’s a ground breaking appointment that’s been long overdue.

“Westpac has never hired a local to be Country Head and when I was seconded to the role of Acting GM by Westpac, I was pleasantly surprised,” she said.

“In the seven months that I was Acting GM during the transition to B.S.P, the team and I worked really hard and we prayed even harder.

“Multinational companies, in particular banks in Samoa are traditionally managed by ex-pats, so this is a remarkable achievement and I’m very humbled by the opportunity.”

Not to take all of the glory herself after being selected in the new role, Mrs. Lameko- Vaai was quick to thank her colleagues, friends and family for helping during the frantic few months leading up to the takeover.

“It’s during challenging and uncertain times that the strength of one’s leadership and staff alike are put to the test. I acknowledge my exceptional staff for their support and hard work at so many levels; their perseverance in the midst of uncertainty has been my strength.

“I’m fortunate to have been surrounded by great role models, who are always pushing me. I’ve made some sacrifices with my family, and the road to getting to where I am today has not been easy and sometimes lonely; but by the grace of God I have been able to realize this dream.”

Asked whether she has been overlooked for promotions in the past because of her gender, Mrs. Lameko-Vaai pointed out that her employers have based decisions on work ethic.

“No I don’t believe so. I think we are quite fortunate in Samoa that women are given equal opportunities in the workplace and the appointment of top officers are always based on merit, not gender.”

So now that it has been out with the old and in with the new, where to now for Samoa’s newest big business?

“My vision is simple - for B.S.P to be the number one bank in Samoa. To be the bank that will help our businesses, communities and people grow.” Look out.

Samoa scored a last-second try to hand Canada a crushing 21-20 defeat in the Pacific Nations Cup yesterday.

The win secures Manu Samoa’s place in the final of the tournament against Fiji next Tuesday.

Canada had seemed destined for victory after Phil Mackenzie’s slashing run for a try in the 75th minute lifted the home side to a 20-16 lead.

But after Canada stole a Samoan lineout on the Canadian goalline with the clock running down, two Canadians collided and the ball spilled loose, only for Samoa’s prop, Sakaria Taulafo to dive on it for the winning try.

Samoa, the highest-ranked team in the tournament at No. 9, will meet No. 10 Fiji in Tuesday’s final in Burnaby, B.C. Mackenzie, with an assist from teammate Connor Trainor, put Canada ahead after he got to a long cross-field kick from Nathan Hirayama that landed just outside Samoa’s 22-metre line and beat a string of defenders to the goalline. James Pritchard’s conversion added to the lead.

Until then, it had looked like Michael Stanley’s long-range kicking would lift Samoa to a comeback win.

The Samoans rallied from 13-3 down at halftime with Stanley tying the game and then moving the Pacific Islanders into the lead with a pair of 45-metre-plus kicks on or near the halfway line.

Canada dominated the early going but blew several chances to increase its first-half lead. Pritchard, Canada’s all-time points scorer, also missed two second-half penalty kicks.

Canada, ranked 18th in the world, has now lost all five previous meetings with Samoa.

The Canadians lost 20-6 to Japan and 28-18 to Tonga earlier in the competition. Samoa beat the U.S. 21-16 and tied Fiji 30-30.

Canada, despite losing captain Tyler Ardron to injury in the fourth minute, came out firing on all cylinders Wednesday and led 13-0 after 13 minutes.

Nick Blevins also scored a try for Canada. Pritchard kicked two penalties and two conversions.

His first penalty, in the third minute lifted his international total to 600 points, the 20th player in world rugby to reach that milestone. Pritchard also took over as captain after Ardron’s exit.

Anthony Perenise also scored a try for Samoa. Stanley kicked three penalties and a conversion.

In earlier action at BMO Field on a day of torrid temperatures, Tonga beat the U.S. 33-19 and Fiji, down two men at the end, hung on to defeat Japan 27-22.

The Canada-Samoa game was played to an unwanted soundtrack from the nearby Edgefest 2 concert headlined by Incubus.

Facing a compressed schedule, Canadian coach Kieran Crowley dug deep into his roster and made 12 changes from the team that lost to Tonga last Friday.

Despite a small crowd, the Canadians looked ready. They left the field as a phalanx after the pre-game warmup.

The Canadians, standing together on the halfway line, then watched in as the Samoans laid down their pre-game challenge with the Siva Tau, their version of the Haka.

There was plenty of action early.

An early Canadian try by Mackenzie was called off due a forward pass but the home side crossed over in the seventh minute when Blevins, following a Trainor run, coralled the ball after it bounced off his leg over the goalline. Pritchard converted.

Samoa’s Paul Perez was sinbinned for a high tackle and Pritchard made the Pacific Islanders pay with the penalty for a 13-0 lead.

Samoa lost scrum half Pele Cowley to an arm injury in the 16th minute.

Stanley finally put Samoa on the scoreboard in the 24th minute with a penalty that cut the lead to 13-3. Canada threatened late in the half after stealing a Samoan lineout but fly half Nathan Hirayama dropped the ball on the ensuing attack.

Another late Canadian attack ended in a turnover for a 13-3 Canada lead in a first half that had no shortage of niggle between the two sides.

Samoa scored early in the second half, with six-foot 260-pound prop Perenise bulling his way over in the 44th minute after a big hit dislodged the ball from a Canadian five metres off his own line. Stanley’s kick made it 13-10.

Pritchard missed a long-range penalty in the 54th minute. Then Hirayama was wide on an attempted dropped goal. Stanley did not miss in the 64th, hitting a penalty kick from just inside the halfway line just over the posts to tie the game at 13-13.

He did it again two minutes later, this time from right on the halfway line for a 16-13 Samoa lead. Pritchard’s penalty attempt was wide in the 73rd minute.

Crowley’s squad has won two of its last 12 test matches dating back to November 2013. The Canadian men, ranked 18th in the world, have only beaten No. 21 Namibia and No. 29 Portugal during that stretch.

They lost to No. 9 Samoa (twice), No. 11 Scotland, No. 12 Tonga, No. 13 Japan (twice), No. 14 Georgia, No. 16 U.S., and No. 17 Romania (twice). The record worsens if you add non-test losses to the New Zealand Maori and an English second-division all-star team.

Canada entered the day as the only team out of contention for Monday’s final. They will play a placement match.

P.M. confronts global issues in New York

While there, Tuilaepa met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Tupua Ban Ki-moon, who has been very vocal on the challenges faced by S.I.D.S since his visit to Samoa last year.

The Prime Minster also addressed the U.N Security Council during a debate on the subject, “Maintenance of international peace and security:

Peace and security challenges facing small island developing States.”

According to Tupua, he global challenges S.I.D.S are facing are the international community’s collective responsibility.

“Combatting climate change, promoting sustainable development and addressing the vulnerabilities of S.I.DS will demand partnership, capacity and leadership,” said Tupua, who recalled that the SAMOA Pathway is here “to guide us.”

Last year’s Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa increased global attention on their contributions to sustainable development – but also on their unique vulnerabilities, Tupua reminded to the Council members, who were meeting for an unprecedented debate about the situation of these countries.

From traditional armed conflict to transnational crime and piracy, illicit exploitation of natural resources, climate change and climate-related natural disasters and uneven development, small island developing States face a range of peace and security challenges, according to the concept note provided by New Zealand, which holds the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for the month of July.

Caribbean S.I.D.S, for example, are vulnerable to drug-trafficking and gang-related violence, noted the Secretary-General, while unreported and unregulated fishing undermine local economies. Through its Maritime Crime Programme, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime is actively engaged to help these countries in these areas.

“Taken together with the broader vulnerabilities faced by many of these States communities, these challenges can disproportionately affect national stability, fuel conflict across regions and ultimately have an impact on the maintenance of international peace and security,” adds the Security Council concept note.

For the Secretary-General, the first priority must be to support these States in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

“Second, we need a post-2015 development agenda and sustainable development goals that address the needs of S.I.D.S,” he continued.

At the recent Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, which took place from July 13 to 16, it was encouraging that the concerns of [that group of countries] were reflected, including in critical areas such as debt, trade, technology and Official Development Assistance, Tupua noted.

“Third, we need a meaningful and universal global climate agreement in Paris in December,” stressed the UN chief, as small island developing States are on the front lines of climate change.

“Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu is only the latest in a long string of devastation that S.I.D.S have endured and will continue to endure as long as climate change is not adequately addressed,” he warned, underscoring that Caribbean countries sometimes experience as many as five hurricanes in a season.v Rising sea levels, dying coral reefs and the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters exacerbate the conditions leading to community displacement and migration, threatening to increase tensions over resources and affect domestic and regional stability, the Secretary-General went on to say.

“Leading by example,” many of these countries have been accelerating their own transition to renewable energy to secure a sustainable energy future.

But, to support SIDS in their actions to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts, “a politically credible trajectory for mobilizing the pledged $100 billion dollars per year by 2020” is needed, he explained. The Green Climate Fund will need to be up and running before the Climate Conference in Paris in December, but a “meaningful, universal climate agreement” must be adopted, concluded the Secretary-General.

Kahn Fotuali’i has arrived in Vancouver Canada to join the Manu Samoa for the allimportant final of the Pacific Nations Cup against Fiji tomorrow.

The experienced halfback, who was among a number of senior players rested after the All Blacks, has been called in to replace Pele Cowley.

The halfback suffered a broken AC joint in the one-point win over Canada and will be out of play for approximately four weeks.

Hooker Motu Matu’u and midfielder, Paul Perez, will also sit out the final.

“We had quite a few banged up players after that match against Canada,” Betham said.

“We’re obviously watching all injuries with an eye on our London campaign, so we’re pretty pleased that at this stage, these players are looking good for being available for Rugby World Cup selection.”

The Manu Samoa started training at Vancouver yesterday, in preparation for the mouthwatering final tomorrow.

The team will be named today. Samoa’s jaw-dropping final minute win over Canada on Thursday was a physical encounter with three players unavailable tomorrow.

Head Coach Stephen Betham said halfback. Betham said the prognosis for Cowley was positive and that he should be available for Rugby World Cup selection.

Hooker Motu Matuu has been diagnosed with delayed concussion, and will not be available. Resident hookers Manu Leiataua and Andrew Williams will cover his position.

Sizzling centre Paul Perez has suffered a bruised rib and will be rested as well.

Leiataua Isikuki Punivalu ran his first Half Marathon last Saturday, 21 long kms of road running, in the Heat of the day.

He was participating in the Warrior Race Half Ironman distance in a team with two others, Peter Harvey from Perth who did the 2km swim, and Ollie Faaeafaga from NZ who did the 90km bike ride. Harvey and Fa’aeafaga did excellent work in the first two legs – then came the Epic effort from Kuki.

Kuki’s 21km run started at 11am on Saturday morning and finished 2hrs 55mins later shortly before 2pm in the afternoon.

It was six long laps of the entire length of the Mulinu’u Peninsula.

At the start Kuki ran on his own.

In the third lap he was joined by Muliagatele Brian Lima and others who ran beside him to encourage him along to the finish.

It was quite a sight, more and more of his friends came along to support him. Each ran at least 10kms themselves, or walked in this case, to support the Warrior-effort by their friend.

It was a fantastic display of true determination by the 52 year old.

At the finish, he crossed the finish line triumphant in the most amazing achievement of the day.

Kuki spoke of his relief at finishing the run, the hardest thing he has ever done.

He paid tribute to his friends who joined him in the run. In particular he was full of gratitude to his training partner Daniel Afoa, who himself competed in the individual Warrior race.

The search for Samoa’s “Father of the Year” is well and truly underway.

As the country gears up for Father’s Day this weekend, 50 contestants threw their names in the hat last week for SQB TV One’s programme.

From those 50 contestants, only five will be able to make the final, to be screened before this weekend.

The programme was first introduced last year to mark Father’s Day. It is an entertaining programme, which sees fathers take on different challenges where the best father is chosen at the end.

Last week, the first hurdle for the contestants was a Quiz evening where their general knowledge about different issues, ranging from the Bible to rugby, was tested.

Programme Coordinator and presenter, Taulealeausumai Sioeli Alofaifo, said interest in the programme has spiked since the inaugural episode last year.

“The event is especially for fathers as they are getting ready for Fathers Day,” he said.

“It’s an annual programme and this year’s programme is different from last year. It will be a lot more fun.”

Taulealeausumai said the contestants are kept in the dark about the activities.

“We want the fathers to be prepared at all times. They have to expect surprises and their reactions so far has been interesting.”

The competition is featured in six episodes, run over two weeks.

The programme’s major sponsors are Bluesky Samoa and Samoa Stationery and Books.

A Samoa Hotel Association (S.H.A) and Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A) delegation is attending a three-week Tourism Seminar in Hainan China.

The 20 memberdelegation is funded by the government of China.

The delegation based in Haikou city Hainan, also visited Sanya, Shanghai, Nanjing and Suzhou. They will return to Samoa this week.

Here are some photos of the visit.

An exhibition called ‘Entangled Islands - Sāmoa, New Zealand and the First World War’ by Auckland War Memorial Museum opened in Apia last night.

The exhibition tells the story of the shared WWI history between Sāmoa and New Zealand.

The exhibition was developed by the Museum along with leading Sāmoa historian, Assoc.

Professor Damon Salesa of the University of Auckland.

Following the conclusion of the exhibition in Auckland, the Museum has partnered with The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Museum of Sāmoa to modify the exhibition for Sāmoa.

The opening of the exhibition is part of New Zealand – Sāmoa Friendship Week. Auckland Museum has gifted the exhibition to the Museum of Sāmoa where it will be on long-term display.

Auckland Museum Director Roy Clare said that this is a great opportunity to be able to work collaboratively to share an important history.

“This is the beginning of a special friendship between Auckland Museum and the Museum of Sāmoa, and we are privileged to be able to share this exhibition with the people of Sāmoa, helping to provide a richer understanding of our shared history.”

‘Entangled Islands: Sāmoa, New Zealand and the First World War’ was Auckland Museum’s first exhibition in a series commemorating the WWI centenary. Using the many perspectives and experiences of those involved, ‘Entangled Islands’ tells the lesser-known story of New Zealand’s first action in WWI, the occupation of then German Sāmoa. “This partnership between Auckland Museum and the Museum of Sāmoa is part of the growing institutional socio-cultural relationship between our two countries, which will add a richer dimension to the identities of both nations and their communities”, says Marilyn Kohlhase, Chair of Auckland Museum’s Pacific Advisory Group.

Members of the public are invited to check out the Exhibition at the National Museum of Samoa at Malifa.

There was Mark Craig and then daylight to the next finisher.

Such was the dominating performance by the Kiwi representative triathlete to win his first title in Samoa in the shorter Beat the Heat race on Saturday.

Craig was ecstatic after the event, happy that he won the race and he was also full of praise for the event, the race course particularly the bike ride course to Falefa and back.

“I loved the bike course. It was hard to concentrate on actual riding, there was too many beautiful sights to see in the villages,” he said after the race.

He added, “I have raced all over the world, this is one of the greatest races I have done.”

The 43-year old Brit-turned-Kiwi is representing his adopted country at the ITU World Championships in Chicago next month.

Craig is also competing in the Samoa Swim Series next week.

Craig’s win was built on pure speed.

His was the fastest rider on the course.

He also ran the 10km in just over 44 minutes.

In the women’s race, it was Jacqui Reupena from Brisbane who took away the women’s title. She finished ahead of good friend Jo Eddington in the 63km race.

Both athletes are also participating in the Samoa Swim Series before heading back next week to Queensland.

Other international athletes include Jason Martin from Israel. Martin travelled here to especially compete in the Warrior Race. The Martin family return to Israel next week.

BEAT THE HEAT

Fastest swim, Durant Webster Fastest bike, Mark Craig Fastest Run, Mark Craig

A culinary training for the tourism industry in Savai’i kicked off yesterday.

The Savai’i Culinary Training Workshop is being held at the Amoa Resort, formerly known as Siufaga Resort, on the big Island.

The training is organized by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (S.P.T.O) in close collaboration with the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A) for the Savai’i Tourism Industry.

The workshop aims to enhance the capacity, knowledge, cooking standards and up-skill the Savai’i Tourism Industry culinary staff and local catering groups.

In particular, the training will also help encourage the use of local food resources for cuisine menus, innovation and creativity in food preparation.

Moreover, working closely with local farmers and suppliers in food sourcing means to further sustain such initiatives and opportunities.

Colin Chung, a Celebrity-Chef, is conducting the training.

The training opportunities and global culinary exposure will be extremely beneficial, particularly for Savai’i tourism chefs.

Samoan boxer Joseph Parker has shown off his impressive piano skills in a 60 second YouTube video.

Parker was filmed by his corner man Bryan Barry playing the piano ahead of his boxing bout with Australian boxer Bowie Tupou in Invercargill.

“When I’m not boxing, I play instruments. I play guitar, I jam on the piano, drums, and even the triangle,” Parker told Stuff.co.nz.

“I’ve played the guitar since I was 12, I’ve played the piano since I was 15. My sister plays piano, and my brother use to be on the drums. My dad sings, he’s got a good voice. So, yeah, we are musical.”

In front of a noisy crowd of 4,000 at Stadium Southland and an international television audience, Parker put the Tongan-Australian down one minute and three seconds into the fight.

After trying to keep pace with China in relations with Africa and Central Asia, India is now trying to match it neighbour’s growing footprint in the South Pacific.

On 21 August 2015, India will host the heads of 14 island nations at the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), in what is seen as a first step towards greater engagement with the region, which is important from an economic and geostrategic standpoint.

The upcoming summit in Jaipur is expected to pave the way for agreements in agriculture, food processing, fisheries, solar energy, e-networks for coordination in telemedicine and tele-education, space cooperation and climate change, all of which were mentioned as areas of potential cooperation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Fiji in 2014.

Mr. Modi had then proposed that FIPIC summits be held regularly.

He had set the ball rolling for reinforcing ties with the island nations by announcing visa on arrival for their nationals, funds for small business, line of credit for a co-generation power plant for Fiji, and a special adaptation fund for technical assistance and capacity building for countering global warming.

China’s strong foothold
Even as New Delhi has begun charting out a plan for forging bilateral and regional ties with these island nations, China has significantly expanded its foothold in the region, from increasing business and trade ties to setting up diplomatic missions in each of these countries.

In its report “The geopolitics of Chinese aid: mapping Beijing’s funding in the Pacific”, the Lowy Institute of International Policy says China is now the largest bilateral donor in Fiji and the second largest in the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga.

The report also says that between 2006 and 2013, China provided $333 million in bilateral aid to Fiji, even more than Australia ($252 million) and almost three times that of Japan ($117 million), while in Samoa and Tonga, the sum of Chinese aid is second only to Australia’s.

China’s foray into the South Pacific, which began as a move to offset Taiwan’s interests in the region, is becoming a cause for concern for India, which now wants to have economic and strategic engagements with the 14 island nations.

T.P. Sreenivasan, a former diplomat who served as the head of Mission in Fiji and seven other South Pacific Island States between 1986 and 1989, told The Hindu that India’s strong relations with Fiji, which has considerable influence in the region, was a “strong point” which could help counter the growing Chinese influence.

“Most of the economies in the region are based on agriculture, fisheries and smallscale industries and India’s capacity in these sectors is even better than Europe and China; it can cultivate relations with the island nations based on its technology.

“Even small investments will make a big impact in these regions; many of these countries send their nationals to India for education though programmes sponsored by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations; so India should make a beginning,” he said.

He said relations with Fiji had improved in India’s favour in the past decade and not only those of Indian origin but also Fijians were friendly towards Indians, which worked to New Delhi’s “advantage”.

A company that has given a lot of support to Special Olymics Samoa has congratulated Special Olympics Samoa athletes who have successfully completed their events at the Special Olympic World Games in the United States.

A number of them have won medals, including gold medals.

The first medal was won by Kim Perenise winning a Gold Medal in the 400 meter run.

The second medal Samoa received was from Iosefo Aleli which was a Silver medal in the 400 Meters.

Samoa’s 3rd medal came from Petelo Evile clearing a Gold Medal in the shot put competition. After missing out in the medals in the 400 meters, Seinafo Mavaega fought out a tough and close competition to win gold in the 200 meter run. Brett Oloapu also won the Bronze in the 200 meters.

Receiving medals and being able to place in these competition is a feat not often obtained by athletes as athletes from around the world have descended upon Los Angeles with months of preparation with the goals of receiving medals.

The Special Olympics Samoa has no doubt placed Samoa on the map when it comes the World Games. The World Games ended yesterday.

Samoa’s first entry at the 16th World Championships, in Kazan, was 17-year-old Brandon Schuster.

His first event was the 400m freestyle.

In this event, he has knocked an incredible 26 seconds off his time from just before the 2013 World Championships, in Barcelona, to this year’s Pacific Games, in early July 2015.

His time of 4:10.15 at the Pacific Games in Port Moresby set a national record which today he was determined to beat.

Schuster started strongly completing the first 50m in 3rd place in 28.56 seconds. He went on to complete the eight lengths in 4 minutes 15.30 seconds.

However, when reflecting on the race he let out a sigh of exhaustion before admitting “it wasn’t the race I thought I was going to swim but it was a good race”.

He carefully pinpointed an area for development next time around, with his fast start slightly undoing his later efforts;

“I think I went a little too fast in the first 100m and it was hard for me to catch up”.

He then went on to reveal that his “150m turn” let him down.

There’s little recovery time for Brandon Schuster as he is back in the pool again tomorrow for the 200m Freestyle.

However, having attended World Championships since Istanbul in 2012 he’s experienced in dealing with the schedules of longer distance swimming.

Even as he was completing his post race interview, Brandon’s determination to continue his fine progress was still uppermost in his mind in highlighting his breathing and turns as the main focus.

Another indication of the commitment to keep lowering his times - as one of the youngest competitors in the 68 man race, time is certainly on his side.

*This article was produced by Mike Marron of The Reporters' Academy, a media production company run by young people, tasked with the mission of telling the stories of Oceania's swimmers at the World Championships in Kazan.

The Reporters' Academy is integrated into the world of media, education and employment, dedicated to changing the lives of young people across Oceania and the UK.

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Na le manuia le Manu Samoa i lana ta’aloga mulimuli mo le Ipu a le Pasefika, ma ua tu’u aloa’ia atu ai i a’a’o o Va’alele mai Fiti lea siamupini, ina ua faia’ina e 39 – 29 i Vancouver, Kanata ananafi.

I le mae’a ai o se ta’aloga le-matagofie i se matamata i le lua vaiaso talu ai – lea na tutusa ai e ta’i 30 ma Fiti, o le tele fo’i o mea sese ma le tuai o le amataga o le ta’aloga ananafi, na aupito tiga ai le maimoa a le atunu’u.

E le taumatea le matua fa’anoanoa o le faia’oga o Stephen Betham ma lana ‘Au atoa.

Na ta’ua e le ‘afa o Kahn Fotuali’i, o le tele o mea-sese ua mafua ai ona faia’ina.

“O se ta’aloga matua finau lava, a ole tulaga lava lena o mea nei o lakapi,” o lana fa’aaliga lea. “O mea sese i i ma o foi, ua sao mai ai Fiti.

E tele fo’i pu’e na misi ae maise le ta’a’alo a Fiti ananafiu, na foliga ai e mafai lava ona sikoa i so’o se vaega e osofa’i mai ai.”

O se finauga maoa’e i le Malae i Swangard Stadium na va’ai ai le motu’ese o Fiti i le amataga ma sili ai o latou ‘ai e 17 – 3 a’o le’i finau atu ma fa’atau-tino Samoa i le ‘afa lona lua, ma maua fa’atopetope ai sikoa e lua, ma sili ai e 21 -17.

A’o foliga mai ua fa’atamo’e e Samoa le ta’aloga, na toe finau mai fo’i Fiti, ma sikoa fa’atolu ai ma matua mamao ai ‘ai o le ta’aloga ma taofiofi ai lava ma i’u ina manumalo.

Manaia le amataga o le ta’a’alo a Fiti, na maua ai sikoa a le latou loka o Leone Nakarawa ma le ‘afa o Niko Matawalu.

Na toe amata fo’i e Nakarawa le sikoa mo le ‘Au a Fiti ina ua mae’a le 90sekone, ma motu sasa’o ai i lalo o pou-sikoa toe fa’aopoopo ma le isi lua i le a’a a Joshua Matavesi.

Na manuina le sala na a’a e Matavesi ma sili ai o Fiti e 10 – 0 a’o le’i tau’ai Samoa i le sala na a’a e Michael Stanley, mai se vaega mamao latalata i le laina e alu ai le polo i fafo.

Na toe sasi fo’i Samoa ina ua le maua le polo na tog ii totonu, maua ai e le Kapeteni o Akapusi Qera, tu’u loa ia Matawalu ma 100- mita ai tafatafa o pou mo le sikoa. Na manuia fo’i le a’a i le pou, tula’i mai ‘ai i le 17 -3.

Na finau mai le Manu Samoa, ma toe maua ai isi sala e lua na a’a e Stanley ma manuia uma, ma tumau ai ‘ai i le 17 – 9 i le afa muamua, ae le’i umi lava ona toe amata le ‘afa lona lua, ae fa’apalasi loa Jack Lam i le laina sikoa. E le’i umi fo’i, ae va’aia se momo’e mata’ina a le uigi-taumatau, le ali’i o Fa’atoina ‘Autagavaia ma suia ai ‘ai e 21 – 17.

Na tali mai Fiti, ina ua toe sikoa fo’i le ali’i o Nakarawa ma felata’i ai ‘ai e 22 – 21 a’o le’i faia se kiki-kolosi a Ben Volavola na matua fa’aletonu ai le puipui atu a le Manu Samoa.

Na toe to’a le Manu ina ua manuia fo’i le isi a’a a Michael Stanley ma toe sili ai fo’i le Manu, 24 – 22.

Na foliga mai ua fa’asolo vaivai le ‘Au a Fiti ona o le malolosi o le Manu i le toe finau atu, ae na toe suia atoa le tulaga o ‘ai ina ua toe fa’aopoopo fo’i isi sikoa e lua a Fiti a ua latalata ina mae’a le ta’aloga.

O le sikoa a le fulupeki o Kini Murimurivalu i le tulimanu, fa’atasi ma le a’a na manuia a Volavola, na sili Fiti e 29 – 24.

Na fa’atali lava Fiti se’ia fa’ailo le lelei i le ta’aloga i le fa’ai’uga, lea na motu ‘ese mai ai Peceli Yato mai le ogatotonu o le malae, tu’u atu loa ia Matavalu ma fa’asasa’o atu ai i le va o pou.

Acting Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo, has called for a “compromise” to settle the outstanding issues in the negotiations of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (P.A.C.E.R) Plus.

Fonotoe, who is also the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, made the call during the opening of the 11th inter-sessional meeting on the P.A.C.E.R Plus regional trade negotiations in Apia.

“We are close to reaching an agreement and every effort should be made to reach compromise on the outstanding issues,” Fonotoe said. “Flexibility is required on all sides and I sincerely hope that you will be able to close negotiations on a number of Chapters before you depart Samoa.”

Prior to the meeting’s opening yesterday, the Chief Trade Adviser for the P.I.Cs, Dr. Edwini Kessie, said the Apia meeting is the defining moment in the P.A.C.E.R Plus negotiations. “There is still much work to be done if the Parties are to conclude the negotiations by the end of next year,” he said.

“However, the recent changes to the Seasonal Worker Program by the Australian Government have injected some dynamism into the negotiations, which hopefully will encourage the Parties to find solutions to the outstanding issues in the various negotiating areas.

“With hard work and flexibility on all sides, we should be able to conclude the negotiations next year for a trade and development agreement that would contribute towards reversing the marginalisation of the P.I.Cs in the multilateral trading system and ensure that they derive significant benefits from international trade."

Yesterday, Fonotoe was positive progress being made in Apia. “Samoa has a history of facilitating breakthroughs in negotiations,” he told the gathering. “It was here in 2009, that a resolution was found regarding the decision that heralded the launch of the P.A.C.E.R Plus negotiations by Forum Leaders.

“I am, therefore, confident that the meeting here in Samoa will enable the Parties to bridge the gaps in the negotiating positions on the outstanding issues.” The Apia meeting is second inter-sessional meeting for this year.

The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (P.A.C.E.R) Plus negotiations were launched by Pacific Island Country (P.I.C) Leaders in August 2009 in Cairns, Australia, and will result in a trade and development agreement that will inject dynamism into the economies of the P.I.Cs and enhance their participation in international trade.

The Parties have already concluded negotiations on a number of Chapters and they have set themselves the deadline of concluding the negotiations by the end of next year.

Once concluded, the P.A.C.E.R Plus Agreement is expected to enter into force in 2017, after ratification by the legislatures of the Parties.

Prior to the meeting yesterday, a Pacific regional trade network said it was unconvinced of the benefits of P.A.C.E.R-Plus. The Pacific Network on Globalisation (P.A.N.G) said that the despite being sold as a 'development agreement' it is the Pacific that is shouldering the burden of legal commitments in the talks whilst Australia and NZ offer voluntary commitments.

“The Pacific have agreed to make binding legal commitments on their sovereignty, limiting their ability to determine how and what type of investment comes into their countries, undercutting policies that maximise the benefits for local workers are just some of the examples of how bad this deal is for Pacific Island countries,” said P.A.N.G Campaigner, Adam Wolfenden.

“Australia and New Zealand on the other hand offering only voluntary commitments can opt out on their promises of access for Pacific workers and extra aid money at will.

“The claims by the O.C.T.A that there is more energy back in the talks and possible momentum to conclude a deal are forgetting one crucial factor – they aren't bringing the people along with it and perhaps even some governments remain unconvinced.

“Churches, environment groups, gender rights activists, trade unions, farmers, academics, indigenous groups, youth groups and more have all called for the immediate suspension of the talks and the releasing of the negotiation texts so that impact assessments can be undertaken to determine the real value of PACER-Plus.”

Manu Samoa has failed at the last hurdle of the Pacific Nations Cup, handing the title to the Flying Fijians after a crushing, 39-29, defeat in Vancouver, Canada, yesterday.

After a lacklustre performance of the past two weeks – which resulted in a 30 all draw with Fiji two weeks ago - the high error rate and slow starts finally bit the men in blue when it hurt the most yesterday.

Coach Stephen Betham and his troops would be bitterly disappointed with the result.

Samoan scrum half Kahn Fotuali’i said mistakes cost them. "It was quite a tight game, but that's just how rugby goes,” he said. “A few mistakes here and there let the Fijians in.

We missed a few tackles and the way the Fijians play, they can score from anywhere."

A see-saw battle at the Swangard Stadium saw Fiji race away to an early 17-3 lead before the physical Samoans looked to have reeled them early in the second half with two quick tries to take a 21-17 lead.

But just as Samoa appeared to have taken control of the contest, Fiji came roaring back with three quick tries that saw them pull clear and hang on for a deserved win.

Fiji had gotten off to a dream start with early tries from athletic lock Leone Nakarawa and scrum half Niko Matawalu.

Nakarawa opened the scoring for the Fijians after just 90 seconds, bursting clear to score under the posts for a try converted by Joshua Matavesi.

Matavesi slotted a penalty to put Fiji 10-0 up before Samoa got on the scoresheet through Michael Stanley's first three-pointer of the contest, a towering longrange effort from wide on the left. But Fiji had Samoa scrambling again when they snaffled a lineout and captain Akapusi Qera peeled off before feeding Matawalu, who sprinted over close to the posts, Matavesi adding a simple conversion to make it 17-3.

Samoa fought back with two more Stanley penalties to make it 17-9 at halftime, and soon after the restart looked to have taken a grip when flanker Jack Lam crashed over from close range before a wonderful individual run from right wing Fa'atoina Autagavaia made it 21-17.

Yet Fiji's response was immediate, Nakarawa grabbing his second of the match to put his team 22-21 ahead after a clever crossfield kick by Ben Volavola caused havoc in the Samoan defence.

Samoa, though, remained calm and Stanley kicked them back in front with another cool penalty to make it 24-22.

But just as Fiji looked to be struggling against the power of the Samoan set-piece, the game turned on its head around the one hour mark as the flamboyant islanders turned on the style to score two tries out of nothing.

The first came through full-back Kini Murimurivalu, going over in the corner for a try converted by Volavola to put Fiji 29-24 ahead.

The Fijians saved their best for last, however, and opened up a 12-point lead with a magnificent try from distance.

Replacement Peceli Yato conjured a scintillating break in midfield before feeding the omnipresent Matavalu who went racing in under the posts.

Acting Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo, has called for a “compromise” to settle the outstanding issues in the negotiations of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (P.A.C.E.R) Plus.

Fonotoe, who is also the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, made the call during the opening of the 11th inter-sessional meeting on the P.A.C.E.R Plus regional trade negotiations in Apia.

“We are close to reaching an agreement and every effort should be made to reach compromise on the outstanding issues,” Fonotoe said. “Flexibility is required on all sides and I sincerely hope that you will be able to close negotiations on a number of Chapters before you depart Samoa.”

Prior to the meeting’s opening yesterday, the Chief Trade Adviser for the P.I.Cs, Dr. Edwini Kessie, said the Apia meeting is the defining moment in the P.A.C.E.R Plus negotiations. “There is still much work to be done if the Parties are to conclude the negotiations by the end of next year,” he said.

“However, the recent changes to the Seasonal Worker Program by the Australian Government have injected some dynamism into the negotiations, which hopefully will encourage the Parties to find solutions to the outstanding issues in the various negotiating areas.

“With hard work and flexibility on all sides, we should be able to conclude the negotiations next year for a trade and development agreement that would contribute towards reversing the marginalisation of the P.I.Cs in the multilateral trading system and ensure that they derive significant benefits from international trade."

Yesterday, Fonotoe was positive progress being made in Apia. “Samoa has a history of facilitating breakthroughs in negotiations,” he told the gathering. “It was here in 2009, that a resolution was found regarding the decision that heralded the launch of the P.A.C.E.R Plus negotiations by Forum Leaders.

“I am, therefore, confident that the meeting here in Samoa will enable the Parties to bridge the gaps in the negotiating positions on the outstanding issues.” The Apia meeting is second inter-sessional meeting for this year.

The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (P.A.C.E.R) Plus negotiations were launched by Pacific Island Country (P.I.C) Leaders in August 2009 in Cairns, Australia, and will result in a trade and development agreement that will inject dynamism into the economies of the P.I.Cs and enhance their participation in international trade.

The Parties have already concluded negotiations on a number of Chapters and they have set themselves the deadline of concluding the negotiations by the end of next year.

Once concluded, the P.A.C.E.R Plus Agreement is expected to enter into force in 2017, after ratification by the legislatures of the Parties.

Prior to the meeting yesterday, a Pacific regional trade network said it was unconvinced of the benefits of P.A.C.E.R-Plus. The Pacific Network on Globalisation (P.A.N.G) said that the despite being sold as a 'development agreement' it is the Pacific that is shouldering the burden of legal commitments in the talks whilst Australia and NZ offer voluntary commitments.

“The Pacific have agreed to make binding legal commitments on their sovereignty, limiting their ability to determine how and what type of investment comes into their countries, undercutting policies that maximise the benefits for local workers are just some of the examples of how bad this deal is for Pacific Island countries,” said P.A.N.G Campaigner, Adam Wolfenden.

“Australia and New Zealand on the other hand offering only voluntary commitments can opt out on their promises of access for Pacific workers and extra aid money at will.

“The claims by the O.C.T.A that there is more energy back in the talks and possible momentum to conclude a deal are forgetting one crucial factor – they aren't bringing the people along with it and perhaps even some governments remain unconvinced.

“Churches, environment groups, gender rights activists, trade unions, farmers, academics, indigenous groups, youth groups and more have all called for the immediate suspension of the talks and the releasing of the negotiation texts so that impact assessments can be undertaken to determine the real value of PACER-Plus.”

A mass prison break at Tafa’igata during the weekend saw ten prisoners fleeing on Saturday night, with the youngest of the group being a 13-year-old boy.

The incident was confirmed by the Assistant Commissioner of Prisons and Corrections Service, Ulugia Niuia Aumua, who said the prisoners escaped through a hole on the wall of their cell.

According to Ulugia, the prisoners had dug a hole through a brick wall.

“One managed to fit through the wall and when he was outside, he made the hole bigger and from there, the rest escaped later on,” he said.

Ulugia, however, was quick to confirm that all the runaway convicts have been found and are back in prison.

“There were nine prisoners plus another that was remanded in custody that escaped,” he said.

“I have been informed by Police that they have captured the last one of the group and will be brought back if not tonight or tomorrow.”

It was during the 10.30pm patrol on Saturday night that the Prison officers discovered the break away.

Ulugia said three other prisoners in the same cell decided not to follow the rest.

Seven prisoners were found on Sunday while the rest were caught on Monday.

Ulugia said there are contributing factors to why prisoners always manage to flee Tafa’igata.

“The issue that we have to deal with is that we have been operating with a very minimum staff,” he explained. “And one of the other issues is that we don’t have a security fence as a backstop.

The previous five prisoners that escaped before broke through bars and windows which were really secure.

“So again, it comes down to supervision and unsecured buildings. There is also no security fence as a last defense for the safety of the public.”

Ulugia also pointed to staffing issues. He said seven officers are suspended over an ongoing matter that is before the Court.

“Unfortunately we cannot hire new officers until these cases are cleared.”

As for the escaped convicts, he said the prisoners are being dealt with internally. Many of them face the possibility of doing extra time.

At the moment there are 670 convicts including women prisoners being housed at Tafa’igata. There are less than a hundred prison officers supervising the facilities.

Journalists, students and potential political candidates will take part in a number of trainings in Apia this week to help them play their part in increasing the number of women in parliament at the 2016 election.

A two-day workshop on gender-sensitive election reporting for National University of Samoa (N.U.S) journalism students started yesterday, followed by a one-day workshop on the same theme with professional journalists on Friday.

Political parties and potential candidates will attend a one-day training today about political processes, including the 2013 constitutional amendment guaranteeing 10 per cent representation of women in Samoa’s Legislative Assembly.

NGO representatives will also attend a short training on using social media to spread their message.

The trainings are part of the Increasing Political Participation of Women in Samoa (I.P.P.W.S) Programme, a joint programme between U.N Women and the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P) in partnership with the Government of Samoa, and with funding from the Australian Government, U.N.D.P and U.N Women.

The Pacific has the world’s lowest rates of women in parliament – an average of just 5.5 per cent – and this is also reflected in Samoa. Just three women are currently in parliament, which means Samoa ranks 126 out of 138 countries; in the 2011 election, just eight of the 162 candidates were women.

Increasing women’s participation in leadership and decision-making has been proven to be good for overall economic and social development, and studies have shown that it has a particularly marked effect on women’s overall participation in the labour force, their share of public employment opportunities and access to public goods such as roads and health services.

The I.P.P.W.S programme focuses on awarenessraising, capacity building for women participating in the parliamentary process, and providing information and training to political parties ahead of the election. It also includes post-election mentoring support for all members of parliament on subjects such as gender-responsive budgeting and gender-sensitive legislation.

Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga, I.P.P.W.S Coordinator, says increasing women’s political participation in Samoa relies on a shift in attitudes around the roles women can and should play in politics. “There is a tremendous amount of leadership potential among Samoa’s women, and they have a right to a voice in parliament. These workshops provide an opportunity to share information and resources, answer questions, provoke discussion and encourage change.”

U.N Women’s Country Programme Coordinator for Samoa, Suisala Mele Maualaivao, says as an essential source of information, the media plays a critical role in shaping attitudes around the importance of women in parliament.

“Newspapers, television and radio reach so many people, even in remote areas, providing an invaluable opportunity to ensure that communities are exposed to the full diversity of candidates and the issues they stand for, as well as to start conversations about gender equality across the country. We must also not forget social media, which provides a loudspeaker for groups beyond the traditional channels.”

The trainings for journalism students and media professionals are being delivered under a partnership with N.U.S that was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding this week between U.N Women and N.U.S. The I.P.P.W.S programme officially launched in April 2015 and will finish at the end of September 2016.

About the I.P.P.W.S Programme The Increased Political Participation of Women in Samoa (I.P.P.W.S) is a joint programme between U.N Women and U.N.D.P, in partnership with the Government of Samoa and the Australian Government.

It was launched in March 2015, and works across the following main areas:

(1) facilitating space for discussion and awareness at a community level on the importance of women’s participation in politics, gender equality and good governance;

(2) building the capacity of women in parliamentary processes and procedures in preparation for the elections;

(3) working with political parties by making information and analysis available as well as strengthening internal governance processes to support women candidates, gender equality and women’s rights;

(4) providing post-election mentoring support to all members of parliament on activities including responsive budgeting and the preparation of gendersensitive legislation.