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Pacific News In Brief For 3 January
Samoa - FAST chairman faces charges
The chairman of Samoa's ruling FAST party is facing serious charges including fabricating evidence, conspiracy to commit an offence, defamation and harassment.
Laauli Leuatea Schmidt, who is also the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, was charged on Friday morning and released on bail to appear in court on February 4.
Laauli said in a social media post that the Opposition has accused him of causing the death of a student in a hit and run accident more than four years ago.
Prime Minister Fiame Mata'afa said in a statement that FAST supported the courts and their decisions and that others would be charged as police continue their inquiries.
Vanuatu - candidates
The Vanuatu electoral office says six women will contest the 2025 snap election.
The office had received more than 200 applications late in December for this month's snap election.
The office is going through the screening process for all candidates.
The six female candidates are:
- Nadia Kanegai - Independent (Ambae Constituency)
- Vanessa Molisa - Laverwo Party (Maewo Constituency
- Rose Amambath - Oyoramada Muvmen (Epi Constituency)
- Madeleine Tom - Vanuatu Progressive Development Party (Sheperd's Constituency)
- Marie Loise Paulette - Green Confederation (Port Vila Constituency)
- Nora Wells - Vanuatu Self Reliance Party (Port Vila Constituency)
The date for the election was moved to January 16 following the 7-point-3-quake there.
The snap election was triggered when the president dissolved parliament ahead of a motion of no-confidence in the now caretaker prime minister Charlot Salwai.
Vanuatu has had four prime ministers in three years.
Risk of cyclone low, Fiji Met says
The Fiji Meteorological Service said there is a low risk of a current tropical depression over Fiji intensifying into a cyclone.
A spokesman said the current trough of low pressure is expected to gradually spread over the rest of the country on Friday.
A heavy rain warning is force for whole of Viti Levu, for the entire Northern Division and the outlying islands of Yasawa and Mamanuca Group.
A heavy rain alert has been issued for the rest of the Fiji Group.
"The system is currently elongated in a low to moderate sheared environment with moderate to strong upper divergence just to the east of it," Fiji Met said.
"Global models have picked up the system and move Eastwards with slight intensification," it said.
CNMI - charges
A man on Saipan has been arrested for allegedly threatening to assault and kidnap a U.S. District Court judge.
The man is also facing charges of threatening to assault or murder a US judge and transmitting a threat to kidnap any person or threatening to injure a person.
According to court documents, FBI agent Jason Oakley said he was notified about a series of harassing and threatening emails sent to the US Probation Office for the District of the CNMI.
He said a review of the emails revealed threats to government officials, threats to bomb Saipan, and a threat to kill a US District judge.
Fiji - netball
Fiji men's netball head coach Jioweli Vakamoce has been named interim coach for the Fiji Pearls.
Netball Fiji president RubyAnn Sorovaki said Vakamoce will be in charge for the PacAusSports Series in Brisbane in February.
Sorovaki said this is a temporary measure as Netball Fiji re-advertises the head coach position.
"The Fiji Pearls head coach position is a critical part of their strategic plan in fostering talent and creating clear pathways in the High-Performance arena for players and coaches," Sorovaki said.
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