Samoa

A French diplomat says having an embassy in Samoa will enable France to play a more central role on issues that arise in the Pacific. Audio

"Rebuilding our Melanesia for our future" is the theme chosen by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) for their 7th Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival (MACFEST) held in Vanuatu this year.

The United States' Second Gentleman has announced a $US2.6 million grant from USAID for disaster risk reduction in Samoa and other Pacific countries.

The Pacific Island community in Auckland is grieving the deaths of two men killed at a downtown construction site last week.

An investigation by Samoa's Ombudsman Office into a prisoner's death has found there are not enough correction officers to man labour zones, and has called for the use of drones to monitor prisoners.