Shock Across Pasifika Communities Following Vietnam Killing Allegations
“Because organised crime does not grow in the light. It grows where warning signs are ignored, where communities stay silent, and where vulnerable young people can be pulled toward pathways that change lives forever.” Doris Tufilau
Social media has erupted across Samoan and wider Pasifika communities following the shocking fatal shooting of an Australian man in Ho Chi Minh City, allegedly carried out by two Samoan nationals.
Many online expressed heartbreak, disbelief and concern for young Pacific people being influenced by criminal networks overseas.
Comments across social media range from shock, to concer, to outrage.
According to Vietnamese police, the shooting took place on the evening of May 21 outside Cee’f Restaurant in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
Authorities say two armed suspects approached a group after dinner and opened fire. Australian national Lemalu Lorenzo Tovia, 25, died after being shot twice, while another Australian citizen, Sauni Sam, 27, was critically injured and remains in hospital.
Police allege the suspects were 27-year-old Vaa Vaa, accused of carrying out the shooting, and 23-year-old Tafia Steve, who allegedly acted as an accomplice.…more
“We Are Samoa” composer Jerome Grey makes emotional return home
“Samoa is in my blood, in my music, and in my spirit.”: Jerome Grey returns home for historic Independence celebrations
For the first time in more than a decade, legendary Samoan entertainer and composer Jerome Fa'anana Grey is returning home to Samoa, joining the nation’s 64th Independence celebrations in what many are calling a deeply emotional full-circle moment.
Best known as the writer of the iconic song We Are Samoa, Grey will return to Samoa this June for his first visit since 2012, performing during national festivities that celebrate Samoan identity, resilience and cultural pride.
Now approaching his 80th birthday in 2027, Grey says the journey is about far more than music.
“At this stage of my life, I find myself looking back to my roots,” he shared in an exclusive Q+A.
“I wanted to come home to see family and old friends, revisit the places where I grew up and went to school, and spend time honoring my parents at their resting place.…more
Pacific Photographers Shine at National Maritime Museum in London UK
“This is for our people, by our people. That’s something that’s been missing in museums for far too long”
A new digital display at the National Maritime Museum is placing contemporary Pasifika voices at the centre of one of the world’s most visited cultural institutions. Launched on 1st May 2026 in the museum’s 'Pacific Encounters' gallery, 'Pasifika Now' showcases powerful photography by young artists from across Te Moananui-a-Kiwa and its global diaspora.
At its heart, the exhibition is about visibility, ownership, and perspective. It brings together island landscapes, intimate portraits, moments of celebration, and everyday life, offering a lived and self-determined view of Pacific identity in the present day.
A Pacific lens on contemporary life
Rather than framing the Pacific through historical or colonial collections, Pasifika Now centres the voices of those who live it. The photographs connect past and present, highlighting how history continues to shape Pacific communities while also celebrating resilience, creativity, and cultural strength.
The work directly challenges long-standing stereotypes that have often defined Pacific peoples in European museum spaces.…more
Tongan Olympians’ Son Tolu Koula Set For State of Origin Debut at Same Stadium as His Parents
More than two decades after his mother proudly carried the Tongan flag around Stadium Australia during the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Tolu Koula is preparing for a special moment of his own at the same iconic venue.
The son of former Tongan Olympians Ana Siulolo Liku and Tolutau Koula Snr, the dynamic Manly Sea Eagles star will return to the same stadium where his family once represented Tonga on the world stage when he makes his State of Origin debut for the NSW Blues.
“It’s pretty crazy to make my Origin debut where my parents kind of competed at the Olympics,” Koula said.
“It’s pretty special. I didn’t even think of that, so it’s pretty mad.”
One of six debutants named by Laurie Daley in the Blues’ 19-man squad, Koula’s selection caps off a remarkable rise for the 24-year-old who has developed into one of the NRL’s deadliest players whenever the ball enters his hands.…more
Who in housing has “won the lotto”? Government housing changes expected to hit Pacific communities hardest
“The only thing that is saving us is the alofa of our big family but many of them are also in social housing and struggling hard. Where is this imaginary place we are supposed to live now with rents going up?” - Ataliisi Johnson on Housing Reform“People aren’t in social housing because they’ve chosen an easy ride. They’re there because rents are unaffordable, wages haven’t kept up, and this Government has made the housing crisis worse.” — Kieran McAnulty
The Government’s multi-year reform of social housing will lift the income-related rent contribution from 25 percent to 30 percent, alongside tighter eligibility settings, tenancy reviews, and changes to how housing need is assessed.
Ministers say the reforms are intended to make the system fairer, better targeted, and encourage movement into the private rental market.
But the major overhaul has sparked concern among advocates who say Pacific families, already under significant financial pressure, will be among those hardest hit.…more
Pasifika author's new book creates fantasy character he would have loved to read as a kid
A Samoan-Chinese-Pākēhā author says his new fantasy book provides a type of character he didn't have as a 10-year-old in love with reading.
Kenneth Chapman said growing up, he loved series like Harry Potter, Lemony Snickets, and His Dark Materials but those fantasy worlds were different to the mixed-race Polynesian family he came from.
Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove is about an 11-year old and her older sister who move into their mother's childhood home - a mansion full of mysterious paintings created by their estranged aunt.
He said it places a Polynesian character in a fantasy world.
"When you're a 10-year-old kid and you're in love with reading, you're not really - or at least I wasn't - thinking about representation and relatability on that kind of cultural level," Chapman told Nine to Noon.…more
Documents reveal how Tuipulotu Vi was allegedly murdered by US hitman Tanginoa Pahulu Tangi
Originally posted by RNZ
A Tongan courier driver was allegedly murdered by a US-based hitman after Customs intercepted 18kg of cocaine and firearms police believe were linked to an international organised crime syndicate.
The killing followed a series of shootings across South Auckland, with the courier driver's son one of the targets, police believe.
RNZ earlier revealed Tanginoa Pahulu Tangi is believed to have been sent to New Zealand by an organised criminal group based in the US to carry out a killing. He is jointly charged with two others of killing Tuipulotu Vi in August 2024. Vi was not involved in the drug world.
The homicide investigation, dubbed Operation Block, is linked to Operation Mexted, a joint investigation by the National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) and Customs, which targeted a transnational organised criminal cell.
RNZ has obtained a court document which reveals the police allegations regarding Operation Block. There are five defendants in total who have all been charged with participating in an organised criminal group.…more
From West Auckland To Forbes: How Aunty Tommy’s Is Taking Koko Samoa Global
For Aunty Tommy’s, koko Samoa has never just been a product. It’s a feeling! memories of home, nostalgia.
The Samoan-owned family company has built a loyal following by staying deliberate about how they grow, balancing international recognition with the responsibility of protecting something many Pacific families hold deeply sacred.
“When something carries memory like koko does, you can’t just put it in a wrapper and treat it like any other product. Our community are buying feelings as much as food.”
That tension sits at the heart of the company’s approach. While Aunty Tommy’s has recently gained recognition from Forbes and featured at both of New Zealand’s TIME World’s Greatest Places 2026 selections, the focus remains on preserving the integrity of koko itself.
“We know koko is sacred to a lot of our people. If we ever start sounding like we’re selling ‘the experience of being Samoan,’ we’ve lost the plot.”
Instead of adapting koko for mainstream audiences, Aunty Tommy’s says they invite people to experience it on its own terms.…more
Former Manu Samoa coach Mahonri Schwalger guilty on sexual offences involving minors
Former Mahonri Schwalger captain and coach Mahonri “Mase” Schwalger has been found guilty on multiple sexual offence charges in Samoa’s Supreme Court, more than a year after stepping down from his role as head coach of Manu Samoa amid criminal proceedings.
Senior Supreme Court Judge Vui Clarence Nelson found Schwalger guilty on eight of the 11 charges laid against him, according to local media reports.
The charges included assault with intent to commit a sexual act, common assault involving two victims, and five counts of indecent assault.
The victims were reportedly aged 14 and 19 at the time of the offending in 2024, while Schwalger was serving as head coach of Manu Samoa.
Schwalger was initially charged in September 2024 with unlawful sexual connection, attempted sexual violation, sexual conduct with a person under 16, indecent assault and common assault.
Following the filing of charges, Schwalger was suspended by Lakapi Samoa before resigning from his coaching role on January 6, 2025.…more
HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - ATUETA RABUKA
FIJIAN
ARTIST
Please introduce yourself, your Pacific heritage and where you grew up?
Bula Vinaka, my name is Atueta Rabuka. I’m a Fijian artist from Nausori. I don’t know what is meant by “my Pacific heritage”. Some gang have connections to five Pacific Island countries that makes my connections to Fiji and Tonga feel inadequate... lol... and I don’t even know much about my Tongan side, only that my grandmother on my dad’s side is Tongan... wait, let’s just answer the question. I’m Fijian.
My village: Molituva, Kuku. Coz like Kuku is one village that has three villages in it, it gets complicated. My Yavusa (clan): Burekalou. My Mataqali (sub clan): Bureta. From here we can go to my maternal connections and then down the list of all the trees, flowers, fish and animals that are associated with me and my kin... is that heritage or does it mean where I grew up? We’ll just answer both.
So there’s Nausori, Suva and Lautoka...…more