Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 1
Oahu hit with worst flooding in 20 years
Severe flooding across Hawai‘i has forced thousands from their homes, as relentless rainfall batters communities and raises fears over the possible failure of a 120-year-old dam.
The crisis is centred on the island of Oʻahu, where muddy floodwaters have inundated roads, destroyed homes and swept away vehicles in what officials are calling the worst flooding the island has seen in more than 20 years. The Pacific are no strangers to the effects of Climate Change, and we are unfortunately the first to feel the devastating impacts.
More than 230 people have been rescued so far, with evacuation orders affecting around 5,500 residents, particularly across North Shore communities like Haleʻiwa and Waialua.
Emergency sirens sounded as authorities issued urgent warnings for those living downstream of the Wahiawā Dam, which has been flagged as being at risk of imminent failure. Water levels rose rapidly during the storm, coming dangerously close to capacity. While levels have since fluctuated, officials warn the situation could quickly worsen if heavy rain continues.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no deaths have been reported.…more
Polyfest 2026 Results
Polyfest 2026 was back for another year! And the Students across the motu brought their best performances to compete for the top spot!
Check out the results to see who took out each stage!
COOK ISLANDS
DIVISION 1
WINNER - Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate
2nd - Tangaroa College
3rd - Manurewa High School
DIVISION 2
WINNER- Otahuhu College
2nd - Aorere College
3rd - Southern Cross Campus
DIVERSITY STAGE
Interpretation of Theme Award
WINNER - Kelston Girls’ College - Filipino Group
2nd - Auckland Girls’ Grammar School - Fijian Group
3rd Place -Marcellin College - Indian Group
Choreography Award
WINNER - Auckland Girls’ Grammar School - Fijian Group
2nd - Kelston Girls’ College - Filipino Group
3rd - Manurewa High School - Hawaiian Group
Overall Winner
WINNER - Kelston Girls College - Filipino Group
2nd - Auckland Girls Grammar School - Fijian Group
3rd - Papatoetoe High School - Indian Group
NIUE
Small Groups
Kamaataga
WINNER - Avondale College
2nd - Papatoetoe High School
Lologo Tapu Tuai
WINNER - Avondale College
2nd - Papatoetoe High School
TAME
WINNER - Avondale…more
'If it's not cultural, what is it?' Fiame questions use of matai titles amid Luxon controversy
Samoa's former Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa says chiefly titles are culturally significant and should not be given to foreign prime ministers.
Fiame made the comment following the commotion over New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon being honoured as a matai on Monday.
Luxon was bestowed the Tuisinavemauluomoto'otua title by the village of Apia.
Samoan Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt had reportedly made fun of Luxon requesting a chiefly title, ahead of his arrival in Apia on Sunday.
Luxon's office strongly denied this, so La'auli tried to walk back the political blunder with an apologetic statement.
New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon embraces his Samoan counterpart La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt during the matai title ceremony in Apia on Monday. 16 March 2026 Photo: Facebook / Government of Samoa
The Samoa Observer reported that La'auli had a late night phone call from the head of Samoa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing him that Luxon wanted to call off the matai ceremony after "too much interference on social media".…more
Palau Linked Tanker Hit Near Strait of Hormuz as Pacific Braces for Higher Oil Prices
A ship linked to Palau has been seen ablaze near the Strait of Hormuz after reportedly being struck by a projectile, as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.
The tanker at the centre of the incident, MT Skylight, was widely identified in early reports as Palau-flagged. However, the Palau Ship Registry has clarified that the vessel was no longer registered under Palau at the time of the attack.
In a statement issued from Koror on March 2, 2026, the registry said the tanker had been removed from its records in January 2026 under established compliance and regulatory procedures.
“Certain media reports have referred to the vessel as being registered under the flag of Palau,” the statement read. “The vessel was removed from the Palau registry in January 2026 in accordance with the Registry’s established compliance procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.”
The clarification follows reporting from the Oman Maritime Security Centre, which said the incident occurred about five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in the Strait of Hormuz.…more
Three Samoan Seasonal Workers Killed by Inadequate Median Barriers, Coroner Finds
Three Samoan seasonal workers are being mourned across Aotearoa and Samoa after a crash a coroner says could have been prevented if highway median barriers had met modern safety standards.
In findings released publicly on Tuesday, Coroner Alison Mills concluded that the deaths of Ta’avao Kelemete, Uili Fa’aofo and Leauga Jerry Leauga on State Highway 1 between Bombay and Ramarama on August 26, 2024, were avoidable.
The three men, all related, were travelling in a van with colleagues when a southbound truck crossed the median and collided with them. They died at the scene. A 21 year old remains in critical condition, and two others were injured.
Initial police indications suggested a tyre blew out on the truck, causing it to veer off course. But the coroner found the tragedy was compounded by a legacy wire median barrier installed in the late 1990s that failed to prevent the truck from crossing into oncoming traffic.
Mills stated the crash could have been prevented if the median barrier had been up to current safety standards.…more
New Fa’alupega Mobile App Bridges Ancient Samoan Tradition and Modern Technology
“Fa’alupega is not just words. It is the map of who we are and where we come from.”
For Julius To'o, that belief sits at the heart of the new Fa’alupega mobile app, launched in Porirua, Wellington and now available on iOS and Android.
At a time when more Sāmoans are being raised outside their ancestral villages and fluent speakers are declining globally, To’o says the decision to digitise one of Sāmoa’s most sacred cultural practices was not about convenience, but continuity.
“By placing this knowledge in a mobile format, we honour our elders and orators while empowering the next generation, whether they live in Sāmoa, New Zealand, Australia, the United States or beyond, to engage confidently with their identity. This is about protecting our culture in a digital world without compromising its meaning.”
Fa’alupega, the honorific language that acknowledges chiefly titles, village hierarchies, ancestral lands and lineages, has traditionally been passed down through service, ceremony and direct guidance from elders and tūlāfale. For some, the idea of digitising such sacred knowledge may raise concerns.…more
Tourism at Risk? Airlines Warn Over Samoa’s $180 Departure Cost
Airlines are pushing back after the Samoa Airport Authority confirmed a sharp hike in departure costs at Faleolo International Airport, with carriers warning the move could price out local families and hurt tourism.
From 1 March 2026, passengers aged 12 and over departing Samoa will face a combined $180 in airport charges. The existing departure tax will rise from $65 to $80, while a new $100 Aerodrome Facility Charge will be introduced. The fees apply to all bookings made or modified after that date and will be automatically added to airfares.
The International Air Transport Association has raised concerns about the impact on connectivity, particularly for island nations. In a statement, IATA said the increases would add to the cost burden for Samoan nationals and the diaspora, as well as tourists, and urged the government to reconsider.
‘Talofa Airways’ director Jeffrey Hunter told RNZ Pacific the increase is significant, especially for smaller aircraft operators servicing regional routes. While acknowledging the airport authority’s need to recover infrastructure costs, he said higher fares could make travel unaffordable for some families.…more
Teenager Charged Over Shooting of Former NRL Star as Underworld Feud Intensifies
Teenager Charged Over Shooting of Former NRL Star as Underworld Feud Intensifies
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in relation to the shooting of former NRL premiership winner Matt Utai, as Western Sydney’s escalating gang conflict spills further into public view.
Police allege the teenager handled the firearm used in Tuesday morning’s targeted attack on the 44-year-old outside a Greenacre home just after 6am. Utai was shot multiple times and rushed to hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition following surgery.
Detectives believe the attack was not random. Authorities suspect the intended target may have been Utai’s son, Iziah Utai, who is believed to be overseas.
Alleged Underworld Feud
Police believe the violence is connected to rising tensions between the once-powerful Alameddine crime family and a group described by authorities as the “Coconut Cartel,” which Superintendent Brad Abdy has labelled a “crime for hire group.”
Investigators allege the feud culminated in the shooting of Utai and has involved a string of retaliatory shootings and arsons across Sydney’s west.…more
State of the Nation Report Reveals Pacific Children Hit Hardest by Poverty, Unemployment and Benefit Sanctions
Nearly three in every ten Pacific children are living in material hardship.
Almost half experience food insecurity.
Pacific people now face the highest unemployment rate of any ethnic group.
And despite making up just 13 percent of welfare recipients, Pacific people account for 23.9 percent of benefit sanctions.
These are not projections or warnings. They are the current reality for Pacific children in Aotearoa, according to The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2026 report.
The report shows 28.7 percent of Pacific children are living in material hardship, the highest rate across all ethnic groups (p.7). That equates to 46,200 Pacific children, an increase of 6,500 since 2019 this increase is the highest amongst all ethnic groups in Aotearoa (p.8). While child poverty briefly declined nationally between 2018 and 2022, those gains have now been erased, with Pacific families falling furthest behind.
Material hardship means going without basics many families rely on: adequate food, warm clothing, heating, healthcare, transport, or stable housing. For Pacific children, hardship is no longer concentrated among a small group. It is widespread.…more
Samoan literary figure Sia Figiel found dead in prison while awaiting sentencing
Samoan writer and playwright Papalii Sia Figiel has been found dead in her prison cell while in custody for the killing of Professor Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard.
The 58-year-old was being held at Tanumalala Prison, where she was discovered by corrections officers early Monday morning. Police were alerted and her body was later taken to the hospital morgue. Authorities have not released the cause of death.
Figiel had been in custody since May 2024 after being charged with the violent murder of Dr Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a 78-year-old American Samoan academic, poet, and Figiel’s long-time mentor and friend.
Sinavaiana-Gabbard, is remembered as a poet and environmentalist, in 2013 became the first person of Samoan ancestry to reach the rank of full professor at a U.S. university, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she taught from 1997 until her retirement in 2016.
The charge followed an incident at Figiel’s Vaivase-uta home, which also served as her theatre space, GaluMoana Theatre. Police say Dr Gabbard’s body was found at the property.…more