Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 1
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
Kiribati fisherman swept away in Mahurangi River, wife clings to hope
Police have named the man found dead in the Mahurangi River near Warkworth as 47-year-old Tekanimaeu Arobati from Kiribati.
His body was located on Saturday, 24 January, after concerns were raised for his safety during the recent storm that affected parts of Auckland and surrounding areas.
In a statement released on Monday, police said Arobati had been formally identified following enquiries after his body was discovered in the river near Warkworth over the weekend.
The 47-year-old was travelling to work early Wednesday morning when the car he was in was swept into the Mahurangi River at a flooded crossing on Falls Road, near Warkworth. Search efforts were suspended overnight, with police yet to locate either the man or the vehicle.
His wife, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said the couple moved to New Zealand from Kiribati in 2023, bringing their four children with them in search of work, stability and a future for their family.
Back home, her husband had spent his life on the water.
“He was a fisherman in Kiribati. He knows how to swim.…more
18 Pasifika Families Move into new homes with 'Our Whare, Our Fale'
“When Pasefika lead, when we design for our own needs, when we work in true partnership, we can change our future.”
That belief is now taking physical form in eastern Porirua, where 18 Pasefika families have received the keys to their new homes as part of Our Whare Our Fale, a community led housing development delivered by Central Pacific Collective (CPC).
For new homeowner Erin Millar, the moment represents long awaited stability after years of uncertainty.
“This is a life changing moment for me. In the last eight years we’ve had to move four times. Our new home will bring stability, and certainty to me and my whanau. We even have an accessible space for our Grandma when she needs to come and stay.”
Manu and Viena Paongo are also preparing to build new memories in their home, surrounded by community. “We are particularly excited to celebrate our first Christmas in the new home,” they stated early December last year.…more
Father fetching baby formula gunned down outside church as Tongan community mourns
Salt Lake City — What began as a night of prayer and remembrance for the Tongan community has ended in bloodshed, heartbreak and unanswered questions after a father of 12 was shot dead outside a church while trying to care for his baby.
Vaea Tulikihihifo, 46, was killed Wednesday night in the back car park of a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Salt Lake City — not as part of any fight, but while briefly stepping outside to get baby formula from his car. He never made it back inside.
Seconds after Tulikihihifo walked out of the church doors, at least 10 gunshots rang out. He collapsed on the pavement, struck down as an innocent bystander.
Another Tongan man, 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei, was also killed. Six others were wounded in the shooting, which took place while mourners gathered inside to attend a memorial service for a member of the Pacific Islander community.
Police say the violence stemmed from a dispute between individuals at the service.…more