Tag

Samoa

All articles tagged with #samoa

world4 days ago•5 min saved

Samoa PM apologizes for 2007 video showing him leading Nazi salute

Samoa Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt apologized on Monday after a 2007 video surfaced showing him leading a Nazi salute and shouting 'Heil Hitler' at a family reunion. Schmidt, who took office in September 2025, called the gesture inappropriate but stated it was a private event not intended for public consumption. The clip, first reported by the Samoa Observer, has drawn sharp criticism from historians who link the incident to concerns about authoritarianism and Schmidt's recent restrictions on press access.

via BBC|

#2007 #heil-hitler #laaulialemalietoa-leuatea-schmidt

politics5 days ago

Samoa PM apologizes for 2007 video showing Nazi salute at family reunion

Samoa Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt issued an apology after a 2007 video surfaced showing him leading a Nazi salute and shouting 'Heil Hitler' at a family reunion. Schmidt, who took office in 2025, stated the clip was private and did not reflect his current beliefs, though he acknowledged the gesture was inappropriate. The controversy has drawn sharp criticism from historians and academics, who link the footage to concerns about authoritarianism and Schmidt’s recent ban on the Samoa Observer newspaper.

via Al Jazeera|

#laauli-leuatea-schmidt #media-ban #nazi-salute

politics1 month ago•205 min saved

New records challenge RFK Jr.'s claim that Samoa trip wasn't about vaccines

New documents obtained by the AP and The Guardian raise questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony during his confirmation as Health Secretary, showing a 2019 letter to Samoa’s prime minister discussed studying Samoa’s MMR vaccines and potential vaccine issues before his visit. Kennedy had repeatedly said the Samoa trip was unrelated to vaccines, but the letters suggest a vaccine-related purpose and contributed to scrutiny of whether he lied to Congress. The DHHS maintains the trip was not vaccine-related, even as the broader episode ties into the measles outbreak in Samoa and Kennedy’s anti‑vaccine past, fueling calls for accountability as the political stakes of his confirmation linger.

via CNN|

#documents #politics #rfk-jr

politics1 month ago•134 min saved

New records challenge RFK Jr.'s Samoa trip claims about vaccines

New documents obtained in a lawsuit contradict RFK Jr.’s assertion that his 2018 Samoa trip was unrelated to vaccines, showing he proposed an independent health-informatics assessment of MMR vaccines and discussed vaccine safety with Samoa’s leaders. The revelations align with ongoing criticism of his anti-vaccine activism and raise questions about the trip’s influence amid Samoa’s measles outbreak and vaccine-policy debates in Congress.

via AP News|

#measles-outbreak #politics #robert-f-kennedy-jr

environment9 months ago•4 min saved

Rare Dodo Relative Discovered in Samoan Rainforest

A rare sighting of the critically endangered manumea, a dodo relative, in Samoa offers hope for its survival, with conservation efforts focusing on habitat protection, invasive species control, and potential breeding programs, amid threats from feral cats and rats.

via Live Science|

#conservation #environment #extinction

health1 year ago•8 min saved

RFK Jr.'s Controversial Stance and the Samoan Measles Crisis

In 2019, Samoa experienced a devastating measles outbreak that resulted in 83 deaths and over 1,800 hospitalizations, primarily affecting young children. The outbreak was exacerbated by low vaccination rates due to a prior medical error, government mismanagement, and anti-vaccine sentiment, partly fueled by Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s visit and misinformation campaign. The incident highlighted the dangers of vaccine misinformation and the critical need for effective public health communication and vaccination programs.

via The Guardian|

#health #measles-outbreak #public-health

royal-news2 years ago•1 min saved

King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Tour Australia and Samoa Amid Cancer Recovery

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in the fall, excluding New Zealand from their itinerary. The visit, delayed due to the King's cancer diagnosis, coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. Further details will be announced soon.

via The News International|

#australia #commonwealth-heads-of-government-meeting #king-charles

royalty2 years ago•3 min saved

King Charles III Plans Australia and Samoa Visit During Cancer Recovery

King Charles III will visit Australia and Samoa in October, marking his first trip to a Commonwealth realm since ascending the throne and a significant step in his recovery from cancer. The visit aims to bolster support for the monarchy but comes amid ongoing debates about Australia's ties to the British monarchy. The trip will include limited engagements in Australia and a formal state visit to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

via NBC News|

#australia #cancer-recovery #king-charles-iii

royal-news2 years ago•2 min saved

King Charles and Queen Camilla Announce October Tour to Australia and Samoa

King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in October for a Commonwealth heads of government meeting, marking the king's first international trip since his cancer diagnosis in February. The visit will include engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, and will celebrate the strong bilateral relationship between Samoa and the U.K. King Charles resumed public duties in April after treatment for an enlarged prostate, and his daughter-in-law, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is also undergoing cancer treatment.

via CBS News|

#australia #cancer-diagnosis #king-charles-iii

world-news2 years ago•3 min saved

King Charles and Queen Camilla Announce Australia and Samoa Tour

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in October as part of an autumn tour, marking Charles' first trip to a Commonwealth realm since becoming monarch. The visit includes attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. The tour will be limited to these two countries due to health advice, and further details will be announced later.

via CNN|

#australia #commonwealth #king-charles-iii

royal-visit2 years ago•2 min saved

King Charles and Queen Camilla Announce Australia and Samoa Tour

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in October, marking the King's first overseas tour since his cancer diagnosis. They will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa and carry out engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. The visit to New Zealand has been excluded on medical advice. This will be the King's first visit to Australia as Monarch.

via BBC.com|

#australia #cancer-treatment #king-charles-iii

crime2 years ago•2 min saved

Tulsi Gabbard's Aunt Murdered by Prominent Samoan Author

Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, the 78-year-old aunt of former Hawaiian Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, was allegedly murdered by her protégé, Papalii Sia Figiel, in Samoa. Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a retired University of Hawaii professor and the first Samoan scholar to become a full professor at a U.S. university, was found dead after being stabbed and beaten with a hammer. Figiel has been charged with murder, and the motive remains unclear.

via The Daily Beast|

#caroline-sinavaiana-gabbard #crime #murder

crime2 years ago•3 min saved

Prominent Samoan Author Charged with Murder of Tulsi Gabbard's Aunt

Dr. Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard, the aunt of former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, was brutally murdered by her protege, award-winning playwright Papalii Sia Figiel, in Samoa. Sinaviana-Gabbard was found dead with multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma from a hammer. Figiel, who initially faced manslaughter charges, had them upgraded to murder following an investigation. She is currently under suicide watch and is expected to appear in court on June 10.

via New York Post |

#caroline-sinaviana-gabbard #crime #murder

crime2 years ago•3 min saved

Prominent Samoan Author Charged in Murder of Tulsi Gabbard's Aunt

Prominent Samoan author Papalii Sia Figiel has been charged with the murder of Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard, the aunt of former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Sinaviana-Gabbard, a retired University of Hawaii professor, was stabbed and beaten with a hammer at Figiel's home in Samoa. The two women were colleagues and friends, and the motive for the argument that led to the incident remains unclear.

via Fox News|

#caroline-sinaviana-gabbard #crime #murder

natural-disaster3 years ago•0 min saved

7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Tonga Without Tsunami Warning

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near Tonga, with a depth of 210.1 km. The earthquake was centered about 59 miles west-northwest from Hihifo, Tonga and 225 miles from Samoa. In January, an earthquake, tsunami and volcano eruption rattled the area, resulting in the deaths of three people.

via FOX 13 News Utah|

#earthquake #natural-disaster #samoa