Samoan heavyweight Joseph Parker cleared to return to boxing after suspension lifted
Samoan heavyweight Joseph Parker says he is feeling "relieved" and grateful after his suspension was lifted, clearing the way for his return to the ring later this year.
The former WBO heavyweight world champion had been provisionally suspended by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after a voluntary drug test following his October 2025 fight against Britain's Fabio Wardley returned a positive result for a cocaine metabolite.
UKAD investigated the result and found the positive test came from contamination linked to Parker's nutritionist, who admitted to using cocaine regularly. They found it was not connected to Parker taking the substance himself or trying to gain an advantage in boxing, allowing him to return to the sport.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's David Nyika vs Floyd Masson fight card in Auckland, Parker said the decision had brought relief not only to himself, but to the people who stood by him throughout the process.
"A sense of relief, sense of gratitude for all those who stuck by me and for those who've helped get me to where I am today, and just happy," Parker said.…more
The state of te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani in Aotearoa
Cook Islanders have long played an important role in shaping Aotearoa's Pacific communities, bringing rich culture, language and traditions that continue to thrive across generations.
A new snapshot from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples highlights one area where the community is facing a growing challenge, the use of te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani.
The report shows the proportion of Cook Islands Māori language speakers has steadily declined over the past two decades.
In 2001, 19 percent of the Cook Islands population living in New Zealand spoke te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani. By 2006 this had fallen to 17 percent, before dropping to 13 percent in 2013, 9 percent in 2018 and just 8 percent in 2023.
The trend is also reflected across where people were born.
Among Cook Islanders born in New Zealand, the proportion of speakers fell from 5 percent in 2001 to 3 percent in 2023.
For those born overseas, language use also declined, dropping from 47 percent in 2001 to 37 percent in 2023.
Perhaps the biggest concern is among younger generations.…more
Pacific Athletes Break Records at Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026
As the curtain closes on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, we take a look at some of our Pacific athletics stars who narrowly missed the podium but still made history, producing national records, personal bests and season's bests on the international stage.
Max Teuruaa – Cook Islands
(Pictured in thumbnail)
Cook Islands decathlete Max Teuruaa delivered a standout performance in Glasgow, setting a new national record in the men's decathlon.
Teuruaa finished the event with 6,434 points, surpassing his previous national record of 6,337 points. He also equalled the Cook Islands national pole vault record, clearing 4.00m during the decathlon competition.
Kenaz Kaniwete – Kiribati
Kiribati sprinter Kenaz Kaniwete made history in the men's 100m, breaking his own national record with a time of 10.89 seconds.
His performance was another milestone for Kiribati athletics, showcasing the continued growth of Pacific sprinting on the international stage.
Alex Rose – Samoa
Samoan discus thrower Alex Rose came close to a medal finish, placing fourth in the men's discus competition.…more
Aussie and Samoan Youth Join Forces to Give Asau School a Major Makeover
A school in one of Samoa's most remote villages has been given a fresh new look, thanks to an incredible partnership between Australian volunteers, the Samoan diaspora and the local community.
Over 10 days, more than 50 young Australians, mentors and volunteers from the Terry Campese Foundation rolled up their sleeves alongside the people of Asau in Savai'i to help transform the village primary school.
Together, they built new spaces where local children can learn, play and grow, including a library, computer lab, playground, sports field and multipurpose court.
The project was led by Toe Timata le Upega, a community initiative founded in 2024 by Asau descendants Pisa Tufuga, Tofono Alaimoana-Taala and Lefaufili Leata Alaimoana-Roberts.
Wanting to give back to the village their families call home, the trio created the initiative to reconnect with their roots while investing in opportunities for Asau's next generation.
After connecting with the Terry Campese Foundation, the idea quickly grew into something much bigger than first imagined.
Originally, the plan was to build a library and computer lab.…more
Six Fijian healthcare workers missing at sea
A major search and rescue operation is continuing in Fiji’s Lau Waters, with authorities appealing to boaties and coastal communities for information as the search for six healthcare workers enters its second day.
The six were travelling aboard the Ministry of Health and Medical Services vessel MD Ono-i-Lau on a medical outreach mission when the vessel failed to arrive at Oneata as scheduled.
The vessel left Moce at around 7am yesterday and was expected to reach Oneata approximately two hours later.
When it did not arrive, the district nurse at Oneata alerted Lakeba Sub-Divisional Hospital, prompting search teams to be mobilised.
The vessel’s boat handler was found this morning and is now receiving treatment at Lakeba Hospital.
The six healthcare workers still missing are a Medical Officer, Dental Officer, Charge Nurse, Peer Educator, Health Inspector and Dental Assistant.
According to information provided by the boat handler, the vessel’s engine failed before it began taking on water.
The occupants put on life jackets and used wooden floor planks as flotation devices.…more
Nauru officially changes name to Naoero
Via RNZ
Nauru has officially changed its name to 'Naoero', the Micronesian Island nation's governments announced in a statement on Wednesday night.
The Nauruan parliament had passed a constitutional amendment in May to rename the country 'Naoero' after the proposal was initially tabled by President David Adeang in January.
Adeang said at the time that while the name 'Nauru' had been recognised internationally since the island's independence, the proposed change sought to "more faithfully honour our nation's heritage, our language, and our identity".
However, a national referendum was expected to follow to complete the constitutional procedures.
Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic, with a population of approximately 12,000 and a land area of 21 square kilometres.
The government said in May that the name change would be reflected across national official records and symbols, and official identity regionally and internationally, including at the United Nations.
"The Republic of Naoero is the new official designation for what was previously known as Nauru.…more
New settlement support project helps Tongans prepare for life in New Zealand
Via RNZ
A representative of a non-government organisation working to assist Tongans prepare for settlement in New Zealand under the Pacific Access Category resident visa programme believes the project will be a game-changer for Pacific Islanders if they make use of it.
Cassandra Vaea said the work done by the Pacific Settlement Support Services (PSSS), in partnership with SIAOLA - a National Pacific Social Service Provider based in Auckland and Gisborne under the umbrella of the Methodist Church of New Zealand and the Methodist Alliance of Social Service Providers - is critical for Tongans and other Islanders, especially in Samoa, in ensuring that their transition when migrating to Aotearoa is made easier.
The PSSS was established in 2019 by Laura Keill-Hall, Mandy Siitia and Zeprina Fale, Samoans living in New Zealand who wanted to help fellow Samoans.
That help has now extended to Tonga through the partnership with SIAOLA, signed between PSSS chief executive Mandy Siitia and Kathleen Tuai Ta'ufo'ou, the SIAOLA chief executive earlier this year.…more
Samoan Boxing champ Jai Opetaia sues over stripped world title
Jai Opetaia takes boxing’s biggest power players to court over ‘corruption’ claims
Samoan-Australian boxing champion Jai Opetaia has taken his fight outside the ring, launching legal action against the International Boxing Federation (IBF) over the loss of his cruiserweight world title.
The undefeated 31-year-old has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, seeking to have his IBF title reinstated and alleging that his stripping was part of a wider effort to punish him for signing with controversial new promotion Zuffa Boxing.
Opetaia is also seeking damages, legal costs and an injunction preventing the IBF from naming a new cruiserweight champion while the case is ongoing.
At the centre of the lawsuit is Opetaia’s claim that the IBF and other major boxing organisations have acted against him because of his decision to join Zuffa Boxing.
The 19-page complaint alleges that the IBF’s actions were part of “co-ordinated, industry-wide collusion designed to penalise Jai for signing with Zuffa Boxing and to deter other athletes from doing the same”.…more
Historic moment as Tuvalu earns first-ever Commonwealth Games medal
Tuvalu has celebrated a historic moment at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Tarona Taafaki winning the nation's first-ever medal at the Games.
The bronze medal in boxing is about much more than sport for the tiny Pacific island nation.
Taafaki's coach and father, Badi Taafaki, said the achievement is a proud moment for Tuvalu and hopes it will also help highlight the climate change challenges facing one of the world's most vulnerable nations.
"We're one of the smallest nations in the world, so a medal like this is hugely significant. We have worked so hard to get here. For me as a coach, it's a stepping step," he told the British Press Association.
Tarona and his brother Pasoni, who also represented Tuvalu in Glasgow, are the eldest of eight children, all of whom are boxers. The family is based in New Zealand, where they have access to better training facilities.
Fiji's Taniela Rainibogi has a gold medal in the men's 110 kilogram weightlifting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.…more
From Fasi to Disney: How a Tongan costume designer wove the Pacific into every thread of Moana
By Destiny Momoisea
"I truly felt the weight of the responsibility I had been entrusted with and hope the work we achieved honours the Pacific cultures and peoples they represent, including my own."
When audiences watch Disney's live-action Moana, they'll see woven mats, tapa, siapo, ti leaves and hand-painted textiles filling the screen.
What many won't realise is that behind every stitch, braid and woven fibre is a Tongan woman who grew up surrounded by those very traditions.
For Emmy Award-winning costume designer Liz McGregor, designing the costumes for one of Disney's biggest productions became a deeply personal mission to honour the cultures that shaped her.
A little girl from Tonga with big dreams
McGregor grew up in Fasi, Tongatapu, although her Fifita family is from Kolomotu'a, her mother's village.
She spent much of her childhood around family in Kolomotu'a, "hanging out with my cousins", surrounded by the traditions and craftsmanship that would later become such an important part of her career.…more