JICA Scholarships: Five Samoans have won Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) SDG Global Leader Programme scholarships to study in Japan, including environmental science and multiple master’s degrees in public management, business, and policy, with recipients pledging to return and contribute to Samoa. Samoa Politics: FAST Party deputy Leota Laki Lamositele Sio has been appointed Chief Adviser to Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, in a new government role worth $129,393. Foreign Affairs: Samoa’s top foreign affairs official, Peseta Noumea Simi, has resigned with about two years left on her contract, with her final day reportedly set for September 16. Health & Samoa: New documents reported by AP and The Guardian challenge US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim that his 2019 Samoa trip had “nothing to do with vaccines,” saying letters show he wanted to study MMR vaccine issues ahead of the outbreak. Regional Sports: Solomon Islands U-19 men’s squad has arrived in Samoa for the OFC U-19 Championship, with Samoa hosting from September 1–14. Labour Concerns: Pacific seasonal workers under Australia’s PALM and New Zealand’s RSE schemes raised complaints about pay deductions and accommodation conditions at a trade union workshop in Vanuatu.