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Offshore detention a 'crime against humanity'

Thursday 16 February 2017 | Published in Regional

AUSTRALIA – Australia’s network of offshore immigration detention centres could constitute a crime against humanity, according to a submission before the International Criminal Court (ICC).


Official says centre will close by end of the year

Thursday 16 February 2017 | Published in Regional

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Manus Island immigration refugee detention centre is slated for closure by the end of 2017, a senior Australian government bureaucrat has told a court.


Castaway Mariner's story translated into Tongan

Thursday 16 February 2017 | Published in Regional

TONGA – After nearly half a century, the first Tongan translation of a classic 19th century book about the life of an English by who was adopted by a Tongan warlord, has been completed.


PACIFIC BRIEFS 16/2/2017

Thursday 16 February 2017 | Published in Regional

Retired bishop to face abuse charges NORTHERN MARIANAS – Sexual abuse charges have been filed against a retired Catholic bishop in the Northern Marianas, Tomas Camacho. He is being accused of sexual abuse by Guam resident Melvin Duenas in a lawsuit filed in the US District Court of Guam. Duenas claims that the sexual abuse started in 1971 when he was about 10 years old and the chief altar boy at St Joseph Catholic Church in Inarajan where Tomas Camacho served as a priest. He said it only stopped when he ran away from the rectory sometime in 1974 and 1975. The charges against Camacho include negligent supervision and breach of fiduciary duty. Last year, Guam’s Catholic community was rocked by several allegations of similar sexual abuse by then archbishop, Anthony Apuron. MCCULLY DISCUSSES POST RAMSI SECURITY SOLOMON ISLANDS – The New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully says his country has plans for how it can assist Solomon Islands when the Regional Assistance Mission, RAMSI, pulls out in July. The Australian-led RAMSI, to which New Zealand contributed significant numbers of soldiers, police and civil servants when ethnic strife dominated life in the Solomons in 2003, has been scaling down and will withdraw completely in just over four months. McCully is in Honiara for discussions on the post-RAMSI phase and says New Zealand is ready to make commitments to help ensure the ongoing security of the Solomons. But he says he is not yet able to reveal details. “There are still some further conversations to have with the authorities here,” he said. SHARK POACHERS TO FACE STIFF FINES KIRIBATI – Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development has outlined the penalties for breaking the ban on shark fishing for commercial purposes. The ministry last year announced sharks could only be fished for consumption and not for re-sale. Under the Fisheries Act 2010 together with the Shark Sanctuary Regulation 2014, severe punishments and fines will be imposed on those who are found breaching these regulations. A fine of $US6000 or imprisonment for four months will be given to offenders while fishing boats will be fined US$7643 or impounded for six months for the same offence. Kiribati has set up a large shark sanctuary to help protect the species across an expanse of the central Pacific almost equal to the size of India. The Pew Charitable Trusts estimates 100 million sharks are killed each year by commercial fisheries. DENGUE PLAGUING PACIFIC ISLANDS VANUATU – The hospital on Vanuatu’s Tanna island has recorded 115 dengue cases. A hospital manager, who is also part of the Dengue Taskforce, says 435 people were tested for the mosquito-borne disease. He says of the 115 people who tested positive four were hospitalised. He says one patient suffered spontaneous bleeding. The number of dengue cases has also risen in neighbouring New Caledonia where an epidemic has been declared. A public health emergency has been declared in New Caledonia’s capital Noumea as a dengue outbreaks keeps worsening. The authorities say all neighbourhoods of the city are now affected and more personnel is being hired to try to eliminate breeding areas for mosquitos. CHURCH INVESTIGATORS ON WAY TO GUAM FIJI – The newly-appointed chair of Fiji’s electoral commission says maintaining transparency and ensuring the fairest possible elections are his biggest priorities. Suresh Chandra was appointed to the role last week, nearly a month after the three-year term of the previous commission expired. The commission is an independent constitutional body tasked with supervising the elections office, which is responsible for preparing the vote. After the 2014 elections, a multinational observer group recommended the commission increase its transparency. Chandra says that will be one of his key priorities.“We will make sure that the transparency is maintained and we need to see that the credibility of the process is maintained and the election procedures are followed.”


Fuel price drop good news for Pa Enua

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Outer Islands

Fuel users in the Pa Enua will pay less following the introduction of new margins for the Southern and Northern islands.


Ramp open with help from Japan

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Local

A new boat ramp which received a grant of around $NZ110,000 under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) was handed over to the Avana Fishing Association yesterday.

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Celebration marks TMV achievement

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Local

A ceremony has been confirmed for Thursday in Avana at 5:30pm, and in the National Auditorium Dome at 6:30pm the same day to mark the completion of Stage 1 of Te Mato Vai project.


Drink-driving policy murky

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Did you know that we have a zero tolerance policy for drink-driving in the Cook Islands?


Less haste please!

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals

“To the lady I spotted driving through Tupapa on Monday morning, please slow down,” a smoke signaller says.

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Urgent action needed on alcohol abuse

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

There has been no word from government on the problem of alcohol abuse in our country.


Bertram claim incorrect

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

The report of Dr Bertram, regurgitated in part in CI News last Saturday, is wrong about company tax.


Tolerance and compassion the keywords

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

For many years, Cook Islanders have openly and graciously welcomed all visitors to our humble, lovely and beautiful shores.


Death of beauty queen shocks PNG

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guineans are in mourning after the shock death of a revered former Miss South Pacific PNG beauty pageant winner and a beloved community figure.


Resettlement interviews underway

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A team of contractors has arrived on Manus Island to begin interviews with refugees about resettlement in the United States.


Tongan skier's Olympic quest continues

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

TONGA – Tongan skier Kasete Skeen will take another big step in his quest to reach the 2018 Winter Olympics, when he lines up in the giant slalom qualifying race at the World Alpine Ski Champs in St Moritz today.


Proa building skills honed in Kiwi shed

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

A dark red shed is nestled inconspicuously between parched rolling hills on the edge of a shallow stream, its dribble of water slowly meandering its way through the golden countryside near Waihi,


Venue futures being planned ahead of Mini Games

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

VANUATU –Plans for ongoing use of the venues being built for this year’s Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu are starting to take shape well ahead of their completion.


Helicopter pilot killed fighting New Zealand bush fires

Wednesday 15 February 2017 | Published in Regional

NEW ZEALAND – Bush fires blazing near Christchurch over the past two days have claimed the life of a helicopter pilot and caused heartache for local residents.


Story sheds new light on waterfalls road incident

Tuesday 14 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

I want to commend Florence Syme-Buchannan on her article about the Wigmores Waterfall Road and the incident involving the two tourists.

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Fee imposed to pay for road maintenance

Tuesday 14 February 2017 | Published in Letters to the Editor

There has been a certain amount of negative press with regard to the fee imposed to use the road up to the Papua waterfall (aka Wigmores waterfall).


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