Regional
Village violence creates uproar
Thursday 22 March 2018 | Published in Regional
SAMOA – A Samoa Member of Parliament has made a public apology in Parliament for the incident that injured several police officers and affected the public when young men from a village in his electorate blocked a public road this week.
Spouse abuse remains an issue in Marshall Islands
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
MARSHALL ISLANDS – A steady flow of women seeking court relief from domestic violence confirms that spouse abuse continues as a serious problem in the Marshall Islands.
Accused priests sent to 'paedophile heaven'
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PACIFIC – As debate continues about the Catholic Church’s approach to the national redress scheme for Australian victims of child sexual abuse, the church is now being challenged to take responsibility and deal with crimes carried out by church officials overseas – in developing countries that include Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.
No sign of two missing Kiribati fishermen
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
KIRIBATI – Two Kiribati fishermen missing for four days are yet to be found. The men aged 30 and 45 left a village in Kiribati’s Nonouti atoll on a six-metre aluminium boat early on Wednesday to fish off the south end of the atoll.
Archbishop guilt of sex abuse claims
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
GUAM – A Vatican tribunal has found the archbishop of Guam, Anthony Apuron, guilty of “certain accusations” related to the sexual abuse of minors.
Quake victims just emerging
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A community worker from Mogulu in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province says some people have only just managed to walk out from landslip affected areas three weeks after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake rocked the Highlands.
Beetle pest threatens livelihoods
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
SOLOMON ISLANDS – Solomon Islanders are facing a bleak future as the coconut rhinoceros beetle marches across its fertile plains, killing their “tree of life” by the millions.
Atoll bones most likely Earhart's
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PACIFIC – Bones discovered on a Pacific island in 1940 are “likely” to be those of famed pilot Amelia Earhart, according to a US peer-reviewed science journal.
Post-quake disease threat grows
Monday 19 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The official death toll following Papua New Guinea’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake has risen to 145 but still has further to climb, officials have said.
NZ to be more of a true partner to Pacific
Saturday 17 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PACIFIC – New Zealand’s Foreign Minister says the government is going to put its money where its mouth is in terms of aid to the Pacific.
CNMI launches canoe building programme
Saturday 17 March 2018 | Published in Regional
MARSHALL ISLANDS – The CNMI’s Department of Community and Cultural Affairs has launched its own traditional canoe programme but says it’s not competing with a private sector-driven programme to build 500 traditional canoes by 2030.
PM given suspended sentence
Saturday 17 March 2018 | Published in Regional
VANUATU – Vanuatu’s deputy prime minister, Joe Natuman, says he won’t be stepping aside immediately after being given a two-year suspended sentence.
Damage to infrastructure severe
Thursday 15 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Damage assessment in Papua New Guinea’s earthquake-hit Southern Highlands province has confirmed widespread devastation to public infrastructure.
Curfew not helping recovery
Thursday 15 March 2018 | Published in Regional
TONGA – A Tongan businessman is angry local authorities have extended a curfew around the capital of Nuku‘alofa.
Sprinter to miss out on Games
Thursday 15 March 2018 | Published in Regional
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – When the Papua New Guinea team marches into the stadium at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Australia in April, there will be one notable absentee – the track queen of the Pacific, Toea Wisil.
Transport upgrades backed
Wednesday 14 March 2018 | Published in Regional
Wellingtonians are keen to see more tunnels in the city and light rail introduced to make the journey between Ngauranga and the airport and hospital easier. Feedback on the Let’s Get Wellington Moving initiative has been put together in a report.
Vegans want approval tick
Wednesday 14 March 2018 | Published in Regional
Ground up insects, animal bile and bit of bones – also known as E numbers 120, 1000 and 542 – are just some of the ingredients vegans are constantly checking food labels for.
Strike forces port closure
Wednesday 14 March 2018 | Published in Regional
Striking workers have forced Lyttelton Port to close and will cause serious supply shortages, the port company says.
Call for NZ Wars holiday
Wednesday 14 March 2018 | Published in Regional
School students whose petition led to a national day of commemoration for the New Zealand wars are now asking for a public holiday to mark the occasion. At the weekend, Nga Puhi hosted the first major commemorations of the New Zealand wars, or Te Putake o Te Riri, in Northland.
Top shearer worries about future of the profession
Wednesday 14 March 2018 | Published in Regional
NEW ZEALAND – World champion and award-winning shearer John Kirkpatrick is worried about the future of shearing as both a profession and as a sport.