Articles Search

Swept away last week when Cyclone Freda hit

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Jan. 7, 2013) – Two children in New Caledonia have found the body of a teenager who went missing in wild weather last week.

The local newspaper says the body of the 18-year-old from Houailou was found on Saturday.

He was carried away last Wednesday when a group of five young people tried to cross a river which had swollen by heavy rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Freda.

The tropical depression affected New Caledonia for several days and also claimed a life on Lifou where a man drowned.

Heavy rain and strong winds caused extensive flooding and disruptions across the territory.

Population boom leads to call for separate representation

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Jan. 9, 2013) – Two outlying islands in Makira – Santa Ana and Santa Catalina – are calling for a separate constituency in the Solomon Islands; the two islands are currently part of the East Makira Constituency.

Iin a recent meeting by Gapuna chiefs, they supported earlier calls by the Owa House of Chiefs for a separate constituency for the two islands.

Santa Ana and Santa Catalina are located off the coast of Cape Surville in the Sat Harbour area.

They are part of the East Makira constituency, which spans right from Wainoni, bordering Central Makira constituency to as far as the weather coast of Makira in the Haununu areas bordering West Makira constituency.

East Makira is one of the biggest constituencies in the country and the entire constituency can only be accessed by sea transport often in hazardous conditions as the seas in the area are...

Building-wide system fault reported at government office complex

By Apulu Lance Polu

APIA, Samoa (Talamua, Jan. 8, 2013) – Some public servants in Samoa are on extra holidays as they find there was no electricity to their offices at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi building at Sogi.

The new government office complex is a year old and cost WST$33 million [US$13.9 million]. It houses the offices for the Attorney General, the Electric Power Corporation (EPC), Samoa Water Authority, Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of the Environment and others.

The Ministry of Finance that manages the building says there is a problem with the main switcher, and despite electricity reaching the building, the power cannot get inside the building’s system due to the fault.

Finance had been negotiating with EPC to use one of the EPC’s imported generators to provide electricity for the building as technicians look at the fault with parts expected to arrive today from...

‘Traumatized’ doctor and wife assaulted, then taken to jail

By Melissa Martin

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Jan. 8, 2013) – While residents in Port Moresby welcomed the New Year with spectacular fireworks, music and partying, an innocent family’s celebration turned nasty as Papua New Guinea police intervened.

On Tuesday 01st January 2013, at around 5:30am, a police convoy of four vehicles attacked a Medical Doctor and his family right in the comfort of their home at 2 Mile Hill.

The alleged victim, Dr. Aaron David Yamo, is a father of three children ages ranging from six and half years to a five month old infant and works as a Chief Medical Officer for the PNG LNG project with International SOS.

Dr. Yamo and his wife were allegedly punched in front of their children, neighbors and other family members at their place of residence at 2 Mile Hill in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The reason for the attack is not known...