Sepik River, East Sepik Photo: DOZIER MARC / HEMIS.FR
PNG - earthquake
At least eight people are now believed to have died in Papua New Guinea following the magnitude-7 earthquake which hit East Sepik just over a week ago.
Governor Allan Bird said the eight died when their houses collapsed on them.
The National reports Bird as saying 800 houses have been destroyed and they expect this number to be higher.
Bird said the most pressing needs are shelter, tools for rebuilding, cooking utensils, water containers, clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items for women and girls, fishing nets and other livelihood items.
FSM - court
The Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia has ordered the dismissal, with prejudice, of all criminal charges against Pohnpei state government officials.
In June 2022, the FSM government arrested and criminally charged the defendants for allegedly breaching civil rights, false imprisonment, multiple violations of emergency decrees, and standard operating procedures for Covid-19-related quarantine.
In its order, the Supreme Court wrote this case was the result of misplaced hopes.
This related to a repatriation flight and accommodation for those on it.
The case is now closed.
Papua - arrest
Indonesian security forces says they've arrested one of the ringleaders of the capture of the New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens in Papua two months ago.
Head of the law enforcement task force, Senior Commissioner Era Adhinata, says Yomce Lokbere was arrested in Nduga district last week.
He says Lokbere was tasked with finding and collecting logistics, including firearms and ammunition for the attack on the plane Mehrtens was piloting.
The West Papua Liberation Front is holding Mehrtens hostage.
Senior Commissioner Era Adhinata said Lokbere had been involved in a number of armed crimes in Nduga district since 2021.
PNG - obituary
A former opposition leader in Papua New Guinea, Traima Kambyapi, has died, aged 89.
Kambyapi was the member of the then Baiyer-Kompiam electorate from 1968 to 1977 in the House of Assemby and then the National Parliament after independence.
He was the Opposition Whip for several years.
The Post Courier said he was engaged in many heated debates with the late Sir Michael Somare on the independence path for PNG.
On the death of Somare, Kambyapi recalled how they were involved in a physical alteration in the House with punches thrown.
Kambyapi did not recontest any elections after 1977 and joined the Baptist Church to became a pastor.
Melanesia - languages
A Melanesian and ni-Vanuatu group wants to be included in the official celebrations of Pacific languages in Aotearoa.
New Zealand's Pacific Language Week series kicks off in May with Rotuma Language Week.
Stuff News reports Leina Isno from the Melanesian Steering Group saying for the past 10 years, languages from countries like Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands had been overlooked.
She said she met with the Ministry of Pacific Peoples earlier this year to lobby for the inclusion of pidgin - a trading language for most Melanesian countries.
But she said she was told to provide statistical evidence that there were enough people in New Zealand that spoke it.
The Ministry's director of languages Ta'i Richard said the ministry was working to formally include Solomon Islands and PNG as part of the language series in 2024.
Cook Islands - scam
The Office of the Cook Islands Prime Minister and the Cook Islands Financial Intelligence Unit are warning the public about fake lottery scams.
Three residents lost more than $US46,000 through a scam known as the 'Samsung Lottery'.
Cook Islands News reports the instigators had been using the Prime Minister Mark Brown's name to support their crime.
The PM's office said more people could have been defrauded.
The Cook Islands Financial Intelligence Unit was alerted when one of the victims rang Mark Brown enquiring about their alleged winnings.
PNG - fake documents
Four Papua New Guinea Police recruits have been investigated for allegedly using fake documents in their applications.
Internal Security Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jnr has ordered immediate investigations into those accused of producing fake NID cards, academic certificates, drivers' licences and other documents.
About eight fake NID cards and five illegal printouts of birth certificates were discovered by Civil and Identity Registry.
Compliance officer, Fred Aikling, told the Post Courier thorough checks will be made from headquarters where NID numbers will be tracked to find who issued those birth certificates.
Tonga - ferry
Tonga's inter-island ferry MV 'Otuanga'ofa has arrived back in Nuku'alofa, after undergoing six months of maintenance work in New Zealand.
The maintenance work was to fix major faults.
The Friendly Islands Shipping Agent's office stated the inter-island ferry service is expected to start next week to Ha'apai and Vava'u.
