French customs at Tahiti-Faa’a international airport Photo: PHOTO TNTV
US citizen caught with meth in luggage at French Polynesia airport
French customs at Tahiti-Faa'a international airport have arrested an arriving US citizen after 5 Kg of methamphetamine were found in his luggage, concealed in children's toys.
Tahiti-Nui Television reports the haul, reported as the biggest so far this year, took place on Wednesday this week, Tahiti time.
The unnamed traveller and another person who was waiting for him at the airport, were both placed in custody.
Consular assistance was provided to the US national via French Polynesia's honorary consul Christopher Kozely.
"It is not the first time this happens", Kozely told local media.
Media library destroyed in fire in New Caledonia
A media library goes up in flames in New Caledonia’s Kaala-Gomen – 2 March 2025 Photo: NC la 1ère
Another media library has gone up in flames in the small town of Kaala-Gomen (North-eastern tip of New Caledonia's main island).
Firemen were called to try and extinguish the blaze late on Sunday 2 March, 2025.
While they did prevent the fire spreading to the adjacent buildings (including a nearby school), they could not stop the destruction of over three thousand books and media material contained in the library.
"It was a place for education and meeting people. We're all sad here. Not only here, but also from the neighbouring villages", a regular patron told local media NC la 1ère.
Gendarmerie investigators from Nouméa are attempting to establish the exact cause of the fire.
Criminal and intentional motives have not been ruled out.
Other media and public libraries have been targeted by arsonists since destructive riots broke out in New Caledonia in May 2024.
Google transPacific cables project in French Polynesia
Google transPacific cables French Polynesia Fiji Guam Australia Photo: Brian Quigley
Google's huge transPacific cables network project works are set to start "next month" in French Polynesia, President Moetai Brotherson said this week.
Speaking at a conference dedicated to future digital opportunities, Brotherson said eight cables are to be installed as part of the 100 percent Google-financed project.
This, he said, would offer more secure and much faster Internet connections not only for French Polynesia, but for the whole region.
It would also provide jobs locally.
He said preliminary studies have now been completed.
"Now laying down the cables will start, normally next month".
Tahiti-based French Air Force train with RNZAF
Tahiti-based French Air Force transport unit hosted by Royal New Zealand Air Force during training session – 7 March 2025 Photo: ALPACI-FAPf / Forces armées en Asie-Pacifique et en Polynésie française
A Tahiti-based French Air Force transport unit squadron was this week hosted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force during a training session for its pilots and mechanics.
The aim was to "optimise" safety within the means deployed in the region, as well as "strengthen" the links between the two air forces through "technical and support exchanges", the French Asia-Pacific armed forces command (ALPACI) said from its Tahiti headquarters.
The cooperation materialised through a French-operated air cargo mission pick-up and delivery from New Caledonia's La Tontouta airport base to the Tahiti-Faa'a base in French Polynesia.
The flight made a stopover at Woodbourne and Whenuapai air bases (near Auckland), where the RNZAF's C130J and Boeing 757 heavy carriers are stationed as part of the 40th transport squadron.
New Caledonia's President meets Japanese, Indonesian envoys
New Caledonia’s President Alcide Ponga meets Nouméa-based Japanese Consul Yuko Hotta – 5 March 2025 Photo: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
New Caledonia's President Alcide Ponga this week held talks with Nouméa-based Japanese and Indonesian resident consuls, respectively Yuko Hotta and Bambang Gunawan.
The talks, held on Wednesday 5 March 2025, under the generic term of "regional cooperation", mainly focused on a "will to strengthen partnerships" in terms of economy and more specifically in the mining sector, New Caledonia's government stated.
"Japan and Indonesia are major economic players in the region, so it's important to deepen our cooperation (with them)", Ponga said.
New Caledonia's nickel mining and processing industry is facing an unprecedented crisis, mostly due to the rise of Indonesian production capacity, characterised by a boom in production, causing a steep fall in world prices of close to fifty percent over the past year.
New Zealand's Consul General hosts New Caledonia officials
New Zealand’s Consul General for French Pacific Mary Thurston hosts New Caledonia officials at introductory function – 6 March 2025 Photo: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
New Caledonia's top officials turned up in numbers at a function hosted on Thursday by New Zealand's newly-appointed Consul General for French Pacific, Mary Thurston.
Thurston arrived in January 2025 to take up the Nouméa-based posting, which also covers French Polynesia and Wallis-and-Futuna.
Individually, she has since held introductory encounters with most of the French territory's top officials, including President Alcide Ponga, and several cabinet members, as well as French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc and French Ambassador for the Pacific, Véronique Roger-Lacan.
During a courtesy call to Congress President Veylma Falaeo last week, the two leaders expressed a "common will" to strengthen ties between New Caledonia and New Zealand, especially in the "key sectors" of tourism, culture and environment.
They also stressed "the importance of having women's voices better heard in the Pacific region, especially in politics and decision-making spheres".
Tahiti Tourisme appoints new Director General
Vaihere Lissant is the new Director General of Tahiti Tourisme following Board Meeting on 28 February 2025 Photo: Tahiti Tourisme
Vaihere Lissant was last week appointed the new Director General of Tahiti Tourisme.
Her appointment took place at a Tahiti Tourisme Board Meeting on 28 February 2025, after reviewing a list of local and international candidates.
Lissant joined Tahiti Tourisme in 2014 as Marketing and Communications Manager and was recently in charge of the Tahiti destination branding strategy.
She is scheduled to take up her new post on 15 May 2025.
French Polynesia's health minister visits Auckland hospitals
French Polynesia’s health minister Cédric Mercadal visits Auckland’s City Hospital on 24 February 2025 to strengthen medical cooperation between French Polynesia and New Zealand Photo: Gouvernement de la Polynésie française.
French Polynesia's health minister Cédric Mercadal visited Auckland's City Hospital last week in a bid to strengthen medical cooperation with New Zealand.
Mercadal visited Auckland's City and Starship hospitals and was granted traditional Maori Whakatau welcome.
He also met both hospitals' managements, especially on developments related to medical evacuations (medivacs), as well as prospects for new areas of cooperation such as cardiology and children's surgery.
Following his New Zealand trip, the minister announced a New Zealand medical team would visit French Polynesia in October 2025.
