Sixteen held over PNG police killing; land dispute holds up hospital build; and man detained over New Caledonia Senate fire
PNG police holding 16 over murder of cop
Media in Papua New Guinea is reporting that 16 suspects are in police custody for questioning over the death of a police officer, which caused outrage in the country.
The Post-Courier quotes Police Commissioner David Manning saying 12 persons of interest are being held in Tari while another four are being held in Mt Hagen.
It said the quartet were travelling in a Land Cruiser late at night when officers pulled them over.
It is not known if any of the suspects have yet been charged.
Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda went missing in Hela Province and his body found near a river just over a week later.
His body has been returned to his family in Port Moresby.
Hospital on hold due to land dispute
Construction of the multi-million dollar hospital in American Samoa is on hold due to a land lease dispute.
Photo: 123RF
The government had announced early last year construction of a new 40-bed hospital to be built in Tafuna - on the
western side of the main island of Tutuila.
However, Samoa News reports that due to a lease dispute in the proposed build area, the plan is on hold for now.
The newspaper reports hospital CEO Moefa'auo Bill Emmsley confirming there's a dispute with a company that has an existing lease.
He said it's his understanding legal action is being taken against the government over this piece of land.
Kanak Senate building destroyed by fire
A traditional building at New Caledonia's customary Kanak Senate has been destroyed in a fire for the second time in two years.
The public prosecutor says a 35-year-old man from a shantytown near the Senate building in Nouville has been detained for questioning in connection with the fire.
The prosecutor said the man admitted having had a role in the fire after he was detained for stealing a car.
The arsonist behind the 2020 fire was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence after his tribe apologised for the incident.
In a suspended sentence, a convict is on probation and not jailed if they maintain good behaviour.
The structure, which was built out of wood and straw, has been an emblematic venue representing Kanak culture and a site visited by all French leaders making official visits to New Caledonia.
Samoan nurses working long hours as shortage continues
The long-standing predicament of not enough nurses is still an issue for the Samoa Registered Nurses Association.
The Savalli newspaper reports Association President Solialofi Papalii saying the shortage of nurses to meet the country's' health care provider services and medical needs is nothing new.
Samoa's population of 201,477 has 700 registered nurses, but some of those are in private clinics and others are no longer practising.
The Association president says to sustain the shortfall, nurses are working double shifts and overtime.
She said more students will help the situation but more nurses are still needed.
She said graduating students are brought to the Nursing Board's Association and practice the application of nursing for a year before they can be registered.
Volcanic plume set new record
Researchers says the plume of the Tongan volcanic eruption in January soared higher than any other on record.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano blew on January 15 and killed six people.
Scientists said the eruption unleashed a plume which was the first one documented to have breached a frigid layer of the atmosphere called the mesosphere.
The mesosphere is located above the stratosphere, and extends from about 50 to 85 kilometres above the earth.
Atmospheric scientist Simon Proud, lead author of the research published in the journal Science, said the plume was made up mostly of water with some ash and sulfur dioxide mixed in.
Mr Proud said what he found impressive was the speed of the eruption - it went from nothing to a 57km high cloud in 30 minutes.
Woman disappears overboard in Tahiti
An investigation has been opened in French Polynesia after the disappearance of a Turkish passenger of a cruise ship which docked in Tahiti last month.
Security camera footage has revealed 69-year-old Dilek Ertek fell overboard from the Norwegian Spirit in the middle of the night, but her travelling companion didn't report her as missing for another 18 hours.
A search for the body was unsuccessful.
Her partner could disembark in Papeete.
With the circumstances of her death being unclear, family lawyers reject the theory she might have been suicidal, which has now prompted the investigation by the French police.