Princess Ashika disaster's death toll of 74 passengers and crew made it the nation's worst shipping tragedy. Photo: TNews.

Pacific Scoop:
By Pesi Fonua in Nuku’alofa

Tonga’s Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, has been censured for making an “inappropriate” personal remark to counsel assisting, in a closing statement he gave to the Princess Ashika disaster inquiry following an intense session of questioning that continued until midnight on Tuesday. Read more »

William Nanua Kapris and other hardcore criminals who escaped from Port Moresby's Bomana prison. Montage: Post-Courier

Pacific Scoop:
By Todagia Kelola in Port Moresby

The chairman of Papua New Guinea’s National Security Advisory Committee, Manasupe Zurenuoc, has announced an investigation into the recent breakout of 12 hardcore prisoners from Bomana maximum security compound and other escapes from jails throughout the country.

In a public notice, the acting chief secretary and chairman of the committee said a day after William Nanua Kapris and 11 others escaped from prison the NSAC had met and established a high level investigation team to conduct an investigation into the breakouts.

The team had been given seven terms of references to work on. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Citizens’ Constitutional Forum

The Fiji Government should urgently address concerns on the independence of the judiciary and the state of the rule of law, as the issue is of the greatest concern to the international community, says the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF). Read more »

Press Release – Fulbright NZ

Fulbright New Zealand and Creative New Zealand invite applications for the 2010 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency, an award which offers a New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage the opportunity to work for three months … Read more »

Press Release – US Department of State – Background Notes

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Press Release – US Department of State – Background Notes

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Press Release – Fiji Club Of New Zealand

“The members of Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ) are supportive of the planned meeting of our New Zealand and Fiji governments at the Hong Kong sevens in March next month” Alton Shameem JP, the Fijian leader and president said today in Takapuna, … Read more »

Press Release – United Nations

Timor-Leste has made “remarkable progress” since the violence that disrupted it in 2006, but the long-term goals of recovery and development may prove even more challenging, the top United Nations envoy to the small South-East Asian country said … Read more »

Press Release – New Zealand Parliamentarians Group on Population

A new report on maternal health in the Pacific from the New Zealand Parliamentarians’ group on Population and Development (NZPPD) calls on the New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island governments to take immediate action to improve the maternal health … Read more »

Supporters of self-determination with the Morning Star, the West Papuan liberation flag. Photo: PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Opinion – The National in Port Moresby

When Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visits Australia and Papua New Guinea in two weeks’ time, apart from the very many matters of mutual bilateral concerns, will PNG dare raise the matter of autonomy for the mostly Melanesian people of West Papua? Read more »