French Polynesia’s President Gaston Tong Sang with Nicolas Sarkozy in May 2007. Photo: Oceania Flash

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Patrick Decloitre

French Polynesia’s President Gaston Tong Sang has called on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to dissolve the French Pacific territory’s legislative assembly and organise a snap election because of what he calls an unmanageable political situation.

Tong Sang said his move, which came as a surprise locally during attempts to elect a new Speaker for the House, came amid a failure to strengthen his parliamentary majority “in the country’s general interest”. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Oceania Flash
By a special correspondent in Paris

French Polynesia’s cyclone-ravaged islands get US$13 million from Paris

(Oceania Flash) – The French government has announced a disaster financial aid of some 10 million Euros (13.7 million US dollars) for the rehabilitation of French Polynesia’s Windward and Austral islands in French Polynesia, which were severely hit early February by tropical cyclone Oli, causing widespread devastation. Read more »

Pacific.Scoop
By Oceania Flash in Paris

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has signalled a new approach from Paris towards its overseas departments, countries and territories – including those in the Pacific.
Read more »

Louise Peltzer ... big plans for regional educational coorperation. Photo: PMW

Pacific.Scoop
By Oceania Flash in Pape’ete

University of French Polynesia’s re-elected president Louise Peltzer, a former minister of culture, believes future Pacific regional cooperation could include
journalism, language and communication technologies.

She has been re-elected at Tahiti’s higher education institution for a  second four-year term.

The election took place as part of the Université de Polynésie Française (UPF) board meeting in French Polynesia’s capital Pape’ete.
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Pacific Press Release – Pacific Media Watch, 18 October 2009

FRENCH SENATE ENDORSES CONTROVERSIAL NUCLEAR COMPENSATION BILL

PARIS (Oceania Flash/Pacific Media Watch): The French Senate  endorsed a controversial nuclear compensation bill this week which, for the first  time, sets out a compensation mechanism for victims of the French  nuclear tests, including those carried out between 1966 and 1996 in  French Polynesia.
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Pacific.Scoop
By Oceania Flash in Paris

Swine flu problem in New Caledonia. Photo: Les Nouvelles

The French government is sending medical back-up teams to both New Caledonia and French Polynesia  in the wake of a series of suspected H1N1 influenza-related deaths this week.

The medical teams will comprise a dozen doctors and nurses whose main task will be to provide additional support to local medical staff.
Read more »