Hawaii

Last month, the US Supreme Court let the Trump administration's executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days go forward with a limited scope.

The restrictions ban grandparents.

The state had filed a motion in the US District Court hoping to include grandparents and other relatives, but that was rejected on Friday.

The chair of Amnesty International Hawaii Beatriz Cantelmo said the ban was discriminatory and very dangerous.

After more than 40,000 nautical miles at sea, the Hokule'a was met just outside of the shores of Hawaii by a fleet of canoes from across the Pacific who led the Hokule'a to shore where the crew were greeted with flower leis (necklaces) and traditional Hawaiian chants.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Community's Engagement Director Mehana Hind said locals spent days making hundreds of flower leis for the crew, and indigenous chants were written especially for the homecoming.

Mehana Hind knows family members who have been on board the Hōkūle'a.

The decision means that travellers from the six Muslim-majority countries covered by the ban will still be able to travel to the US.

US District Judge Derrick Watson put an emergency stop to the new order in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii, which argued the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the constitution.

 US District Judge Derrick Watson cited "questionable evidence" in the government's argument that the ban was a matter of national security.

President Trump described the ruling as "unprecedented judicial overreach".

The order would have placed a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a 120-day ban on refugees.

Mr Trump insists the move is to stop terrorists from entering the US but critics say it is discriminatory.

An earlier version of the order, issued in late January, sparked confusion and protests, and was blocked by a judge in Seattle.

The billionaire tech mogul had filed a legal case seeking to acquire small pockets of land within his large estate on the island of Kauai.

But his use of the so-called "quiet title" legal system led to criticism from other residents.

He said he had not taken the time to fully understand the process. "It's clear we made a mistake," he said.

Mr Zuckerberg bought a 700-acre estate on the Hawaiian island, where he says his family wish to "put down roots".

However, the estate is littered with a number of small parcels of land called kuleana.

However, a recent "butt scratching" story she told on the BBC's "The Graham Norton Show" seemed to cross the line for a lot of her fans.

Lawrence was on the notoriously bawdy talk show with her "Passengers" co-star Chris Pratt, when she recalled an itchy incident she had while filming the second "Hunger Games" movie.

"We were filming in Hawaii and there were sacred rocks, and you're not supposed to sit on them," she said. "I was in a wetsuit that whole shoot and oh my God, they were so good for butt itching!"

The two-day conference will end tomorrow August 31.

The meeting will be attended by leaders and officials from Pacific Island nations and the United States and cover a number of regional integration and cooperation issues.

In a statement, O’Neill said he expects Pacific Island nations to come out of regional discussions with the United States holding a stronger collective perspective on key regional issues including climate change and security.

All 36 survivors were rescued by good Samaritans aboard the 215-foot AMVER commercial fishing vessel Lomalo, registered in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, who will rendezvous with the 222-foot Papua New Guinea-flagged commercial fishing vessel Pacific Journey No.1. 

Their crew will take the survivors aboard and bring them to their next port of call several days from now.

Ignacio has grown to a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of up to 140 mph. Forecasters at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said conditions are right for it to continue strengthening Saturday, but upper-level winds will weaken the storm in the following days.

This is the sixth tropical cyclone in the Central North Pacific basin for the 2015 season.

If this depression attains tropical storm intensity, it will be named Kilo.

The center of tropical depression Three-C was located about 685 miles south-southeast of Hilo and 875 miles southeast of Honolulu.

The depression is moving toward the west near 16 mph. A west to west-northwest motion is expected over the next two days.