New Caledonia

In the women’s lightweight category, New Caledonia's Jaycee Brival took gold, her team mate Rosa Delots silver, and the two bronze went to NCL’s Cloe Omo-Perraut and Fiji’s Veniana Ravesi.

For the women’s heavyweight open, there was a surprise victory in gold for Shanice Takayawa of Fiji. Poerava Temakeu of Tahiti settled for silver and the bronze was shared by Tahiti’s Rauhiti Vernaudon and Teraimatuatini Bopp.

The French Territory has won 42 gold medals after the first six days of competition and more than 50 silver and bronze, with host nation Samoa the nearest challenger with 26 gold medals while Tahiti have 21.

Another six first place finishes on the final night of swimming action brought New Caledonia's total haul in the pool to 25 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals.

Swimming Team Manager Cyril Huet said it's an even bigger haul than they managed in Port Moresby four years ago.

Charlotte Robin defended her title after winning the Open Water Swimming competition today.  
New Caledonia took the silver medal after Miana Flament came in second.
Fiji’s Matelita Buadromo settled for a bronze, which is Fiji’s first medal at the Games.

Today is the first day of competition following a spectacular opening ceremony in Apia, Sunday evening.

Ning Shisheng, who has lived in Australia since 2010, was arrested on an Interpol warrant in April when the cruise he was on stopped on the Isle of Pines.

Judicial authorities in Noumea, who examined Beijing's extradition request, are in favour of complying with it.

However, the lawyer acting for the 64-year-old suspect says China's prison system doesn't comply with France's international obligations.

The lawyer noted that New Zealand recently rejected a Chinese extradition request, citing human rights risks.

Mr Ning says he is no fraud.

Politics in New Caledonia continue to be defined as an overarching contest between those for and those against independence and not as a battle between the left and right.

While previous elections always resulted in a Congress, and then a government, dominated by the pro-French camp, this year may see the balance tilt.

For this to happen, the anti-independence camp would have to lose three or more seats in the 54-strong Congress.

The anti-independence side fears this could happen, the pro-independence side hopes it will.

Two of them have been charged, with one of them admitting to setting two fires to the conveyor belt which feeds ore to the coast for shipping to the SLN smelter in Noumea

The third suspect has been transferred to prison after he had been given a jail term of 18 months in June.

The arrests came only days after 15 trucks were destroyed in Kouaoua.

Earlier police had removed a blockade of the mining site which has been the scene of protracted disputes this year with a group opposed to expanded mining.

More than 174,000 voters were eligible to vote in the first such referendum in more than 30 years.

The result has defied predictions as the anti-independence camp hoped for an overwhelming victory to bury the Kanaks' aspirations for a new country once and for all.

The pro-independence side has taken heart from making inroads in the mainly European Noumea area and is determined to invoke the Noumea Accord which allows for another referendum in two years.

Interest has been unprecedented, with turnout at 80 percent and in some electorates soaring to 95 percent.

According to the public broadcaster, the three squads will be deployed in Kone, Poindimie and Tontouta, which is near Noumea's international airport.

They have just three weeks to familiarise themselves with the new environment to be ready for November 4th.

The one-day referendum will determine whether New Caledonia will assume full sovereignty.

He was tried behind closed doors and convicted on a charge of theft with violence causing death.

The now 18-year-old was identified as the main person who triggered the woman's fall along the road south of Noumea.

The victim was a 31-year-old nurse going home after a nightshift.

The group of four teenagers was found to have wanted to steal her motorbike but fled when other people came near the scene.

The accident in March last year initially triggered an intense debate on social media over whether her fall was the result of foul play.

Reports say the man travelled almost 300 kilometres from Koumac to Boulouparis where he tried to get his bags from deep within the bus.

Unaware of him, the driver shut the hold remotely and continued the journey towards Noumea.

The man's daughter said he called her using his mobile phone, upon which she unsuccessfully tried to call the driver.

She then contacted the police who intercepted the bus and freed the man after he had travelled 30 kilometres locked up.