Tahiti

New Zealand boss Danny Hay made several changes to the side that faced New Caledonia last time out, with just Matt Garbett and Callum McCowatt remaining from the 11 who started the 7-1 win. Meanwhile, Samuel Garcia made just the one change to the Tahiti team that lost 3-1 to the Solomon Islands, Mauri Heitaa coming in at left-back.

The plan from the All Whites was obvious from the start, looking to retain possession and stretch the game with their wing-backs Cacace and Niko Kirwan.

Thomas Pison said such high use of the illegal drug is not only a crime issue but has become a public health problem.

After initially being used by the elite, methamphetamine has spread to all levels of society, including to schools.

Figures for last year show crime has dropped due to prolonged periods with curfews but that the number of methamphetamine consumers reportedly remained unchanged.

Mr Pison says the drug is highly addictive and cuts people off from society.

The drug is smuggled in from the United States and sells for up to $US8,000 a gram.

Tahiti and Vanuatu were bidding to stage the 18th edition of the continental event.

The PGC’s 22 members voted in favour of Tahiti’s candidacy.

French Polynesia President Edouard Fritch and Heremoana Maamaatuaiahutapu, Minister of Culture and the Environment, in charge of youth and sports, gave speeches as part of the Tahiti presentation.

Louis Provost, President of the Olympic Committee of French Polynesia (COPF) also spoke during the General Assembly.

Lawmakers last month passed legislation making vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory for anyone dealing with the public and individuals deemed to be vulnerable.

They have been given two months to be inoculated or risk a fine of $US1,700 and a suspension of their work contracts.

Legal challenges are being mounted in both French Polynesia and in France's highest court to quash the law adopted in Tahiti.

The new law will come into force on 23 October.

The deputy public prosecutor said they found almost 9kg of the banned drug concealed in baggage of passengers arriving in Tahiti from Los Angeles last week.

The drugs were reportedly hidden in an overhead projector and in chocolate boxes.

Four people were arrested at Faa'a International Airport while a fifth person surrendered to investigators a day later.

The prosecutor says some of them claimed they didn't know about the drugs in their luggage.

Almost 300 COVID-19 patients are in the main hospital in Papeete, with many others being cared for at home because there are no beds left.

Although France and New Caledonia sent some personnel, the hospital says it needs reinforcements as infection rates remain high.

In a post, the hospital reminded Mr Macron of his visit to the hospital in last month when he said they were all part of France and they would all be protected.

Figures released by the health ministry show 340 COVID-19 patients are in hospital, 55 of them in intensive care.

However, for a second consecutive day the government has withheld test results.

Daily new case numbers were lately more than 1,000 and on last officials count, the tally of the pandemic had breached the 40,000-mark.

So far the pandemic has claimed 370 lives and according to a local epidemiologist, 14 percent of them had been fully vaccinated.

Hospitals are at capacity and additional medical personnel are being brought in from France.

Christelle Lehartel said the Diademe High School will close after classes today and remain shut until the All Saints holidays.

External students who are boarding will be allowed to stay.

38 students, who have Covid-19 symptoms, are awaiting tests.

As of yesterday there were more than 1300 active Covid-19 cases in French Polynesia, with more than 200 new infections being recorded every day.

The latest figures showed 10 people were in hospital, including two in intensive care.

The new outbreak has affected seven times more people than the first Covid-19 wave from March to June.

Covid-19 began to spread again after the government last month opened the border to boost tourism and abolished quarantine requirements for arriving travellers.

According to the government, about a dozen cases concerned tourists while the vast majority was the result of local transmission.

Media reports said they were suspected of importing two kilogrammes of the banned drug in November.

Their arrest is linked to an investigation triggered by last September's arrest of a 44-year-old man, who on arrival at Tahiti's international airport was found to have 5.5 kilogrammes of methamphetamine in his luggage.

The drugs were concealed inside boxing gear.

The four detained Tuesday can be held for up to four days without charges being laid.