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Classrooms at Louise-de-Greslan College in Noumea were damaged.
photo: Lihua
Curfew and tight security to be maintained for French second round election
The curfew imposed in New Caledonia in response to the riots that broke out on May 13 has been extended again until July 15, French High Commissioner to Noumea Louis Le Franc said on Friday.
The curfew (8pm to 6am) also means the possession, transportation and sale of firearms, ammunition and alcohol are prohibited.
LeFranc told a news conference that while the situation on the ground had “improved slightly,” there had been more damage to public and private property over the past week, much of it caused by arson.
These include schools and private company sites as well as some vocational training institutions.
Lefranc condemned these actions, “particularly the destruction of vital training opportunities for New Caledonian youth.”
Special rules also apply this weekend, when New Caledonians will take part in the second round of early elections for the French National Assembly.
The French official said that, as last weekend, all public gatherings are banned from Saturday, July 6, until 8 p.m. on Monday, July 8.
He also announced that 3,500 police officers and gendarmes would be deployed on election day (Sunday, July 7) to “ensure smooth voting operations throughout the region.”
Riots cause damage to the industrial area of Noumea-Dukos – Photo LNC
photo: Lihua
The cost of the civil unrest is currently set at €2.2 billion
The cost of severe civil unrest in New Caledonia since mid-May has been revised to 2.2 billion euros.
The insurgency-like incidents included looting, arson and roadblocks around France’s Pacific territory, with a focus on major economic centers in the capital, Noumea, and its suburbs.
In total, around 700 companies have been destroyed, mostly by arson and looting, the New Caledonian Industrial Federation (FINC) said in an update Thursday from local economic stakeholders.
FINC said nearly 20 schools of all levels and types were also destroyed.
Business people say that while France has deployed some funds to assist workers who have lost their jobs due to the unrest, the emergency aid it has provided so far is not enough.
“With New Caledonia’s economy now at a standstill and in a life-or-death situation, (French) Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has not proposed the right remedies,” they wrote in an open letter signed by about 40 stakeholders.
They demanded that the French government “unconditionally” cover the companies’ fixed costs, such as electricity, “otherwise New Caledonia’s economy will collapse.”
Roger Boulay and his paintings of his Kanak heritage,
photo: supply
Renowned Kanak cultural heritage ethnologist dies at 80
Ethnologist Roger Boulay, recognized worldwide as a leading figure in the history of Karnak art, has died in France at the age of 80.
Blais is known for his ongoing exploration of the historical remains of the Kanak culture that has spread around the world over the past two hundred years.
His passion began in the late 1980s, when he met the pro-independence figure Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who told him about his plans to launch what he called a project to inventory Kanak objects in French and European museums.
After more than fifty years of research, it has been determined that there are approximately 17,000 Kanak artifacts in approximately 110 museums around the world.
Boulay has also designed several world-class exhibitions dedicated to Pacific and Kanak culture
He also played an important role in the creation of the Tjibaou Cultural Center in Noumea, which posted on social networks this week: “May the Spirit bless you, Roger.”
About 2,000 people marched in Papeete to mark the 66th anniversary of the first nuclear test.
photo: TV Network
Tahiti commemorates first nuclear test
Last week, Tahiti commemorated the 66th anniversary of the first nuclear test in French Polynesia.
On July 2, 1966, about 2,000 people took part in a peace march on Moruroa Atoll to commemorate the test, then known as Aldebaran.
Nuclear Veterans Association 193, Moruroa e Tato’u (Mouroa and Us) and the Maohi Protestant Church said they were marching to “awaken” awareness and “educate” the younger generation.
“This is about the identity and life of the Mauhi people because these bombs have brought us nuclear disease,” Tewailai Puelao, the newly elected president of Mururoa Tatu’u, told local media.
Between 1966 and 1996, some 193 nuclear tests were conducted on the Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia, first in the atmosphere and then underground.
Commodore Guillaume Pinget will take command of France’s Pacific naval forces next month.
photo: National Navy
New Commander of the French Polynesian Armed Forces
A new commander of the French Polynesian armed forces has been appointed and will take up his post in early August.
The new “commander” is Captain Guillaume Pinget (recently promoted to brigadier general), who will take over on August 7 from Brigadier General Geoffroy d’Andigné, who has held the position since 2022.
Captain Pingette, 51, was previously commander of the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier (2019).
The Commander of the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia is based in Papeete and is in fact also responsible for commanding the entire French Pacific naval presence.
Drones can also be used to combat fire ants.
photo: Polynesian One
Drones fight mosquito-borne diseases
Currently, an experimental study is underway in New Caledonia and French Polynesia to use drones to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever.
The aim of the experiment is to use multifunctional drone technology (with cameras) to locate any potential larval breeding sites (which are the main factor for mosquito reproduction) and directly intervene and eliminate such breeding sites in remote areas.
“These drones actually allow us to really target those breeding sites that are hard to spot,” said Anna Bella Faillos of the Pasteur Institute.
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