French Forces Launch 'Major Operation' To Open Route To Noumea

French Forces Launch 'Major Operation' To Open Route To Noumea

Mon, May 20 - Noumea - Major operation by law enforcement to clear the access roads to the city. A massive deployment of police, emergency services, and machinery to remove wreckage and debris. Seen here at the Ducos/Rivière Salee interchange.In the distance, the access to Rivière Salee is still blocked by the rioters. Officials said more than 600 heavily armed gendarmes were dispatched to secure Route Territoriale 1, the main artery connecting the restive capital with air links to the outside world. Furthermore, plans for the Olympic torch relay to pass through the French territory were cancelled on Saturday. The flame had been scheduled to arrive on June 11 but French Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera said that "priority must be given to a return to calm" in the territory. Six people have been killed and hundreds injured since rioting began on Monday, according to local authorities. The violence has been fuelled by economic malaise, ethnic tensions and long-standing opposition to French rule on the Pacif

Japan, China, S. Korea, Russia discuss marine litter in NW Pacif

Japan, China, S. Korea, Russia discuss marine litter in NW Pacif

TOYAMA, Japan - UNEP Regional Seas Program Coordinator Ellik Adler delivers a keynote speech as government officials and environment experts from Japan, China, South Korea and Russia open a two-day meeting in the city of Toyama on the Japan Sea on Nov. 14 to discuss littering in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The First International Workshop on Marine Litter in the Northwest Pacific Region is hosted by the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center under Japan's Environment Ministry. (Kyodo)

Japan, China, S. Korea, Russia discuss marine litter in NW Pacif

Japan, China, S. Korea, Russia discuss marine litter in NW Pacif

TOYAMA, Japan - UNEP Regional Seas Program Coordinator Ellik Adler delivers a keynote speech as government officials and environment experts from Japan, China, South Korea and Russia open a two-day meeting in the city of Toyama on the Japan Sea on Nov. 14 to discuss littering in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The First International Workshop on Marine Litter in the Northwest Pacific Region is hosted by the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center under Japan's Environment Ministry. (Kyodo)