New Caledonia

Last week, the French navy intercepted two blue boats off Belep and found that they had beche-de-mer on board.

Now television reports say shark fins, which are reportedly worth about $US 700 a kilogramme, have also been found on the vessels.

Shark finning is prohibited in New Caledonia.

The French High Commission says the boats and their 30 crew are being towed to Noumea.

Earlier this year there were multiple arrests in New Caledonia where French naval surveillance spotted dozens of boats in operation.

According to Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, the boats, which are believed to be from Vietnam, were caught near the island of Belep on Thursday morning, with beche-de-mer on board.

The French High Commission has told the news site that the boats and their 30 crew are being towed to Noumea.

Earlier this year there were multiple arrests in New Caledonia where French naval surveillance spotted dozens of boats in operation.

Several Vietnamese captains caught in New Caledonia are serving jail sentences while a large number of sailors have been deported.

It was centred about 68 kilometres northeast of Tadine in what are known as the Loyalty Islands.

It was 25 kilometres deep.

The Pacific Tsunami Centre said hazardous waves were possible within 300km of the area.

It's not yet known how strongly the quake was felt in New Caledonian and surrounding islands or whether there has been any damage.

There has been a cluster of quakes in the area between magitude 6.4 and 7 in the past 24 hours.

The four men from Latvia and Lithuania were intercepted by the French navy off Tonga in July.

The skipper was jailed for seven years and the three others for six years.

The defence asked for their acquittal.

They said they didn't know about the drugs, claiming they were paid just over $US2,000 a month for sailing the yacht for refurbishment in Australia.

According to the Nouvelles Caledoniennes, one of the convicts is an 18 year-old who was encouraged by his father to take the job in order to be able to go abroad for the first time.

The four men from Latvia and Lithuania were on a yacht off Tonga they intercepted by the French navy in July.

The prosecution has asked for the captain to be jailed for ten years and the other three for eight years.

The drug consignment was burnt under tight security in the furnace of the SLN nickel smelter in Noumea.

It is believed the drugs, worth more than $US100 million, were destined for the Australian market.

The organisation's general assembly announced the French territory's admission in Paris in the presence of New Caledonia's caretaker president Philippe Germain.

The French overseas minister Annick Girardin said it allowed New Caledonia to deepen its work in the region, nine years after its marine areas became a world heritage site.

New Caledonia was made an associate member only because it is not in control of its foreign affairs.

As an associate member, New Caledonia has no voting rights.

In a year, the territory is due for an independence referendum.

The epicentre was about 118 kilometres east of the town of Tadine in the Loyalty Islands.

The quake, was at a shallow depth of 15 kilometres, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, which says a tsunami is not expected.

Photo: PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER There was no tsunami threat, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. 

Sonia Backes of the Caledonian Republicans suggested that the rival anti-independence groups in Congress choose another presidential candidate than Philippe Germain, given his repeated rejection.

Mr Germain has failed twice in two months to secure a majority among the 11 ministers making up the government when they met to elect a president.

Ms Backes said a more conciliatory person needs to be presented as a candidate, suggesting another minister Bernard Deladriere.

She said furthermore there have to be changes to the government's economic policies.

Making their debut appearance at a FIFA tournament, the French territory made a horror start when defender Bernard Iwa turned the ball into his own net in the fifth minute.

Further goals followed as France opened up a sizeable 6-0 lead at half-time, including a second own-goal just minutes before the interval.

The Oceania runners-up avoided further calamity eight minutes into the second spell when keeper Une Kecine saved a penalty, after substitute Raoul Wenisso had clumsily brought down Willem Geubbels in the box.

The designation means that selected Chinese tour operators can organise group travel while having a control mechanism to guarantee safe and reliable tourism services for their Chinese customers.

The measure was announced by China's ambassador to France Zhai Jun during a visit to Noumea where he met the caretaker vice president Jean-Louis d'Anglebermes.

Several Pacific Islands countries have been added to the list in the past decade, including Papua New Guinea.

Photo: RNZ Pacific New Caledonia