Cyclone Hale is now hitting Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island and is also forecast to reach Marlborough and the North Canterbury coastline, from tomorrow morning. Northland is being battered by heavy rain, as Cyclone Hale approaches New Zealand. A fallen tree has closed a section of State Highway in Dome Valley, while severe surface flooding has closed Kokupu Road in Whangārei. Police were advising motorists to stay clear of the area until further notice. Police also advised motorists to avoid travelling in Northland unless it was urgent due to the continued heavy rain. A heavy rain warning remains in place for the region till 7pm today. The council said large slips have closed the 309 Road near the waterworks and Colville Road near Amodeo Bay. It was hoping to reopen Port Charles Wharf Road, which has been blocked by fallen trees since last week. The council has also received reports of flooding, tree fall, and slips along various sections of State Highway 25. Thames Valley's Civil Defence controller Garry Towler said the weather in the Coromandel region has deteriorated, with widespread flooding, power and cellphone outages. MetService is now forecasting heavy rain from Cape Campbell to Kaikoura and the Seaward Kaikoura Range from 5am tomorrow. More than 100 homes in Coromandel are without power as Civil Defence staff and contractors this morning assess the initial damage wrought in the region by severe weather. "We had quite a lot of impact last night," Towler told Morning Report. The eastern seaboard has been most affected, he said, and it was highly likely the entire eastern seaboard would close after high tide, he said. "We've got widespread flooding, we've got a number of slips all the way from Hikuai all the way up to Whitianga. Widespread phone and power outages as well. "The impact is quite dramatic in terms of what is still to come but also we've got to keep this in context because we had over 400mm of rain last week and there's just no capacity to absorb some of this stuff." In Whitianga 136 properties in the town of Whenuakite have been without electricity since 2am today. The network company is investigating the cause of the outage. At 11am police advised residents to stay indoors and away from the coast as high tide was due at 11.15am. Several roads in Thames-Coromandel district have been closed because of the storm. As well as Coromandel, wide impact is also expected in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay as the weather front that was originally known as Cyclone Hale fans out across the island. MetService issued severe weather warnings for Gisborne, Coromandel, Northland up to the Bay of Islands, Auckland including Great Barrier Island, and Hawke's Bay. It forecast heavy rain, gale-force winds and storm surges. The rain is predicted to peak in most areas this afternoon. It has also now added a heavy rain warning for Marlborough and the Canterbury coast from Cape Campbell to Kaikōura. There are flooding and slips on Aotea Great Barrier Island. Aotea Great Barrier Local Board chairperson Izzy Fordham said there are a few slips being dealt with by contractors, but campgrounds on the island had already cleared out after last week's storm. The local emergency management team is on call and Fordham said residents are hunkered down, waiting for the storm to pass. In Tairāwhiti, between 200 and 250 millimetres of rain is expected through to 2am tomorrow, along with four to six metre swells. Unpaved roads are closed, campers near the coast have headed home, and Tairāwhiti Civil Defence is asking people to check on their neighbours. Gisborne District Council is urging extreme caution on the region's roads after several people were rescued when their vehicle became stuck in a flooded stream. The council posted on social media that police and the fire service were called to help those trapped in the vehicle after severe weather hit last night. Cyclone Hale is predicted to continue to lash Tairāwhiti and other areas of the North Island today. Gisborne businesses are waiting to hear if unsealed roads will be reopened to trucks today. Tairāwhiti Civil Defence announced the 24-hour closure, which kicked in at 8pm yesterday, because of Cyclone Hale. Forestry company Ernslaw One has backed the decision. Regional manager Bill Wheeler said workers were meant to return from holiday yesterday, but that has now been delayed until Thursday. Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management controller Ian Macdonald said his region was expecting heavy rains and strong winds from tonight. Emergency services were co-ordinating preparations and residents should stay home during the worst of the weather, he said. Source: Radio New Zealand

Gibson Seseru was an energetic teenager with ambitions of becoming a politician or business leader when he first noticed numbness in his legs. As the months progressed, he found it increasingly hard to walk, eventually requiring a wheelchair for mobility. Gibson found attending school difficult, eventually resulting in the heartbreaking decision to leave. Gibson recognised the lack of representation of people with disabilities at all levels of government. He decided to organise community outreach programs, advocated for improved support and utilised data collected from a PNG-Australia Partnership-supported survey to form the Bulolo Disability Association (BDA) - an organisation that serves as a voice for change. Gibson says that through the formation of the association, people with disabilities have developed a voice and are more aware of their rights to access government services including law and justice services. Bringing people with disabilities together to form an association was not easy. People have different disabilities and varying needs that all need to be addressed to ensure participation. The most significant challenge is people’s mindsets, negative attitudes, and the assumptions many make about people with disabilities. “Most people think we want money,” Gibson says. “The public’s view is shallow, so I clarify that this [association] is a voice and vehicle for change and not for charity.” “We advocate for equal treatment of all persons with disability. They are part of the community.” With support from Australia through the PNG-Australia Partnership, BDA assisted the Morobe Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee last year to organise training for people with disabilities on leadership and financial literacy, including a separate workshop designed to equip people with disabilities, their families and carers with the skills and knowledge needed to enrich their lives. There is much to do. Unemployment and illiteracy among people with disabilities is high. “I want to see change and persons with disabilities empowered through the association’s activities and projects we carry out,” he says. Gibson backs the National Government’s vision of ensuring that no one is left behind and says the BDA is keen to seize this opportunity to enable people with disabilities to contribute to the development of their communities, the district, and the province.

China has taken down more than 1,000 social media accounts - some with millions of followers - that criticised the government's Covid policies. Social media platform Weibo said it had suspended or banned accounts for what it described as personal attacks against Chinese Covid specialists. Weibo did not specify which posts had prompted the action. China scrapped its strict zero-Covid policy in December and has seen a rapid surge of infections and deaths. Online criticism has until recently largely focused on the strict enforcement of Covid regulations, including lockdowns that required people to stay at home in isolation for weeks. But recent posts have taken aim at experts who have defended the sudden decision to drop restrictions, despite supporting them just weeks ago. Weibo said it had spotted almost 13,000 violations, including attacks on experts, scholars and medical workers. Temporary or permanent bans have been handed to 1,120 accounts. "It is not acceptable to hurl insults at people who hold a different point of view, or publish personal attacks and views that incite conflicts," Weibo said in a statement. Any kind of move that is destructive to the [Weibo] community would be handled in a serious manner." Since China abandoned key parts of zero-Covid following historic protests against the policy, there have been reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed. But China has stopped publishing daily cases data and has announced only 22 Covid deaths since December, using its own strict criteria. On Saturday, China marked the first day of the 40-day period of Lunar New Year, known as the world's largest annual migration of people. The Ministry of Transport said it expects more than two billion passengers to travel over the next 40 days, an increase of 99.5% year-on-year and reaching 70% of trip numbers in 2019. This has led to widespread concerns that the festival may see another wave of infections, especially in rural areas that are less well-equipped with ICU beds and ventilators. From Sunday, China will drop a requirement for travelers coming from abroad to quarantine, meaning many Chinese will be able to travel abroad for the first time in almost three years.   Source: BBC

China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. Incoming travelers will no longer need to quarantine - marking a significant change in the country's Covid policy as it battles a surge in cases. They will still require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of travelling. The move has been welcomed by many eager to reunite with family. In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen. On Sunday, double-decker coaches packed with travelers arrived at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to catch buses to the Guangdong province - among them were college students returning home. One man told the BBC he hadn't seen his extended family in three years and could not hold back his excitement, having just bought a ticket back to China. A woman told news agency Reuters she had not seen her parents in years - despite one of them suffering from colon cancer - and said she was "so, so happy". The country's reopening comes at the start of "Chunyun", the first period of Lunar New Year travel. Before the pandemic, it was the largest annual worldwide migration of people returning home to spend time with family. Two billion trips are expected to be made this Lunar New Year, double the number that travelled last year. Li Hua, who travelled from the UK to China - where her family lives - for the festival said it had been "too long" since she had returned, "I'm so happy to be back, and breathe Chinese air. So happy, so happy". Mark Clayton returned home to Zhuhai, in Guandong, with his wife and baby after visiting Hong Kong. He told the BBC his trip home had been "nearly as smooth as it used to be pre-Covid". "We didn't even show them the PCR, we simply scanned a code and put in a very quick customs declaration... And then straight through," he said. But there is concern from some that opening the borders will result in more transmission of Covid-19. Some local bus drivers told the BBC they are worried they might get the virus from incoming travelers, and want their companies to provide them with more protection. Over the past three years, China had one of the world's strictest Covid health policies that saw numerous lockdowns, frequent testing requirements and had a significant impact on the nation's economy. The government recently walked back that policy after mass protests across the country, triggered by a fire in a high-rise block in the Xinjiang region that killed 10 people. Many Chinese believed the long-running Covid restrictions contributed to the deaths, but authorities denied this. Since China abandoned the key elements of its Covid zero policy there have been reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed, but the country has stopped publishing its case numbers and reported only two deaths on Saturday. On the same day, the Chinese government banned over 1,000 social media accounts critical of its handling of the virus. The anticipated surge in cases and travel out of China has prompted many countries - including the UK - to impose requirements for a negative COVID-19 test on people arriving from China, drawing the ire of the Chinese government.     Source: BBC

The East New Britain provincial administration has received K43, 875 as their 2022 dividend payment today from Gazelle International Hotel (GI). The cheque was presented to Governor Michael Marum and East New Britain acting provincial administrator Levi Mano by the Hotel Manager Luis Gomes and chairman of the hotel Professor David Kavanamur. The dividend following an 8.75 share own by the provincial government and the hotel management has been paying dividend since 2014 which is a total of K15 million has been paid over the period of years to all the shareholders. According to Mr Mano he thanked GI hotel for their dedication and commitment in paying the dividend to the provincial government stating that business environment is not so good but this payment has come from the hard work and effort of the chairman of the hotel and team. He said it is important that the people of the province know this as people need to know that some business operations in the province are actually giving back to the people and to the province. “We appreciate all your support since 2014 it is hard to come up with such amount but we are thankful and we can always work together in the future,” he said. Governor Marum also extended his appreciation to the hotel management and look forward to assist in upgrading the hotel. He said these funds will go a long way in assisting the people of the province. Hotel General Manager Luis Gomes said GI is a proud recipient of the provincial government and has been performing well over the years. He said of the K15 million shared between all shareholders K1.3 million of those is for the provincial government. He said GI has been paying constant dividend since 2014 and although the dividend is paid to the provincial government the linkages through the local economy is much more than the dividend itself because it provides the link to the local economy where service providers provide service to the hotel. Mr Gomes said GI is one of the best investment for the provincial government and the purpose is to contribute to the economy development of the province. He further stated that they are looking forward to province infrastructures development and the growing business in the hotel upgrade and keeping and raising the standard of tourism and hospitality in the province.

Vanuatu residents have been left rattled following Sunday night's magnitude-7 earthquake. Five aftershocks followed the first long and strong jolt that struck 23 kilometres west-north-west of Port Olry at a depth of about 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. Tsunami alerts had been issued but were lifted soon after. Property owner in Sanma Province, Lily Lui said she could barely stand when she was trying to escape. "It was 11:40 and I was fast asleep. I just fell from my room," she said. "It's like somebody digging out the house and trying to move the house from where it is placed so I was like, what's going on? "When I woke up, I found everything lying down on the floor and I was rushing down the stairs trying to find a way to get out. "Everybody was scared and ran out of the house because we are close to the sea and everybody was looking at the sea," Lui said. It was a similar story for tourism operator, Oka Vocor Harris, who said his children all ran to him scared and cuddled him. He then ran out to check on his customers in his bungalows. "When the earthquake comes over, they all get around me holding me tight, it sounds like a big machine moving, heavy machine, bulldozer, it sounds like the earth is trembling," Harris said. Both of the residents did not report any serious damage, Lui said she does have cracks in her house but nothing major. Santo Hardware general manager Leighton Shearer and his family also felt the earthquake. They are from New Zealand where they experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Kaikoura in New Zealand's South Island. "It was certainly a big shake. You could hear it coming and that woke my wife. "We managed to get under a door frame before it hit but our 13-year-old son slept through it. "He also slept through the Kaikoura quake in 2016…it's his superpower…lol.. "We had no damage at our house apart from an extractor fan/light falling out of the ceiling of a bathroom. The pool lost a fair bit of water and a few pictures moved. There were quite a few aftershocks, reminiscent of the Kaikoura quake," Leighton Shearer said. Source: Radio New Zealand

Men can have an important role to play in ending violence, particularly Family and Sexual Violence and Sorcery accusation related violence. However, this requires respect for human rights for both men and women and challenge to the gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice. After witnessing an increase in the rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in his community, Alphonse Pemuko took it upon himself to educate and counsel the mostly male perpetrators. Pemuko credits the training he received through the PNG-Australia Partnership, including an intensive Learning to Lead course, that empowered him to develop skills and ways to tackle FSV and other human rights abuses and achieve his goals. In 2014, Pemuko supported the establishment of the Arawa Men’s Hub - an organisation that works with men and boys to change attitudes towards women and girls by discouraging violence and building awareness of FSV and the laws surrounding it, including the Family Protection Act. The hub also provides a safe refuge for men from South and Central Bougainville fleeing sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV). Pemuko notes awareness and understanding of the law as key issues. Often, perpetrators who are served interim protection orders (IPOs) and protection orders (POs) by a court to prevent further violence do not understand their purpose. “They come to us and we explain to them what the orders mean and why they were served.” The Hub provides a space for men and boys to talk about issues around gender, SARV, and FSV and undertake counselling. since its inception, it has served more than 1000 people. The facility is also part of the Bougainville-wide network of services for FSV survivors operated by the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, providing safe refuge and referral service. “When survivors come to us, we have this referral pathway where we refer them to different service providers like the police, Family Sexual Violence Unit, the Family Support Centre, the courts and safe houses,” Pemuko says. Under his leadership the Hub has developed targeted training and activities that promote respect for human rights for both men and women and change attitudes and gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice.

Shocking news out of New Ireland!! An elderly man was speared to death by one of his tribesman after he attempted to murder a lady with a bush knife a week ago, this is according to outgoing New Ireland Provincial Police Commander Felix Nebanat. According to Nebanat, the incident occurred in Lamusmus Village along the West Coast of New Ireland Province where the deceased had an ongoing argument with a lady from the same village, to which he had intended to hurt on several occasions but failed to do so. The situation became more tense and escalated when the man had begun to chase the villagers with his bush knife until he was speared down by one of the villagers. “The deceased was a troublemaker who was always on the run and for a long time could not be apprehended by police until reports came in that he was speared down by one of the locals after he had been chasing them with his bush knife.” The deceased suffered a mortal injury from his thigh right up to his private part as a result of the spearing and was confirmed dead at the Kavieng General Hospital. All identities are confidential at the moment as stated by PPC Nebanat. “The villager who was responsible for the spearing of the deceased along with twelve other suspects surrounding the incident surrendered to community leaders later on and were taken into custody by police.” The Correctional Institute Service officers are now working on their files to decide whether they will stand trial or face the full force of the law. Despite this incident, Mr Nebanat stated that nothing serious other than that has occurred and the festive period was very quiet within the province unlike previous years. “Everything is back to normal now and I would like to commend fellow New Irelanders for celebrating the festive season by being mindful and taking ownership of the law”, said the PPC. Nebanat concluded in saying there will be a handover takeover ceremony later this month to bring in the new PPC for New Ireland Albert Beli, who is already in the province and will be serving the people of New Ireland in 2023 till his next posting.

Prime Minister James Marape left for Singapore yesterday Saturday, January 7, 2023 to meet with Puma Energy executives on the ongoing saga with Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) which continues to threaten the country with energy insecurities. He was accompanied by Minister for Petroleum and Energy Kerenga Kua and the State Solicitor to discuss this issue which resulted in all Air Niugini flights being cancelled on Thursday last week. Puma Energy is a Swiss multinational mid- and downstream oil company, majority-owned by Singapore-based Swiss company Trafigura. Its operations span around 40 countries across five continents and encompass the supply, storage, refining, distribution, and retail of a range of petroleum products. Minister for Inter-Government Relations. Soroi Eoi, will be acting Prime Minister for the next two days as Deputy Prime Minister  John Rosso is also out of the country. “I am going to Singapore with Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Kerenga Kua, to meet Puma executives about this ongoing saga between BPNG and Puma,” PM Marape said before leaving for Singapore. “ This is so that we do not have energy or fuel insecurity issues going forward into the future. “We cannot be held to ransom like this – which recurs every time there is an issue with foreign exchange. I know Central Bank has some regulatory issues with Puma and we want to hear from Puma leadership on why compliance to Central Bank directions are not possible and for us to find a permanent solution. “I am also bringing our State Lawyers and we will be informing Puma that we are looking at other options, apart from fixing the relationship between them and BPNG, and finding permanent solutions so our country is not energy-insecure. “I will also indicate to Puma that we are reviewing the NapaNapa Refinery Agreement – which gives them a monopoly of fuel supply to Papua New Guinea - and to check if they are in full compliance to all requirements that secured them this present monopoly.” PM Marape also said the Government was now seriously looking at downstream processing of PNG’s oil and gas resources. “I have signaled our major oil and gas harvesters like Santos , Total Energies and ExxonMobil that the State, through Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd and Mineral Resources Development Company, wants to move into the downstream processing of our own petroleum products with their partnership and we are looking at the cost of setting up a refinery.”

A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say. The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said. It is unclear how the child obtained the gun, but Mr Drew said the incident was not "an accidental shooting". The teacher - who has not been named and is said to be in her 30s - was left with life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a local hospital and is being closely monitored by doctors. The incident took place in a first grade (ages six to seven) classroom after an altercation between the pair. But Mr Drew emphasised that the shooting had been an isolated incident and stressed that officers "did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting". Officials said that while the school - which has around 550 students - had metal detection facilities, students were checked at random and not every child was inspected. Police declined to name the weapon used in the incident, but said the boy had used a handgun. School District Head Dr George Parker said officials would "be looking at any instance that may have occurred that may have caused this incident". "This is terrible, something like this should never occur," Dr Parker added. "We want to ensure nothing like this happens again." He said the school would be closed on Monday, and pledged that students and parents would be offered support to help them deal with the traumatic event. Mayor Phillip Jones - who took office just three days ago - said the shooting marked "a dark day for Newport News". "We're going to learn from this and we're going to come back stronger," he told reporters. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he had offered assistance to local officials, adding that his administration was "ready to help in any way we can". "I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community," he wrote on Twitter. Newport News is a city of around 180,000 people and sits about 70 miles (112km) to the south of the state capital Richmond.     Source: BBC

A new coach and a host of big-name recruits signal the start of a new era for the Wests Tigers in 2023, coming after a horror past season which ended in them collecting the wooden spoon. Believing the answer to the future sits with figures from the past, the Wests Tigers have brought back their premiership-winning coach from 2005, Tim Sheens, with club legends Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah as his assistants. The signing of six new players, five of whom have played in NRL Grand Finals previously, is a good start as they seek to bounce back from last year's 20-loss disaster. Predicted Round 1 team Daine Laurie David Nofoaluma Tommy Talau Brent Naden Ken Maumalo Adam Doueihi Luke Brooks Stefano Utoikamanu Api Koroisau David Klemmer Isaiah Papali’i John Bateman Joe Ofahengaue Jake Simpkin Alex Twal Fonua Pole Shawn Blore Other: Alex Seyfarth, Apisalome Saukuru, Asu Kepaoa, Brandon Tumeth, Charlie Staines, Christian Ma’anaima (development), Justin Matamua, Josh Feledy (development), Junior Tupou, Kitione Kautoga (development), Rua Ngatikaura, Sione Fainu, Star To'a, Triston Reilly, Tukimihia Simpkins, Will Smith. Squad watch Squad spots filled: 30/30 The club is loaded with talent in the forwards for 2023, with Stefano Utoikamanu - tipped by many as a future representative player - the only member of their likely starting pack who hasn't played either Origin or Test football for a tier one nation. Aside from the new faces they have signed, the club will regain the services of forward Shawn Blore and versatile back Tommy Talau, who both failed to play a single minute of football last season due to serious injuries. They have good depth in the backline, with Charlie Staines - who was a scorer in last year's Grand Final win for Penrith - and talented Kiwi Starford To'a likely to start the year outside the top 17, while in the pack it looks unlikely that 2022 NRL regular Alex Seyfarth or highly touted youngster Justin Matamua will be in the team for round one. Despite losing a glut of talent to rival NRL clubs, including seven players who were regulars in their side last year, it's hard to argue that the Wests Tigers haven't improved their squad significantly for 2023. Health watch A tough run with injuries, which started in the pre-season with the loss of Blore and Talau for the year, really hurt the Wests Tigers in 2022, and they'll be relying on better fortune this coming season. Talau and Blore are both on track to start the year, while Ken Maumalo is back in full training after having minor knee surgery. Alex Seyfarth is back doing contact work after tearing a pectoral muscle late last season and is expected to be available for the start of the 2023 campaign. Most contentious position There wasn't a standout option at centre last year for the Wests Tigers, and again for 2023 it's hard to know who will emerge at the first-choice pairing. Versatile back Star To'a started 14 games at centre last year in a season which saw him play a career-high 21 games, while Brent Naden impressed at the back end as a winger, and has plenty of centre experience under his belt. The departure of Oliver Gildart (Dolphins) is offset by Talau's return from a season-long injury layoff, and if he can stay fit Sheens has indicated he's likely to be part of the 17 somewhere. Biggest strength This forward pack will cause issues for plenty of sides in 2023. The addition of Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali'i and John Bateman, plus former Blues enforcer David Klemmer, to a group already featuring some quality veterans and promising forwards, means the engine room should hum. In Koroisau they have a proven winner, with three-straight Grand Final appearances to his name, while Papali'i was one of the competition's best back-rowers last year, playing every game for the Eels and scoring 10 tries, with 140 average run metres per game. Bateman too has shown he belongs in the competition's elite in his position, having been judged to be the NRL's best second-rower back in 2019 with the Raiders. That talent on the edge should improve the Wests Tigers on both sides of the footy, while there will be no lack of punch through the middle, with the aggressive David Klemmer, who averaged 155 metres per game last year, joining Joe Ofahengaue, Alex Twal and Stefano Utoikamanu. Biggest question mark How long will it take this new-look coaching setup to find their feet, and will their relative lack of experience as modern-day NRL coaches matter? Sheens is a premiership-winning coach and a club legend. But it's also been 11 years since he did it at NRL level, and in that time the game has changed drastically. In Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah he has two assistants with recent playing experience, but next to no experience as top-flight coaches. How they manage this roster and make the adjustments needed throughout a grueling NRL campaign will be crucial to deciding where the Wests Tigers land this coming season. Source: NRL.com

Tobacco companies will now be charged to clean up cigarette butts off the streets and beaches of Spain, according to new environmental regulations. Millions of butts are thrown away each year - releasing toxic plastic waste which can take decades to break down. Figures from 2020 show around a fifth of adult Spaniards smoke everyday. The rules came into force on Friday, but it remains unclear how they will be implemented and whether costs are likely to be passed on to consumers. A report by the Catalan Rezero Foundation estimated that local authorities in Catalonia were paying between €12-21 (£11-19; $13-22) per inhabitant per year on road cleaning of cigarettes - with higher rates in coastal areas. The report called cigarette waste the "most abundant waste" on the beaches of the western Mediterranean, adding that existing measures to tackle it - such as awareness campaigns and portable beach ashtrays - had been insufficient. The new rules make manufacturers responsible for collecting discarded butts as well as transporting them for waste treatment. The Mesa del Tabaco industry association has said it is still waiting for details on how the rules will be implemented, local media say. Most cigarette butts contain filters made of cellulose acetate fibre, a type of a bioplastic. These can take years, if not decades, to break down - and microplastic pollution can hamper plant growth too, according to scientists. The new rules are part of a law passed last year banning single-use plastics like cutlery and straws - drawn up to comply with a European Union directive. Ireland introduced similar legislation on Thursday, requiring tobacco companies to contribute to the cost of cigarette litter. Almost half of litter in Ireland is cigarette-related, according to the country's National Litter Pollution Monitoring System. Spain has introduced a host of sweeping measures to curb smoking in recent years. Last July, smoking was banned on all of Barcelona's public beaches, with offenders fined €30 (£27; $32).       Source: BBC