Local News

An international human rights group is urging Southeast Asian nations to pressure Laos to provide information about a prominent East-West Center and University of Hawaii alumnus who has not been seen since he was apparently detained more than two months ago by state security forces in Laos.

An Na Peng, a Honolulu mother of two who until recently had faced possible deportation for a 1996 conviction, was one of 17 people pardoned by President Barack Obama on Friday.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's plan to increase the city's fuel tax to help pay for road repairs and restoring bus service could be running out of gas even before it reaches the floor of the City Council.

Money from Oahu's general excise tax surcharge has fallen $33 million short of anticipated this fiscal year for the city's $5.26 billion transit project despite growth in overall state GET collections, leading rail officials to believe the state has made mistakes on payments it should have received.

Transportation officials are advising Oahu drivers of potential traffic delays this weekend, with roadwork slated on the H-1 freeway from Pearl City to Wai­pahu, and in Kakaako.

Swimmer who died at Ala Moana is ID'd • 4 injured in crashes in which 2 cars flip

Hilo-born BryantTadeo was eliminated from "American Idol" during Thursday night's sudden-death round in Las Vegas to pick the final 10 male contestants. His rendition of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" was a crowd favorite during the pre-taped show but didn't sway the judges.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo recognized four people Feb. 22 at its 13th annual Distinguished Alumni and Service Awards Banquet at the UH-Hilo Campus Center.

Tomi Adaniya • Lena Wong Ah Mai • Victor Gentry Bailey Jr.; and more

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Ed Lynch, managing editor/news, at 529-4758.

Las Vegas Sands Corp., an international gambling empire controlled by the billionaire Sheldon G. Adelson, has informed the Security and Exchange Commission that it likely violated a federal law against bribing foreign officials.

NEW YORK » There were the usual caps dotted with shamrocks; bunting in the green, white and orange of the Irish flag; and the nasal hum of bagpipes.

Edna Saifuku was 15 when she saw the towers with guards bearing machine guns at the Hono­uli­uli Internment Camp in Kunia, where she and her siblings visited their father, Sam Nishi­mura.

A passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight from New York assaulted a flight attendant Tuesday and bit one of two Federal Air Marshal Service deputies who restrained him, according to an FBI affidavit.

Isle soda drinkers will not have to worry about paying a penalty this year to get their jolt of sugar. State senators have chosen not to advance a soda fee of 1 cent per ounce that would have brought in about $37 million a year to counter obesity.

The California company known as SpaceX was set to launch its unmanned Falcon rocket this morning, hoisting a Dragon capsule containing more than a ton of food, tools, computer hardware and science experiments.

The operator of the city's Wai­ma­nalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill has spent $1.5 million to design and construct a gas collection and control system to rectify alleged violations of the U.S. Clean Air Act that were resolved by a federal consent decree.

A bill that would force the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to issue timely decisions on cases was passed by the House Finance Committee on Wednesday, much to the satisfaction of the teachers union.

A camouflage-painted ship that the Navy considers to be one of the new "backbones of the fleet" will stop in Hawaii on its inaugural deployment to Singapore and will play a prominent role in the U.S. military's Pacific "pivot."