Local

» Matson Navigation Co. said Friday it will increase its fuel surcharge for shipments between Hawaii and the mainland from 40.5 percent to 45.5 percent, effective Feb. 26.

» Singer Cecilio Rodriguez was given a six-year suspended sentence Friday after pleading no contest to sexually molesting two underage girls in Los Angeles 14 years ago.

» The military presence in Hawaii could be increased by an additional Navy cruiser and at least 1,000 Marines if the Pentagon shifts forces from Okinawa, a source familiar with the plans told the Star-Advertiser.

» Gov. Neil Abercrombie, in his State of the State address Monday, said Hawaii has "started to turn the corner" financially and urged state leaders to develop a long-range vision for infrastructure, technology, early childhood education and alternative energy needs.

» A former First Hawaiian Bank branch manager, Lani Ann Miho, pleaded guilty Friday to embezzling more than $2.6 million over a 10-year period from the bank.

» Honolulu police officials urged the Legislature on Monday to pass a bill mandating that motorists observe a safety buffer around emergency vehicles following a Jan. 21 H-1 freeway crash that killed Officer Garret Davis, who had stopped to help a stranded motorist.

» Former Gov. Linda Lingle took the fundraising lead in the campaign for U.S. Senate, raising more than $1.7 million through the end of 2011. Democrats Mazie Hirono and Ed Case have raised about $1.5 million and $350,000, respectively, according to their latest financial reports.

Mainland

» President Barack Obama used his election-year State of the Union address Tuesday to define the role for government in helping to promote a prosperous and equitable society as an American tradition, striving to draw a stark contrast between the two major parties in a time of economic uncertainty.

» The Pentagon took the first major step toward shrinking its budget after a decade of war as it announced Thursday that it wanted to limit pay raises for troops, increase health insurance fees for military retirees and close bases in the United States. Although the pay-raise limits were described as modest, they are certain to ignite a political fight in Congress.

» A year since that fateful day when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded during a shooting rampage in Tucson, the Arizona Democrat resigned Wednesday with a plea for civility and a hint that she will be back on the national stage. For now, the 41-year-old said, she needs to focus on recovery.

World

» An ailing American woman and a Danish man held captive since last fall were recovering after a dark-of-night rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs. The commandos slipped into a Somali encampment, shot and killed nine captors and spirited the hostages to freedom.

» A renewed wave of violence swept across Syria late last week as the government of President Bashar Assad sought to counter mass protests and armed insurgents in cities and towns brimming with rebellion against his rule.

» An Italian cruise line company offered uninjured passengers $14,400 apiece Friday to compensate them for lost baggage and the psychological trauma they suffered after their ship ran aground off Tuscany.

THIS WEEK

Local

>> Monday: State and Coast Guard officials will hold a community meeting on security operations for future American Safari Cruises port calls to Molokai, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mitchell Pau‘ole Community Center in Kaunakakai.

>> Monday: Contractors for the state will begin sand-pumping operations to widen a 1,730-foot-long stretch of Waikiki Beach, from the Royal Hawaiian concrete groin to the Duke Kahanamoku statue. The $2.3 million project is expected to take three months.

>> Monday: The state Reapportionment Commission will discuss how it will proceed following a Hawaii Supreme Court order to not count nonpermanent residents, 2 p.m., State Capitol room 423.

>> Wednesday: The Hawaii Community Development Authority will decide how it will evaluate proposals and select a master developer for the 690 Pohukaina Mixed-Use Transit-Oriented Development Project, 9:15 a.m., 461 Cooke St.

>> Thursday: The state Land Use Commission will hold a public hearing on Castle & Cooke Homes’ request to reclassify 767 acres in Central Oahu for the Koa Ridge residential development, 9:30 a.m., 235 S. Beretania St., room 204.