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Somare says stopping Ramu could impact future investment

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 9, 2010) - Papua New Guinea will be liable to repay the Chinese Metallurgical Construction Company (MCC) and its partners if the Ramu nickel/cobalt project does not proceed as scheduled.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said yesterday that the Ramu project was important for Papua New Guinea and if it did not move forward, the country’s reputation as an investment destination would be at stake.

He also said that Parliament passed the law on environment to ensure that the project proceeded while the courts dealt with the opposition by non-government organizations on the deep sea tailings.

He said he got advice from all legal experts including the Chief Secretary to Government Manasupe Zurenuoc and Attorney General Ano Pala. The Government even got advice from a Scottish firm that advised that the deep sea tailings would not have any impact on...

Replaces Commodore Vichot

By Patrick Antoine Decloitre

SUVA, Fiji (Oceania Flash, June 17, 2010) – The French government has on Wednesday appointed a new head of the Armed Force in French Polynesia, who is also the head of French Naval forces for the Pacific.

The decision came out of this week’s cabinet meeting, which endorsed Commodore Jérôme Régnier as the next Commander of French Armed forces in French Polynesia.

The position also includes the titles of Commander of the Pacific Ocean maritime area and Commander of the Pacific experiment Centre (centre d’expérimentations du Pacifique, CEP, which was the base for French nuclear testing in the Pacific between 1966 and 1996.

The French nuclear tests effectively ceased in 1996 and the CEP has since undergone a post-dismantling rehabilitation phase.

Commodore Régnier was most recently with the French Defence ministry, French Naval Forces deputy chief of staff.

Commodore Régnier, who...

Fiji’s Air Pacific back after two-year hiatus

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, June 25, 2010) – Fiji National airline Air Pacific raised the hopes of islanders in remote Christmas Island when flights resumed this week after a lapse of two years.

Open arms, wide smiles and relief greeted national airline staff and the local media who landed on the world's largest atoll early Wednesday morning.

Even the owners of seven tourism properties - scheduled as stopovers for the visitors - were keen on telling their stories, eager to share the grim outlook of two years prior.

Tawita Temoku, the Minister for Line and Phoenix Islands summed it well when he said, "Empty rooms and a sluggish industry. Life and business slowed down drastically when Air Pacific stopped flying here."

"We only had charters from Honolulu, Hawaii. But that only carried 17 passengers and was very irregular. Tourism was badly affected, people lost jobs."

"Everyone was looking forward to...

BAINIMARAMA: FIJIANS DON'T WANT ELECTION "Everybody supports what the government is doing"

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 4, 2010) – The leader of the Fiji military regime claims the people of Fiji are urging him to delay his plans for elections by 2014.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama says the people are happy with the regime’s focus on infrastructure development, agriculture, tourism, health and education.

The Commodore says instead of condemning him, foreign leaders and former Fiji residents who oppose his government should talk with the people on the ground.

He told Auckland-based Radio Tarana that he doesn’t understand why Pacific Islands Forum ministers say things are getting worse in Fiji.

"Everybody supports what the government is doing and in fact, they want an extension of the time. In fact, they don’t want an election. So I really don’t know what these people mean by saying he situation is worsening."