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Political advisor says government has cleared yacht to leave

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Jan. 31, 2013) – Vanuatu’s government says the super yacht Phocea has become a distraction which it would prefer to go away.

The yacht, reportedly owned by Vanuatu diplomatic representative Pascal Ahn Quan Saken, has been detained in Port Vila harbor since July when it was seized by officials, originally on suspicion of drugs and guns smuggling.

Links between the yacht, Mr. Saken and government ministers have dogged the Prime Minister Sato Kilman since he was re-elected late last year.

While the Ports Authority has kept the yacht detained because of false documentations, the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser, Richard Kaltongga, says the government has repeatedly given clearance for it to leave.

"Now the vessel cannot leave because it doesn’t have a valid registration anywhere. But as far as the government is concerned it is no...

Minister says teams to be sent to villages on fact-finding mission

By Sam Bolitho and Campbell Cooney

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Jan. 31, 2013) – Solomon Islands' government says it will step in to resolve a dispute around dolphin slaughtering on one of the country's islands.

Solomon Islands' tourism minister, Samuel Manetoali, says his government will step in to resolve a dispute around dolphin slaughtering on one of the country's islands.

Earlier this month, villagers from Fanalei village on Malaita Island captured and killed 700 dolphins after falling out with US conservation group, the Earth Island Institute.

Mr. Manetoali told Radio Australia on Thursday the government has to...

Prior to social media, country faced significant information gap

By Ben Yamai

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Jan. 31, 2013) – The creation of Papua New Guinea’s eminent Facebook group Sharp Talk (ST) was intended to fill a gap in information dissemination, or what initiator Douveri Henao termed "information constipation."

Mr. Henao, a prominent lawyer and development advocate, was speaking to a group of ST members who gathered at the National Parliament on Tuesday to discuss various issues of concern to the general public.

Mr. Henao said that there was a vacuum in society prior to the emergence of social media where information on issues of national importance did not filter down to the different levels of society.

This situation did not allow members of the general public the opportunity to express opinions and contribute to discussions on policy...

Sablan: ‘fragile’ economy requires access to foreign workers

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Feb. 1, 2013) – With less than two years before the end of the federalization transition period on Dec. 31, 2014, the Fitial administration, Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP), the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands lawmakers are poised to ask the U.S. Labor Secretary to extend it by five more years or up to 2019.

If the transitional Commonwealth-only worker program is not extended, more than 12,000 skilled and professional nonresident workers with CW-1 status will have to exit the CNMI.

Sablan said his letter to the U.S. Labor secretary will be sent "in the not so distant future."

He said the still "fragile" state of the CNMI economy needs continued access to skilled guest workers while the CNMI should work toward employing all eligible U.S. workers and continue to train or prepare the...