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Renewable Ocean Power Considered For Am. Samoa

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Current solar system relies on diesel when idle from cloud cover

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, March 28, 2013) – American Samoa’s new energy director believes ocean technology is one way for the territory to achieve its target of producing all its energy from renewable sources within four years.

Tim Jones, who has more than 30 years experience in the energy sector, has been tasked by the governor with advancing the territory’s energy plans.

American Samoa already has a photovoltaic system in place that can deliver 1.8 megawatts of power, but he says this is not enough.

"As the sun comes over, or a cloud comes over and blocks the sun the power immediately drops off and we can lose up to 10% of our power generation really fast. This means that the utility has to continue to run a generator and burn diesel fuel just to standby for a cloud, and this is not really an efficient way to operate a solar PV system so we are looking at...

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Fri
29
Mar
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Entire Fiji Island Group Warned Over Heavy Rains

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Rainfall earlier in the week causes flash-flooding in Nausori

By Nasik Swami

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, March 28, 2013) – The whole of the Fiji islands’ group has been put on a heavy rain alert until Friday by the Nadi weather office.

And members of the public have been warned that heavy rainfall could also cause flash flooding.

Senior meteorologist Amit Singh said the heavy rain alert was a result of an active trough of low pressure with cloud and rain slow moving over Fiji.

"We will experience heavy rain at times with squally thunderstorms," Mr. Singh said.

He said the weather conditions were expected to clear-up by Friday afternoon.

Mr. Singh said with the current weather condition experienced in the country, seas would be moderate to rough.

He advised mariners to take necessary precautions and take heed of weather warnings.

He said members of the public should also refrain from going near flooded rivers and creeks....

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Fri
29
Mar
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Japanese Market Hoped To Revitalize Tourism In CNMI

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Reopening of hotel rooms across NMI could bring $256 million

By Moneth Deposa

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, March 29, 2013) – A marketing expert described 2013 as an exciting year for the rebirth of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands tourism, which is projected to start generating record numbers in arrivals despite a hotel-rooms crisis.

Serving as keynote speaker in yesterday's regular membership meeting of the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA), Michael Merner, chairman of the AVIAREPS Marketing Garden, said that the Commonwealth will remain dependent on Japanese travelers.

He said the Japan market remains the islands' top market destination. Japan, along with Korea, accounted for 70 percent of the total market arrivals in the Commonwealth.

"We see a strong recovery in the Japan market. So our forecast, this year we will see record numbers and the highest level since [Japan Airlines] pulled out in 2005," he said.

Merner also sees...

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Fri
29
Mar
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Guam DOE Allows Supervised Cell Phone Use In Classrooms

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Schools will allow phones to be used for ‘instructional purposes’

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Marianas Variety Guam, March 29, 2013) – The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) has adopted a revised cell phone policy allowing restricted and monitored use of the device in the classroom for "instructional purposes" or as part of the school safety plan.

With a corresponding disciplinary action for each violation, the policy bans "sexting," cyber-bullying, academic cheating and picture-taking.

"The new policy is district-wide," said Asherdee Rosette, deputy principal of John F. Kennedy High School. "The superintendent has issued the standard operating policy, which parents are required to acknowledge so that they are aware that students are now allowed to use their cell phones in the classroom for instructional purposes."

While cell phone use restrictions on campus have been in place, the new policy provides uniform disciplinary procedures...

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Fri
29
Mar
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Steven Kalsakau Cleared Of Misappropriation In Vanuatu

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Justice finds no evidence for charges against former land minister

By Bob Makin

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, March 28, 2013) – The former Minister of Education (and prior to that, Lands), Steven Kalsakau, in a ruling of the Supreme Court, has been found not guilty of misappropriation and released from proceedings against directors of Tamau Trading Company Limited.

The Public Prosecutor brought charges in the matter against Steven Kalsakau and Yoan Kalsakau, the owners of 51% of the company known as Tamau Trading. Whilst the two Kalsaku brothers are major shareholders in the company, the remaining shareholding was owned by a Korean, Greg Soak Bae Koh (Greg Koh) who seems to have left Vanuatu never to return.

The case continues particularly interesting, with many facts not in dispute.

Willie Ben Karie of Belair Shipping handed over an amount of Vt24,500,000 [US$264,151] on 10 September 2010 as partial payment of an agreed price to...

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Fri
29
Mar
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99-Year PNG State Land Lease To Private Company Annulled

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Former lands secretary granted lease ‘unlawfully’ in 2011

By Todagia Kelola

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, March 28, 2013) – Papua New Guinea’s National Court has declared as null and void a decision by the Lands Secretary in 2011 that granted a 99-year State lease to a company, Tzen Plantations Ltd, over a portion of land for agriculture purposes.

The National Court yesterday ruled that the land which is known as portion 777 in the Mevelo area of Pomio District, East New Britain Province, of about 9,418 hectares was obtained in circumstances that were unsatisfactory, irregular and unlawful as to amount to constructive fraud.

The applicants were Open Bay Timber Ltd. and the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority (PNGFA).

They had gone to court seeking judicial review of an administrative decision by the then Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning in January 2011, granting a 99-year State lease to the sixth defendant, Tzen...

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Fri
29
Mar
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Woman Accused In Samoa Liquor Smuggling

Submitted by admin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Authorities report 31 year-old falsified import documents

By Lanuola Tupufia

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, March 28, 2013) – A 31-year-old woman has been accused of falsifying documents in relation to a consignment of over 900 cartons of liquor smuggled into Samoa with false importation documents, last month.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Assistant Police Commissioner Fauono Talalelei Tapu said the woman, who is an employee of a local freight company, has been charged with falsifying documents.

Pressed about the identity of the woman and whether she worked for a company connected to Member of Parliament, Levaopolo Talatonu, Fauono wouldn't budge.

"I can’t confirm or deny that," he said. "You will just have to wait until she appears in court. She will appear in court on the 16th April 2013."

Fauono said the woman is unlikely to be the last person to be charged in relation to the container. He said the Police investigation is...

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Fri
29
Mar

Pacific Forum To Conduct Case Study Of Tonga Energy Plan

Submitted by piradmin on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Suva, Fiji

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat will soon begin work on a case study of the Tonga Energy Roadmap (TERM) for regional and global learning and replication.

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, made this announcement at the Pacific Leaders’ Energy Summit held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga last week.

"In a recent peer reviewing of the Tongan national development plans under the Forum Compact for Strengthening Development Coordination, a principal recommendation was made for Development Partners to replicate the TERM approach in other sectors," the Secretary General told the high-level meeting.

This recommendation was made on the basis that the TERM provided a good way for development partners...

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