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501 Fiji soldiers currently assisting UN in Syria

By Mereani Gonedua

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, August 1, 2013) – Fijian troops have quickly adapted in Golan Heights, Syria and their discipline and commitment has impressed the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

UN department of peacekeeping operations spokesman Kieran Dwyer told FijiLive the 501 soldiers have all arrived safely into Syria and the Mission is close to its full mandated number of troops, which is 1,250.

"The Mission and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is very pleased with the way that the Fijian troops have quickly adapted to this challenging environment and is getting on with this important job," Dwyer said.

"The Fijian troops are engaged in the Mission's work on monitoring the ceasefire between Syria and Israel, which has been a critical element in regional peace since 1974," he said.

"Due to the security situation in the area of operations in the...

Part of regional action hoped to reduce power costs, impacts

By Glenda Shing

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, August 1, 2013) – Vanuatu is working on introducing Pacific Appliance Labeling Standards (PALS), a project funded by AusAID through the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

A statement issued by the Energy Unit stated that the National Energy Roadmap, approved at the first Council of Minister’s Meeting early this year, included the PALS project with its main objective being to reduce electricity demand in Vanuatu.

Achieving this objective will mean that the capital costs of investment in the electricity-generating infrastructure will be reduced, there would be a reduction in the costs of importing fuel for electricity generation and also a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The project looks at ways to reduce, as much as possible,...

$275,407 to be returned to make way for new assistance: official

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, August 1, 2013) – More than K600,000 [US$256,989] has been refunded by the Government to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for project funds that were not accounted for from 2004 to 2006.

Secretary-General for PNG National Commission for UNESCO Yori Yei told a news conference yesterday that a check for K643,000 [US$275,407] would be sent to them next week.

Under UNESCO’s participation program for member countries, funds are released biennially for projects that fall in line with its specialty fields.

At the end of 2006 however, requirements for acquittals were not met and funding was subsequently cut, which excluded PNG from this extremely useful project.

Yei said UNESCO was a key partner to the government supporting its capacity building programs for almost 30 years.

"I thank the O’Neill...

Narco lab key to successfully prosecuting criminal cases: PM

By Alan Ah Mu

APIA, Samoa (Talamua, August 1, 2013) – A new narcotics laboratory in Samoa can only test for marijuana.

"But our Government’s intention is that in the near future, this laboratory will be equipped to test for other hard narcotics such as ‘methamphetamine,’ more commonly known as ‘P’ or ‘ice,’" said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, who opened the lab late afternoon yesterday.

The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) runs the lab and serves as an independent and reliable support service to Police and Courts in narcotic cases.

Government will this financial year fund SROS to buy a gas chromatography and a mass spectrometry to identify and quantify hard narcotics, Tuilaepa said.

Two SROS scientists are to be trained overseas in the testing of marijuana.

One of the key components in the successful prosecution of narcotic cases is having a...