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PORT MORESBY, PNG (The National, July 31) – The company that abandoned the giant Panguna mine at the center of Bougainville's long and bloody civil war can't see it reopening anytime soon despite the death of rebel leader Francis Ona.

Ona, 52, died in his sleep at his jungle hideout near Panguna on Sunday after a short illness. Today, Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) chairman Peter Taylor doubted Ona's death would make any immediate difference to the prospects of restarting mining.

The Australian copper and gold mining venture - a subsidiary of the global giant Rio Tinto - employed thousands and provided a big chunk of the Papua New Guinea government's income after independence in 1975.

But in 1989 Ona and his followers launched hostilities on the island fuelled by landowner anger over benefits from the mine and the environmental damage it was causing.

The conflict dragged on into the 1990s and claimed more than 10,000 lives. For 16 years Ona stayed in his...

By Dionesis Tamondong

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Aug 1) – A federal bill that would bring about $13 million to Guam for major construction projects, stimulate new jobs and help small businesses is expected to be signed soon by the president, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo said in a written statement.

Congress this weekend approved the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act, which authorizes $286.4 billion in spending for federal highway projects over six years, and renews all federal highway, public transit, safety, and research programs until fiscal 2009.

For Guam, the measure includes an increase in funding for the Territorial Highway Program by nearly 30 percent, and for other projects that Bordallo had requested for Guam.

The U.S. Senate late Friday approved the measure, which now goes to President Bush. He is expected to sign the bill into law this week, according to Bordallo's statement.

Some of the...

PORT MORESBY, PNG (The National, July 31) – The Vice-Chancellor of the University of PNG, Prof Les Eastcott, has "voluntarily stepped aside" to allow an independent investigation into the institution to begin this week.

The fate of three other administration officials - Bursar Edward Croake, Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor Margaret Obi and Registrar Vincent Mailabe - will be known today.

Chancellor Andrew Yauieb announced this at a joint press conference with other members of the University Council and Higher Education Minister, Don Polye, on Saturday.

Mr Yauieb and Mr Polye said the University Council and the government were working together to restore normalcy to the Waigani campus and to ensure classes, which were disrupted since July 11, could resume.

They appealed to students to return to class and assured them that the investigation would address all the issues raised in two petitions.

Mr Yauieb said: "The council is working in partnership with...

PAPEETE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, July 31) – The project of a WWII American GI memory hall in Bora Bora (Leeward Islands) was discussed during Cabinet meeting on Wednesday in Papeete. The remembrance of GI is still hovering over the island.

"Stimulation of Tourism sector is a multi facetted challenge. One of these facets concerns visitor activities which because they are original must become the main attractions for tourists. The building of a memory hall in remembrance of American military bases in Bora Bora during WWII is part of our policy", stated the Cabinet in a press release.

The release reads on: "it is a fact that a great number of American tourists visit Bora Bora. For many of them, the mythical island belongs to family history as their grandfathers or uncles were posted during WWII to the American military base where the first airdrome in the country was built. The memory hall would take visitors back to the atmosphere of the 40's, fortunately no battles took...