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AIR CALÉDONIE REACHES 300,000 YEARLY PASSENGER LEVEL

NOUMÉA, New Caledonia (April 2, 2001 - Oceania Flash/SPC)---New Caledonia's domestic airline Air Calédonie last week closed its 2000/2001 financial year with a good omen. It greeted its 300,000th passenger for the year, a first in terms of passenger volume, the daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes reported.

Ms. Jeanne Wajoka was on a flight from her home island of Lifou to Nouméa's Magenta Airport when, as she stepped out of the plane, she was presented with flower garlands, a free air ticket, and other presents.

Air Calédonie (locally called AirCal) said Wajoka was the 300,000th passenger since the beginning of its financial year on April 1, 2000.

"This is the first time in its history that our company has reached this threshold in one year," Air Cal's marketing manager Guy Devic said.

"For the past three years, traffic was around 282,000 to 285,000 per year and forecasts for 2000/2001...

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (April 3, 2001 - Radio Vanuatu/PINA Nius Online)--The no-confidence motion against Vanuatu Prime Minister Barak Sope's government did not go ahead this afternoon. Speaker Paul Ren Tari ruled the matter is now before the court and refused to allow the motion to be considered.

He also declared that under certain sections of the Parliamentary Standing Orders the motion contained gross errors and would not be discussed.

In a session that lasted fewer than five minutes, Mr. Tari then closed the sitting since all government bills were withdrawn.

Earlier Mr. Sope said he has sued the Opposition Members of Parliament over the contents of their no-confidence motion against him.

Mr. Sope told reporters that compensation of 150 million vatu (US$ 992,654) is being demanded if he wins a defamation case filed before the Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister claims the motion contains defamatory allegations, including a section branding him as "...

By Craig DeSilva

HONOLULU, Hawai‘i (March 29, 2001 - PIDP/CPIS)---Production is underway in Hawai‘i on a national television film featuring the art and cultural role tattoos play in the Pacific Islands.

The one-hour documentary, called "Skin Stories," is being co-produced by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) in Honolulu and public television station KPBS in San Diego.

"With the current popularity of tattoos, ‘Skin Stories’ should attract a large national audience," said Carlyn Tani, executive director of PIC.

"We are looking forward to celebrating the cultural roots of this art form and dispelling some of the stereotypes and myths about Pacific Islanders," she said.

The film’s producers are currently editing hours of taped footage and interviews for the documentary in a studio in Kaka‘ako, near downtown Honolulu.

The one-hour documentary, which is expected to be aired by public television stations nationwide next year, features...

By Fili Sagapolutele

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (April 2, 2001 - PIDP/CPIS)---The government plans to terminate the three-day visitor’s permit and replace it with a seven-day permit for foreigners temporarily entering the territory as visitors, according to Gov. Tauese Sunia.

The three-day permit has long been identified as the main root of the territory’s problem with overstayers.

Tauese said the government needs to set up an office in Samoa to issue the "short-term permits" and charge a fee per permit so the office can pay for itself.

"Or maybe retain a law office for someone in Apia to process the short-term permit," he added.

"What we need is a computer connecting the Immigration Office (here) and the (suggested) Apia office. The Apia office can right away transmit the information here so that the local office can contact the local sponsor," the governor explained.

"The law remains that a sponsor is required," he continued. "And once...