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APIA, Samoa (March 1, 2002 - Samoa News/PINA Nius Online)---Samoa's daily newspaper, the Samoa Observer, considered a thorn to current and past governments, describes neighboring American Samoa as the "Lucky Territory."

In an editorial, the newspaper's publisher told its readers not to "believe anybody who tells you American Samoa is fighting to stay above water.

"That's nonsense. That country's not fighting for anything at all. It's still bubbling along like it's always been, sorting out the usual problems like everybody else," said the editorial by publisher Savea Sano Malifa.

This description was based on Savea's recent visit to Pago Pago where "closing shops on Sundays is not mandatory. Some of them do, but the big wholesalers don't.

"Sunday is when people there do big shopping just like in America, while others go to church.

"And nobody makes a fuss about what others do on Sundays. All days are the same to them.

"They are...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (March 3, 2002 - PINA Nius Online)---Two island councils in Tuvalu are being given equipment by Japan to help ease problems associated with handling cargo shipped to their islands.

The Nukefetau and Nui island councils will receive equipment that includes five-ton trucks fitted with cranes to transport cargo from ships to bulk storage facilities. Currently, this work must be done manually.

A grant agreement for the project, worth US$ 70,490, was signed in Suva recently by Japanese embassy Charge d'Affaires Masaaki Takada and Acting Tuvalu High Commissioner Pita Polapola.

The Japanese embassy said the equipment will complement Japan's objective of helping the Tuvalu Government improve the passenger and cargo transportation facilities between Funafuti and Tuvalu's other atolls.

Japan also will soon hand over a new inter-island passenger and cargo vessel to Tuvalu.

The vessel was built in Japan with grant aid of about US$ 8.6...

YAP ROAD PROJECT

COLONIA, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (March 1, 2002 – (Yap Media Center/FSM Information Services)---FSM Vice President Redley Killion joined Governor Vincent Figir and other government officials in a loop road ground breaking ceremony February 21, which took place at the Public Works Facility.

The event signified the start of the Phase Seven Road project, which will link the remote villages on the west side of the island to Colonia and other areas in the north with a paved road.

The government of Japan has donated about US$ 7 million dollars for the Yap project as part of its Grant Aid Assistance to the FSM.

The Phase Seven Road Project involves paving the loop road that connects the paved road in Gargey to the secondary road through Fanif and Dalipebinaw to the intersection at Public Transportation System (PTS).

Vice President Killion and Governor Figir gave similar remarks during the ceremony. Both shared the same...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (March 3, 2002 - Daily Post/PINA Nius Online)---Prem Singh, who went to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as Fiji's Opposition Leader, has lost his parliamentary seat, according to the latest court ruling.

The Court of Appeal ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear an appeal against a High Court ruling allowing inclusion of disputed votes. These disputed votes had in turn given Mr. Singh's Labour Party opponent, Krishna Prasad, the seat.

Mr. Singh went to CHOGM in Coolum as part of the Fiji delegation at the invitation of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

Mr. Qarase said before leaving for Brisbane that he had invited Mr. Singh as Opposition Leader.

At the time, Mr. Singh has obtained a stay against the High Court decision pending his appeal and was still a Member of Parliament.

Court of Appeal judges Sir Ian Barker and Daryl Davies ruled that High Court judge Anthony Gates made his decision as the Court of...