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PALIKIR, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (August 1, 2002 – FSM Information Services)---The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the extension of its assistance to Chuuk to include Individual Assistance for victims of Chata‘an.

On July 30, FEMA issued this statement:

"DEDEDO, Guam---Disaster Assistance has been expanded for Chuuk State to help those victims who suffered damage or losses caused by Tropical Storm Chata’an, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today. Damage to Chuuk, one of the states in the Federated States of Micronesia, included extreme flooding, mudslides and landslides.

"FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh said Individual Assistance has been added to the disaster declaration issued on July 11 by President Bush, based upon initial damage assessments gathered by federal/state and the Federated States of Micronesia officials.

"Allbaugh said that residents and business owners in...

HONOLULU, Hawai‘i (August 2, 2002 – East-West Wire)---U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Jakarta, albeit a one-day whirlwind, has brought the much-needed balm of personal diplomacy to a delicate and, in recent months, edgy relationship between the two governments, an East-West Center specialist on Indonesia said.

"The visit comes after nine months of misread signals and missed cues, underlining the importance of regular face-to-face, high-level dialogue between the United States and the world's largest Muslim country," Richard Baker said.

A week after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Sukarnoputri Megawati visited President George Bush in the White House and publicly declared her condemnation of terrorism. On her return to Jakarta, however, she faced mixed views within her own government as well as strident anti-American agitation from radical voices in the Islamic community. When the United States attacked Afghanistan, Megawati sought political shelter in...

MANILA, Philippines (August 2, 2002 - PINA Nius Online)---The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a US$ 300,000 grant to formulate a strategy to develop a dynamic private sector in its Pacific member countries.

A strong private sector is vital to long-term economic growth and improved quality of life, a bank statement said.

But despite efforts by development agencies, the response from the Pacific countries has generally been slow, it said.

The new strategy aims to facilitate ADB interventions to improve the business environment, generate opportunities, and catalyze private investment.

It will also provide guidance on how to:

* implement governance in the public and private sectors, and

* foster financial intermediation, public-private partnerships, and sub-regional cooperation.

Said Robert Siy, Jr., Director of ADB's Pacific Operations (Division 2): "To be globally competitive, Pacific countries need to have a healthy...

AVARUA, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (August 2, 2002 - Cook Islands News/PINA Nius Online)---Former chairman Don Beer said he is leaving the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation in good shape as a result of changes to its structure last year.

Beer, who has resigned to oversee a project to enlarge Avatiu Harbor, said: "The changes have put more emphasis on the development of the Cook Islands as a tourist destination.

"The challenge for the new board of directors will be to get an appropriate budget to deliver the outputs required.

"Tourism contributes NZ$ 105 million (US$ 48,646,500) to this country’s gross national product of NZ $170 million (US$ 78,761,000). It’s our golden egg -- the one that provides the resources to fund our social services."

The Tourism Corporation is understood to be about to announce a successful deal with an airline that could result in a big increase in visitors from North America and Europe.

For additional reports from the Cook...