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PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Port Vila Presse/PINA, Feb. 2) - Two years of ongoing unrest amongst chiefs and people of Central and Southern Pentecost has been resolved - by Prime Minister Edward Natapei Tuta Fanua'ariki.

He visited the Northern Province to perform a custom peace ceremony.

It came after the latest series of arson attacks - during Christmas and New Year - could not be solved by the police.

A man lost his hand after he was knifed, more than 100 gardens damaged, 40 houses destroyed and four nakamals burnt down.

The main areas of damage were at Lebutsesap and Nokowanet.

Natapei's Private Secretary Daniel Bangtor explained that the ceremony at Nokowanet village was the result of an operation conducted by the Police in September 2001.

During this the police mistreated the custom chiefs, some of whom are Tanmonoks (paramount chiefs) in the area. The police ill-treatment of the chiefs resulted in law enforcement officers being banned from...

HONIARA (SIBC/PINA, Feb. 2) - New Solomon Islands Police Commissioner William Morrell - the man charged with restoring law and order - has served with the United Nations in trouble-torn Kosovo.

According to information obtained by SIBC News, Commissioner Morrell, 47, was formerly chief superintendent of the specialist operations branch with Britain’s Greater Manchester Police.

He was seconded to serve in Kosovo, which is recovering from a bitter ethnic conflict between Serbs and local Muslims. Morrell's duties included being deputy director of the Kosovo police service school.

In Solomon Islands, Morrell will lead efforts to rebuild the police after the more than two years of ethnic conflict here, and end law and order problems.

Australia and New Zealand have already been doing work in this area, with New Zealand officers working alongside Solomon Islands counterparts as mentors.

Morrell said he was looking forward to working closely with the...

SUVA, Fiji (fijivillage.com/PINA, Feb. 2) - The Fiji Electricity Authority, which generates and supplies power, is appealing to businesses and home users to cut their use of electricity.

Acting Chief Executive Rokoseru Nabalarua said the authority faces a critical situation as it tries to maintain power levels and avoid increasing its charges.

The suspected impact of the El Nino weather pattern has cut rainfall in the country's west, with the Monosavu hydropower lake now 19 meters below maximum levels. As a result, the utility has had to run its diesel generators more because of the loss of power from the hydro scheme, which serves the main island, Viti Levu.

Meanwhile, fuel costs are rising because of crises such as the fear of war in the Middle East, and the utility faces a massive repair bill of FJD$3.2 million in the country's north because of the devastation from Cyclone Ami last month.

Nabalarua said with the significant increase in fuel prices...

HAGATNA, Guam (Marianas Variety, Feb. 3) A Guam Visitors Bureau-sponsored delegation of travel officials will go to Seoul, Korea to meet with airline officials there to persuade Asiana Airlines and Korean Airlines not to reduce their seat capacities to Guam.

"While visitors from Korea are considered a growth market, there is a steady erosion of seat capacity from that country which impacts Guam’s struggling tourist-based economy," said GVB General Manager Tony Lamorena.

Guam has experienced a 20 percent reduction in airline seat capacity over the last year due to low demand, loss of a direct flight route, and reconfiguration of aircraft.

"Increasing airline seat capacity and convincing the Korean travel industry that Guam is an aggressive promotional partner will be the major mission of the delegation trip," Lamorena said.

The delegation will also meet with major travel wholesalers, travel trade press, and host a travel agent seminar. The delegation will...