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SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Sept. 6) – There is tremendous scope to increase Fiji's market share in French Polynesia, given that its major foreign exchange is tourism, says Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister Kaliopate Tavola.

He said the French territory's ongoing construction of new hotels, warehousing facilities and residential homes provided opportunities for manufacturers in Fiji's building industry.

French Polynesia sources its building materials from France, New Zealand and Australia.

Mr Tavola said French Polynesia had raised the need to establish direct air links and jointly promote the two countries as a tourist destination.

He said this was likely to be discussed further on a bilateral basis in October, when French Polynesia's President Oscar Temaru will attend the Pacific Leaders forum in Fiji.

Mr Tavola was speaking yesterday at a press conference on the progress of a trade mission that has returned from French Polynesia.

The mission was...

‘LAUGHING SAMOANS’ WARM TO FIJI FANS

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Sept. 5) - Fans in Fiji yesterday swarmed New Zealand-based comedians The Laughing Samoans for autographs hours before their final show in the capital.

The popular Pacific stand-up comedians Tofinga Fepuleai and Eteuati Ete said the response from locals was overwhelming and they were genuinely impressed by the support they received.

They promised to add some Fiji flavor to their final show.

The duo said they were keeping local humor close to heart and would work on a set of jokes using local slang words and expressions, particularly of Indian origin to use in latter shows they are planning.

"A lot of people have been teaching us words like bahut julum, baini and using some famous celebrity names and things like how Caucau (Rupeni) has come from France to Fiji,'' said Tofinga. "We otherwise would be working with...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Sept. 5) - Former Education Minister and Opposition Member of Parliament for Marovo, Mr. Snyder Rini says teachers are important to Solomon Islands and should be well paid.

He said teachers are teaching future leaders of Solomon Islands while others helped the country to meet its trained manpower requirements.

Rini made this statement after the Solomon Islands National Teachers Association (SINTA) gave a 28-day strike notice to the Ministry of Education on August 28.

SINTA had said its members would go on strike on September 28 if the government failed to settle their demands.

"I do not understand why the Grand Coalition for Change Government cannot meet the demands because the previous administration had allocated money to meet them under the 2006 National Budget," Rini said in a statement yesterday.

He said the National Coalition Opposition for Nation Building and Peace maintains its recognition of...

By Steve Limtiaco

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Sept. 5) - The Guam Election Commission once again failed to count electronic ballots cast in at least one village precinct during the Primary Election, and there possibly are six other precincts whose electronic ballots were not counted.

Election Commission Executive Director Gerald Taitano said he doesn't know what happened to 119 electronic ballots cast in the Asan/Maina precinct during Saturday's election, but speculated that the electronic card containing those ballots was not counted on election night. "We're looking into that," he said.

The commission members met yesterday and decided they could not certify the election results.

The Pacific Daily News noted that there are six other precincts for which electronic ballots have not been reported, and Taitano said he has not verified whether there were any electronic votes cast in those precincts. Election Commission Chairman Fred Horecky...