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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 1) – Two people have reportedly died after this morning’s large earthquake in Solomon Islands.

The earthquake of 7.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale struck at around 7:30 a.m. Solomons time 10 kilometres deep and around 25 kilometres from Gizo, the capital of Western province.

[PIR editor’s note: According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the quake measured 8.1 on the Richter scale. The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific. The ABC reported one death but said it had not been confirmed. Damage was extensive on the remote islands of Gizo, Lefung and Taro, the news service reported. ]

The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation says that two people are confirmed dead and a further four are reported missing.

The SIBC’s Charles Tennat says the damage in Gizo is extensive with a number of buildings destroyed and the town’s shorefront battered by high waves.

He...

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, April 2) – Tropical Storm Kong-Rey 01W was expected to hit Rota at about 2 p.m. today, according to the Emergency Management Office.

The weather forecast chart released by EMO yesterday showed the center of the storm approaching Rota with winds of 90 mph.

Tropical storm condition 3 was declared for the island of Rota, and a typhoon watch was declared for Saipan and Tinian as of 5 p.m.

The storm was expected to intensify and could become a typhoon by this morning.

As of yesterday, Kong-Rey 01W was moving northwest at 16 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds at 50 mph as it moved toward the Marianas.

EMO Director Gregorio A. Deleon Guerrero, in a telephone interview, said most government agencies have readied emergency response plans.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of the storm was located about 545 miles southeast of Tinian and Saipan, and 540 miles east of Rota.

The advisory stated that Gov....

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, March 30) – The Japanese government has awarded scholarships to three Solomon Islanders to study in Japan for the next three years.

They are Department of Agriculture and Livestock officer Samson Vilu and King George Sixth School students Malynda Tokuru and Caroline Rebaio.

Mr Vilu is the winner of a research scholarship while Ms Tokuru and Ms Rebaio are winners of the special training college scholarship which attracted some 300 applicants from around Solomon Islands.

Japan’s Charge d’Affaire His Excellency Koichi Kodama said Mr Vilu will be attending Gifu University’s Faculty of Applied Biological Science course in food and life science.

The course duration is two years including six months preparatory Japanese language course.

Mr Kodama said Ms Tokuru and Ms Rebaio’s scholarship is for three years, which included a year of preparatory Japanese course at Osaka Japanese Language Education Centre.

He...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 1) – Voters in the French territory of Wallis and Futuna have elected a new 20-member assembly for a five-year term.

20 out of 26 lists contesting the polls won one seat each.

The assembly includes three new members.

Observers say it is too early to say what trends are to emerge from the assembly whose members have been chosen along mainly clan lines.

A new assembly president is to be elected on Friday.

At stake were 13 seats on Wallis and seven on Futuna in an assembly traditionally chosen along clan lines.

The territory has three kingdoms, including one on Wallis whose king, 89-year-old Tomasi Kulimoetoke, has ruled for 48 years.

Attempts to unseat him two years ago failed when his armed supporters quelled the campaign and forced the French administration to reconfirm his status.