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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, Feb. 6, 2008) - Interoil said yesterday crude oil prices and government taxes were the biggest contributor to the rise in petrol price in the country.

The Napanapa oil refinery operator released figures yesterday showing that its operations at the refinery account for the least of what is being paid for petrol.

It said that research by the company’s senior analysts showed that 53 percent of the retail price of petrol was directly attributed to the cost of crude oil.

"In recent years, the international marketplace has been sent into overdrive by the spiraling demand created by the emerging economies of China and India. As a result, crude oil prices are at record highs, and in fact, are now almost five times greater than they were only a decade ago," InterOil president Bill Jasper said in a statement released yesterday.

[PIR editor’s note: InterOil is a Canada-based company. According to Hydrocarbons-Technology...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Feb. 7, 2008) - A Guadalcanal man on the run for nearly five years was arrested Tuesday and charged with three counts of murder.

Police arrested the 25-year-old Weathercoast man from Haliatu village in a sawmill at Foxwood, east of Honiara.

He allegedly committed the crimes in May 2003, just before the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

The man was arrested under Operation Ogio, established by the Serious Crime Squad to investigate crimes by members of the Guadalcanal Liberation Front (GLF) in the Weathercoast villages of Ogio, Vasavolavola, Charikamachi, Kolokemau and the Uraghai Valley during the tension period.

"After more than four and half years on the run, police charged the 25 year old male from Haliatu Village on the Weathercoast with three counts of murder," police said in a statement.

Police will allege the 25 year old was involved in the killings of three people at...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 6, 2008) – New Zealand High Commissioner Deborah Pankhurst has pledged her government's commitment to work closely with the Solomon Islands government.

In her speech during the Waitangi day celebration in Honiara today, Ms Panchurst said that the New Zealand government looks forward to working with the Solomon Islands' government and other donors in the areas outlined in the government's policy to achieve best results.

She said the relationship between Solomon Islands and New Zealand had developed over a long period through missionaries and education between the peoples of the two countries.

Ms Panchurst said the friendship continued until today when New Zealanders are part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.

She said many New Zealanders who have served under RAMSI brought home fond memories of Solomon Islands and are as concerned as other Solomon Islanders when incidents...

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Feb. 6, 2008) - Mystery surrounds a multi million dollar undersea resort, being constructed in Fiji, in more ways than one.

Called the Poseidon Mystery Island, the project on an unnamed island in Fiji is being built at an estimated cost of US$105 million.

The Poseidon website says, "The exact location of Poseidon Resort’s Mystery Island is still, well, a mystery."

Fiji’s trade and investment promotion body, the Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau, does not appear to know anything about this project at all. A questionnaire sent by fijilive.com last year to FTIB said the bureau was unaware of this project. But it appears the resort is on the verge of finishing with September this year given as the completion date.

The project is being developed by Poseidon Resorts, whose president, Bruce Jones has a background that includes 20 years of work in submarine sea technology. Jones and his team of engineers have been designing the hotel...