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Tue
30
Jun
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REMITTANCES UP AMONG FIJIANS ABROAD

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Devaluation of Fiji dollar attributed to 15% rise

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, June 30, 2009) – PERSONAL remittances have increased to a total of $83.1million for the first five months of this year, says the Reserve Bank of Fiji.

Up to May this year, personal remittance totalled $83.1million compared to $72.3million for the same period last year. This was an increase of 14.9 per cent.

Central Bank acting deputy governor Barry Whiteside said in May alone, personal remittance totalled $24.1million compared to $13.6 million in the same month last year.

He said it was highly likely that the devaluation contributed significantly to the positive outcome.

Mr Whiteside said the increase in remittance was likely driven by the gains in exchange rate from the devaluation.

"Before May, cumulative remittance were at the same level as the corresponding period in 2008," he said.

The Reserve Bank of Fiji devalued the Fiji dollar by 20 per cent in April...

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Tue
30
Jun
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STUDY OF SAIPAN WAR RELICS PLANNED

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

U.S. park service seeks to protect historic harbor

By Anita B. Hogschneider

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, June 30, 2009) – The National Park Service announced Friday the award of a $49,967 grant that will be used to fund an archeological investigation of submerged World War II remains in the Tanapag lagoon.

The grant is part of some $1.36 million that is being released to help preserve and protect America’s significant battlefield lands.

The grant for the CNMI will be given to Ships of Exploration and Discovery Research, an underwater archaeology research institute founded in 1989. The institute will help develop an underwater maritime heritage trail in the Tanapag lagoon.

This year’s grants will also provide funding at endangered battlefields from the King Philip’s War (1675-1676), Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Second Seminole War, Mexican-American War, Civil War, World War II and various Indian Wars. Awards were given to projects in 23...

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Tue
30
Jun
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DISGRUNTLED PNG MOB LOOTS ASIAN SHOPS

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Oil palm growers seeking pay turned away by bank

By Simon Eroro

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 29, 2009) –Hundreds of people went on a rampage in Popodetta on Friday and looted Asian-owned shops in the town.

Reports reaching the Post Courier last night say the rioters smashed the Bank South Pacific branch, the Air Niugini office and emptied the six Asian-owned shops in the town at mid-day.

The rampage and looting was sparked off by oil palm growers who had come into town to collect their money but were turned away by the bank.

The farmers could not be paid because the bank could not clear the cheque paid in by the Higaturu Oil Palm Company because of a communication problem that day.

The reports say the frustrated oil palm growers smashed the windows and the situation turned ugly from there when settlers living on the outskirts of the town and the public joined in.

The reports say the police were unable to do...

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Tue
30
Jun
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DIGICEL WINS NAURU TELECOM LICENSE

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Mobile phone company expands Pacific presence

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 29, 2009) – The Minister of Telecommunications in Nauru says businesses in Nauru will prosper once mobile phone services are introduced.

The government has granted the international mobile operator, Digicel, a GSM license, which will make it the first business to provide Nauru with mobile phone services.

The Minister, Sprent Dabwido, says the availability of mobile phones will enable faster and more efficient communication, which will aid business development.

"If there’s going to be improved communications service, we’re expecting more business interaction from our local business partners to overseas partners. We hope that by having an international mobile service like this, that’s up to international standards, will make foreign investment more attractive."

Sprent Dabwido says Nauru owns 20 percent of the 1.6 million US dollar venture...

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Tue
30
Jun
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FOUR PALAU LAWMAKERS VISIT TAIWAN

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Trip paid for by Republic Of China

KOROR Palau (Palau Horizon, June 29, 2009) — Four legislators are in Taiwan for an official five-day visit.

Senate President Mlib Tmetuchl, Sen. Regis Akitaya, Speaker Noah Idechong and Delegate Swenny Ongidobel left on Thursday and were expected to return on Saturday.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested them to visit the Asian country.

Taiwan Embassy in Palau Third Secretary David Shuo-ting Chen said delegation will meet with Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, a high school baseball team, Taiwanese legislators, the Environmental Protection Administration office and the National Palace Museum.

Tmetuchl wants to encourage more exchanges between Taiwanese baseball clubs and Palau's national team.

While in Taiwan, the delegation will also visit Kupao Home Economics and Commercial High School.

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Tue
30
Jun
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SCAM THREATENS FIJIAN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN U.S.

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Former Fiji nationals face review.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, June 28, 2009) – The fate of many former Fiji nationals who sought asylum in the United States may be under review after a federal court uncovered a massive immigration scam.

According to US media reports, after a complex three-month trial, the federal court in Sacramento, this week convicted three lawyers and two interpreters of conspiracy to defraud the government by filing false asylum claims, as well as numerous other charges.

It said the defendants had helped the asylum seekers from India, Romania and Fiji come up with phony documents, doctors' letters and affidavits designed to support their claims of ethnic, religious or political persecution.

The five were involved in fraudulent activity from 2000 through 2004 that may have resulted in somewhere between 400 and 1,000 asylum seekers being allowed to remain in the United States.

Many had gained residency after producing evidence that...

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Tue
30
Jun
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ARMED VILLAGERS RAID PNG POLICE STATION

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Murder suspect, other prisoners freed

By Robert Palme

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 29, 2009) – FULLY armed villagers raided the Wabag police station in the early hours of Friday and released a murder suspect and eight others.

Highlands police commander Simon Kauba told the Post-Courier yesterday that about 15 fully armed men with factory made firearms

held up the policemen on duty at 4:30am, broke open the cell door and released the murder suspect who is from Kamas, a village on

the outskirts of Wabag town.

According to Mr Kauba, eight others held for minor offences also escaped with the murder suspect while 15 other suspects remained

and refused to escape, despite the unmanned open door.

Mr Kauba said the duty policemen were taken by surprise when held up at gunpoint and could not do anything. If attempts were made

to stop what was happening, one or more would have been shot dead.

The...

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Tue
30
Jun

MOB MENTALITY THREATENS PNG PROSPERITY

Submitted by piradmin on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 00:00

Editorial

PNG Post-Courier

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (June 29, 2009) – WE are a nation of six million people and with a growing economy and bright prospects amid a general worldwide air of gloom.

There are new buildings of all sorts erupting in a construction boom in the nation’s capital and a steady flow of similar activity in other urban centres.

The business and government sectors are looking happier every day as the likelihood of the PNG LNG project going ahead gets stronger.

But all of the eagerly anticipated windfall benefits of the LNG and other resource plans will be affected if we do not get certain issues right. Chief among these is law and order.

We need a strong and vibrant police force to keep the peace in the cities, towns and rural areas of the nation. Without them, anarchy will take over. The looting of stores in Port Moresby, Lae and Highlands centres a month ago was a worrying sign of that.

Another spark of...

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