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CHINESE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION DONATES IN VANUATU Vanuatu group targets disadvantaged women, kids

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post) - The Chinese Women’s Association has been supporting communities and organizations throughout Vanuatu for over three years, focusing on disadvantaged groups of women and children.

This year alone, the association donated computer equipment to area schools, raised money to support the sick children of Port Vila Central Hospital, and provided assistance to the International Women’s Group of Vanuatu.

The latest donation was made to six groups from the islands of Nguna, Pele, Ambrym and Efate who requested assistance from the Chinese Women’s Association of Port Vila to support their needs for clean and safe drinking water.

[PIR editor’s note: Ngunu and Pele are outer islands of Efate, the third largest and most populous island in Vanuatu. Ambrym is the fifth largest island in the country.]

This latest donation by the...

Samoa’s straight-talking leader questions news value

By Aigaletaulele’ā F. Tauafiafi APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, Dec. 24, 2010) - Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi is not bothered by the WikiLeaks controversy.

As a matter of fact, he says leaked United States secret communications about Samoa is "no big deal."

"It’s nothing, it’s a common practice that foreign affairs representative do, Tuilaepa says. They’re tasked with sending comments as they see fit briefing their countries on whatever issues important to them."

A number of WikiLeaks cables now available widely online features Samoa. They were part of a 250,000 word dossier of secret WikiLeaks cables obtained by Herald on Sunday senior staffers David Fisher and Jonathan Milne.

It’s among an extensive collection of WikiLeaks cables about New Zealand, a staggering 250,000 words worth of cables detailing more than seven years of confidential and secret communications.

In one...

Reluctant government has a month to convene
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International,Dec. 24,
2010) – It’s been confirmed the Papua New Guinea Parliament must meet
within four weeks to elect a new governor general after a legal bid by
the acting speaker, Francis Marus, failed.

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered Parliament to meet by the 20th of January next month after it declared the election of Sir Paulias Matane as governor general unconstitutional and invalid.

The government contested this ruling but the Post Courier newspaper reports that a full bench of the Court on Thursday told Mr Marus his application was incompetent, unmeritorious and an abuse of process.

[PIR editor’s note: The PNG Post-Courier reported yesterday that a motion of "no confidence" was also expected to be on the agenda of parliament’s next session, an action which could further threaten political stability in Papua New Guinea following the...

MINISTERS
Telavi in, Toafa out after three-month stint

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 26, 2010) – Tuvalu has a new prime minister with Willie Telavi winning this morning’s vote by the narrowest of margins, 8 to 7.

This followed a no confidence motion in the former prime minister Maatia Toafa earlier this week.

Mr Toafa was only elected to the post in late September, but Mr Telavi, his home affairs minister, withdrew his support.

It’s reported that Mr Telavi had been promised the top position if he joined the opposition.

Enele Sopoaga, who was also a minister in the previous government, was the losing candidate in the prime ministerial contest.

Mr Telavi has now been sworn in.