You are here

Home › 2015 › February 2015 ›

Articles Search

Search results

Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

Solomons Port Employees Vote On Whether To Join Union

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Strike threat forces management to agree to poll

By Eddie Osifelo

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Feb. 4, 2015) – About 171 employees of Solomon Islands Port Authority (SIPA) will vote in a blind ballot today in Honiara to determine a majority rule on whether to join union or not after proposing a strike.

SIPA management agreed to use the democratic process after the employees have signed on a 28-day strike notice.

The notice was served on the management Tuesday last week and is due 23rd February.

The strike threat came as SIPA welcomed its new chief executive officer (CEO), Australian Collin Yow, last week.

The employees decided on that course of action after the management refused to allow its employees to join Workers Union of Solomon Islands (WUSI).

WUSI was established after the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers (SINUW) was deregistered on the orders of the High Court.

Mr Yow told Solomon Star yesterday,...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

Liquid Waste From Guam Dump Gets Wastewater Treatment

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Leachate from Ordot no longer flowing into ocean, rivers

By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Feb. 4, 2015) – Efforts to deal with the environmental legacy of the Ordot dump reached another milestone a few days ago.

A new wastewater line that transfers liquid waste out of the old dump to the Hagåtña wastewater treatment plant was put into service a few days ago, stated GHD, a contractor working on the project in a report Monday to District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood.

For the first time, leachate, or what the judge called "garbage juice," from the mountain of trash at Ordot, no longer flows into Guam's ocean and rivers without getting treated at the wastewater plant, Tydingco-Gatewood said.

Every day, more than 48,000 gallons of liquid waste from Ordot would flow to the Hagåtña wastewater treatment plant, a report submitted to the federal court estimates.

The wastewater treatment plant...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

China’s Subsidized Fishing Fleet Driving Down Tuna Prices

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

China’s Subsidized Fishing Fleet Driving Down Tuna Prices Western Pacific Fishery Management Council: U.S. fleet threatened

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 4, 2015) – An official of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council says China's heavily subsidised fishing fleet is driving the price of tuna down.

Speaking at a hearing in American Samoa, Eric Kingma, says one of biggest threats facing the U.S. fishing fleet in the region is China's fleet harvesting a large quantity of albacore tuna.

He says due to a greater number of Chinese vessels in the region, there are thousands more tons of albacore being harvested on the high-seas and in the exclusive economic zones of American Samoa's neighbours.

Mr Kingma says China's albacore harvest ten years ago was about 3,000 tons but the current catch level is ten times that.

"China is providing subsidies to its fishing vessels for vessel construction, labour, fuel and when...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Visits Fiji

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Current bilateral issues, areas for new cooperation to be discussed

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Feb. 3, 2015) – Russia's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov, arrives in Fiji tomorrow, for a series of meetings aimed to further bilateral relations between the two countries.

The visit marks the first Senior Official Level undertaking after the finalization the Fiji-Russia Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Senior Government Officials Meeting.

The draft MOU was finalised during a meeting between the Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The final text of the MOU is expected to be signed during this visit.

During his stay, Morgulov is expected to meet with Fiji's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and Minister for Immigration, National Security and Defence, Timoci Natuva.

The meetings will center on discussions on the current bilateral issues and prospective areas for...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

PNG Police Union Calls For Sacking Of All Top Cops

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Breakdown in command, control indicates ‘bad leadership’

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Feb. 4, 2015) – Sack the entire police hierarchy, says Police Association general secretary Clemence Kanau.

Mr Kanau made the call yesterday following the general breakdown of command and control in the police force in the first month of this year.

"Despite our continuous effort to improve our members’ working conditions in welfare, salary and accommodation, we seem to have deep rooted problems in the code of conduct of our members which, the police union believes, is a sign of bad leadership in the police force," Mr Kanau said.

He said it is those in command and control of the force, which may be regarded as the catalysts for the trend of rising misdemeanour. He urged the Government to make a full change to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC). Mr Kanau said there should be a complete change in the top police hierarchy, which had failed...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

CNMI Governor Breaks Silence About Health Condition

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Inos "Okay" after treatment for symptoms of pneumonia

By Joel D. Pinaroc

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Feb. 4, 2015) – Gov. Eloy S. Inos finally broke his silence on his noticeable absence from public view with a statement yesterday that said he is "okay."

His absence in the last few days due to medical concerns has triggered questions and speculations. Inos was last seen in public on Jan. 12, 2015, during the inauguration of the new administration.

"Over the last few days, there have been many questions concerning my well-being. It is only fitting that I let you know what is going on," Inos said in the statement.

According to Inos, he has been "interned at the Commonwealth Health Center for what the doctors were calling symptoms of pneumonia."

"Because of the need to make sure that the treatment I have been given alleviates those symptoms, the doctors held me back, and I have complied with their orders," he said.

The governor cited...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb
admin's picture

Obama Budget Includes $227 Million For Guam Construction

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Bordallo: Proposal ‘reinforces Guam's strategic importance’

By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Feb. 4, 2015) – President Obama's budget proposal for next fiscal year includes $125 million for the construction of a firing range complex at Andersen Air Force Base's Northwest Field.

The proposed live-fire training range complex has been characterized in military buildup documents as key to the relocation of about 5,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

The proposed firing range touched off debate in the local civilian community last year. While the proposed location for the firing range is within existing military property, part of the adjacent wildlife refuge, which includes a portion of popular Ritidian beach, would sometimes be closed to the public as a safety precaution during live-fire training.

President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal 2016 lists a total of $266.9 million in proposed military construction projects on...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb

Korea, Cook Islands Fishing Deal May Be Long-Term

Submitted by piradmin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources Rarotonga, Cook Islands

February 3, 2015

The Ministry of Marine Resources hopes a historic bilateral purse seine fishing arrangement between South Korea and the Cook Islands worth an estimated $4 million will turn into a longer term partnership.

The Cook Islands will expand its purse seine fishery this year through a new initiative approved by Cabinet two weeks ago.

The Ministry says the country’s fishery is expected to generate an estimated $10 million in revenue for 2015.

Cabinet recently agreed to a new access arrangement with South Korean fishing company Silla Co. Ltd for 400 days of purse seining in Cook Islands waters, worth an estimated $4 million. Another 300 days of bilateral fishing with the US fleet was also approved, worth an estimated $3...

+ continue reading
Wed
04
Feb

First Official Meeting to Promote National Unity Held In FSM

Submitted by piradmin on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

FSM Information Services Palikir, Pohnpei, FSM

February 3, 2015

The first official meeting to promote National Unity took place at the College of Micronesia (COM) National campus on January 29, 2015. Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Emanuel (Manny) Mori met with COM staff and students to exchange views on the Chuuk State Government’s Secession Initiative.

In front of a standing audience, the President expressed profound gratitude for the students’ positive response to meet. It reflects they care about what the future holds for them. That was one of the reasons COM-FSM was chosen as the first ground to enlist support against secession given the number of Chuukese students there that could potentially be impacted from secession. He indicated that some may not be aware of the full implication...

+ continue reading
Thu
05
Feb
admin's picture

Tuvalu PM Pledges To Review Constitution If Reelected

Submitted by admin on Thu, 02/05/2015 - 00:00

Sopoaga, facing voters in March, still has work to do

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 5, 2015) – Tuvalu's Prime Minister has pledged to review the country's constitution if re-elected in March, saying his administration has worked hard to stabilise politics in the country.

Enele Sopoaga, who became Prime Minister in 2013 after a vote of no confidence that overthrew Willie Telavi, who himself became Prime Minister after a vote of no confidence, says his government has achieved a lot in a short time.

He says politics in Tuvalu are now much more settled after electoral laws were tightened and what he calls foreign interests who tried to influence voting were removed.

However, Mr Sopoaga says there are still more changes he wants to make.

"When we get in, we'll further look into other areas of the constitution that we need to review as a whole - we cannot do it bit-by-bit. We have to review the constitution as relevant...

+ continue reading

Pages

Filter by date created:

Filter by article category: