You are here

Home › Top Stories ›

Articles Search

Search results

Mon
14
Sep

Commonwealth Youth Games Wraps Up In Samoa

Submitted by piradmin on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 11:23

Now that the Commonwealth Youth Games is done and dusted, it is time to look ahead. For that reason, the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, Magele Mauiliu Magele is optimistic about the future of sports in Samoa. Speaking during a press conference to end the Games, Magele said having the elite young athletes from around the world in Samoa was a learning process for the locals. “As a sporting nation, I think the fact that there are international teams (here) has helped our athletes,” said the Minister. “Having athletes stand on the podium with the medals around their necks and listening to the national anthem I think that’s really captivated our people and I’m sure our young athletes would’ve been inspired to become better.”

+ continue reading
Mon
14
Sep

Tongan Artist Wins Residency At New York Program

Submitted by piradmin on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 11:28

Tongan artist Visesio Siasau is off to New York with his family for a six-months residency after being named Paramount Award Winner for his huge tapa work in the 24th Annual Wallace Art Awards in New Zealand. Visesio, known as Sio, accompanied by his wife Serene Tay a painter of Chinese-Maori descent and daughter Sei, was named winner at Pah Homestead last week, with a residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Program.

+ continue reading
Mon
15
Sep
admin's picture

FORUM SUMMIT BEGINS IN COOK ISLANDS WEDNESDAY

Submitted by admin on Mon, 09/15/1997 - 00:00

By Michael J. Field

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (September 14, 1997 - Agence France Presse)---While the scattered Cook Islands feel like paradise, 16 Pacific prime ministers and presidents flying in for a summit opening Wednesday come knowing that image counts for little and that, in fact, many are economic basket cases.

At least that is the message regional super-power Australia, with a lack of subtly, has delivered.

High level Pacific officials here say Canberra's hectoring, which verges on bullying, is not going down well and Australian Prime Minister John Howard will be on the mat.

The 28th annual South Pacific Forum brings together the heads of Australia, Cooks, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The setting is pure postcard. Rarotonga is a small round island with a rugged, high and green interior, dominated...

+ continue reading
Fri
26
Sep
admin's picture

PNG KINA PLUNGES AGAIN

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/26/1997 - 00:00

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (September 25, 1997 - PACNEWS)--- Papua New Guinea's currency, the kina, continued to plunge into uncharted territory Wednesday, losing 25 points against the US dollar and looking set to slip under US 68 cents.

The currency closed at US 68.05 cents Wednesday and also fell against the Australian dollar to Aud 94.55 cents, the Post-Courier newspaper reports.

The kina has now lost Aus 1.54 cents since last Thursday when it finished at Aud 96.09 cents.

While moving sharply at various times, the kina has generally held its rate against the Australian dollar this year, but has fallen markedly against the all-important greenback.

The kina has lost 8.4 percent against the US dollar since it closed on January 2 at US 74.25 cents.

On July 1, the PNG currency closed at US 71.35 cents and it began September at US 70.50 cents, with losses by the close of trade Wednesday of 4.6 percent and 3.5 percent respectively.

+ continue reading
Fri
05
Sep
admin's picture

INDIA NOW LIKELY TO SUPPORT FIJI'S COMMONWEALTH BID

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/05/1997 - 00:00

SUVA, Fiji (September 4, 1997 - PACNEWS)---India now is likely to support Fiji's bid to re-enter the Commonwealth, following talks this week between Fiji's opposition leader, Jai Ram Reddy, and Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral in New Delhi.

An Indian External Affairs Ministry official said the talks were very "positive."

Reddy flew to India last week to brief Indian leaders about recent constitutional developments in Fiji, which restore political rights to Fijians of Indian ethnicity, and also to lobby in support of Fiji's bid to resume membership in the Commonwealth, which it let lapse following the military coups of 1987.

British constitutional experts and the governments of Australia and New Zealand have already announced they support Fiji's bid.

Neighboring island countries also have written to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to inform him of their support. The latest positive vote came from Papua New Guinea.

A decision regarding Fiji's...

+ continue reading
Fri
19
Sep
admin's picture

AUSTRALIA ACCUSED OF AID BLACKMAIL

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/19/1997 - 00:00

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (September 17, 1997 -Niuswire/Post-Courier)---Australia was accused yesterday of using $450 million in Pacific aid to blackmail island nations into compromising their stance on climate change at this week's South Pacific Forum.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard remained defiant in the face of mounting opposition within the region to his greenhouse plan while his Cook Islands counterpart Sir Geoffrey Henry said global warming had been reduced to a battle between "Australian jobs versus homes in the Pacific."

Australian Opposition deputy leader Gareth Evans said Australia had become an international laughing stock because of the federal government's refusal to accept binding targets for cutting greenhouse emissions.

Mr. Howard was due to arrive here tonight to attend the 16-nation South Pacific leaders' meeting, with the 14 island nations lining up against Australia on climate change.

Australia was warned it could face a...

+ continue reading
Fri
26
Sep
admin's picture

VANUATU AND CHINA TO DISCUSS RENEWING HYDRO-

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/26/1997 - 00:00

ELECTRIC PROJECT

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (September 25, 1997 - PACNEWS)---A high level delegation from China will visit Vanuatu next week to consider the future of the now abandoned Brenwei hydro-electric project on Malekula Island.

The head of Vanuatu's Energy Unit, Leo Moli, says the team will hold talks with the government, to decide on whether the project should continue or be terminated.

Moli says the Vanuatu government will need to make its specific interests known to the Chinese delegation to assure its cooperation.. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Sato Kilman is expected to call a meeting with government authorities shortly to develop specific financial assistance and procedural proposals.

The Brenwei hydro-power project was abandoned in 1995 for a combination of political and technical reasons, amid land disputes and a law suit by land owners over damage caused to cash crops in the area by the China Chang Jiang Electricity Corporation, the...

+ continue reading
Fri
26
Sep
admin's picture

FIJI PURSUING ASIAN IMMIGRATION PLAN

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/26/1997 - 00:00

SUVA, Fiji (September 25, 1997 - PACNEWS)---The Fiji Trade and Investment Board (FTIB) is moving ahead with a business immigration plan aimed at luring Chinese from Hong Kong to live and invest in Fiji.

The project was turned over to the FTIB after the Fiji government decided it did not want to continue pursuing it, The Daily Post newspaper reports.

According to FTIB chief executive Jesoni Vitusagavulu, his organization is working on developing an immigration plan which Fiji can call its own. He said similar projects already are being implemented throughout the world, such as those underway in New Zealand and Canada.

"But we want to develop our own scheme, which is different from the rest of the schemes, and at the same time attractive enough to lure investors," he said.

FTIB already has met with representatives of companies and other organizations which had submitted proposals to the Fiji government earlier, indicating their interest in the government's...

+ continue reading
Thu
18
Sep
admin's picture

VANUATU PM VOHOR ACCUSED OF PASSPORT SCANDAL INVOLVEMENT

Submitted by admin on Thu, 09/18/1997 - 00:00

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (September 17, 1997 - PACNEWS)---Vanuatu's former Finance Minister, Willie Jimmy, has accused several government officials, including Prime Minister, Serge Vohor, of being involved in the Melanesian country's simmering passport scandal.

Jimmy said he had proof that Vohor had written a letter to the Citizenship Commission, stating that certain Asian people were to be made honorary citizens and that they should be given certificates of honorary Vanuatu citizenship, Radio Vanuatu reports.

Commission Chairman Kepwe Manwo has admitted receiving a letter from the Prime Minister instructing him to issue honorary citizenship to each of 11 Asian nationals.

Manwo said the process was a normal procedure, adding that the Prime Minister has the power to recommend honorary citizenship for foreigners, who are then issued with Vanuatu passports by the Department of Immigration.

Manwo says three or four of the Asians currently are involved in...

+ continue reading
Mon
08
Sep
admin's picture

MARSHALLS NUCLEAR FUND STRONG AT OVER $100 MILLION

Submitted by admin on Mon, 09/08/1997 - 00:00

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (September 4, 1997 - Marshall Islands Journal)---The nuclear claims fund is still over $100 million strong, after the latest quarterly payment that brings total payouts to the Marshalls to $194.7 million, according to fund manager Dan Roland.

Roland, Smith Barney's executive based in Guam, will be visiting Majuro from September 10-15 to report to government and island clients about the progress of the fund.

The fund stands at about $103 million, he said.

With $75 million more to be paid out during the next four years to meet Compact of Free Association requirements, "the question is not whether we'll be able to make the payments, but how much will be left in 2001," Roland said.

"The last several years, we couldn't have asked for better conditions (on the stock market)."

The stock market has been "choppy" the last three weeks after several years of explosive growth, he said. While the recent developments are making some...

+ continue reading

Pages

Filter by article category: