PAC - Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association articles from January 2004

PAC - Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association archives from January 2004

Toothless agency sits on 799 land disputes.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - A total of 799 land disputes nationwide, some dating back 20 years, are still before the two State organs responsible for resolving land matters. No rulings have been made simply because these...

Agreement near over French debt.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) - The Cook Islands Government is close to finalising negotiations on a debt restructuring agreement with the French government over loans to the Cook Islands. Minister of Finance Tapi Taio announced...

Solomon unions threatens workers will strike.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) - The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions says the prime ministers decision to award only a 2-point-5 percent salary increase to public servants will send the wrong signal to workers, who may go on strike....

USDA: Meat status to be available today.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 HAGATNA (Pacnews) - US Federal officials are still trying to determine whether meat with parts of a Washington state cow infected by mad cow disease was sent to Guam. Matt Baun, spokesman at the U.S. Department of...

Royal Tongan Airlines help Tongans home for Christmas.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 HONOLULU (Pacnews) - Tonga's Prime Minister, Prince Ulukalala Lavaka-Ata, saw a big queue of fellow Tongans in Honolulu on New year's eve and was told many Tongans could not make it home for celebrations because the national...

Students having difficulty finding jobs.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 SAIPAN (Pacnews) - The Chinese students of Saipan University are experiencing difficulty finding jobs on Saipan despite getting their temporary work authorization from the CNMI government. Many students said they prefer to...

No recalled beef came to Hawai'i.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 HONOLULU (Pacnews) - U.S. meat inspectors now say that Hawai'i markets did not receive any of the beef that was recalled because of a case of mad cow disease in Washington state. On Monday, the U.S. Department of...

Luganville says 2003 bad business year.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 PORT VILA (Pacnews) - One of Vanuatu's prominent businessman, Edward Ah Yuen, of Santo has urged the government to find ways to help develop the economy starting from the rural sector upwards. Mr Ah Yuen also raised grave...

Palau bans Marianas betel nuts.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 KOROR (Pacnews) - The Palau Bureau of Agriculture has warned against bringing betel nuts from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands into Palau. Agriculture Director Herman Francisco said a fungal disease...

New palm oil plant adds to export revenue.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - After a full year of operation, New Britain Palm Oil Ltd.'s palm oil refinery in Kimbe is expected to have increased PNG's export earnings by around US$6 million (K20.7 million), according to PNG...

Pride of region rests on 10 PNG cricketers.
January 1, 2004... 01 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - Ten Papua New Guinea cricket players named in the inaugural East Asia-Pacific (EAP) team will fly out on New Years day for the Australian Country Cricket Championships in Mount Gambier, South Australia....

Fiji tribes to get control of coastline.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- Fiji is to give ownership of its tourist-rich coastal areas to indigenous tribes - in contrast to New Zealand's decision to extinguish the right of Maori to claim freehold title to the seabed and...

Australia's Qantas to take on upstart Virgin Blue in 2004.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2003 CANBERRA (Pacnews) --- Australian flag carrier Qantas will face an uphill fight against incursions by British tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin Blue in 2004, according to analysts. Qantas Airways Ltd. chief executive Geoff...

Fiji to open consulate in India.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Fiji's new diplomatic mission in India will officially be opened in April this year. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ross Ligairi says the original date was set for February however this has...

Agreement near over French debt.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2003 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) --- Cook Islands is close to finalising negotiations on a debt restructuring agreement with the French government over loans taken years ago. Minister of Finance Tapi Taio announced that he was pleased...

Health Department issues SARS re-emergence warning.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 KOROR (Pacnews) - Palau's Bureau of Public Health has issued a travel advisory regarding the possible re-emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The advisory was issued following reports that the Chinese...

Students plan political rally.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) - Members of the Solomon Island Students Association (SISA) are organising what they are calling a political party rally in the capital Honiara next week. SISA president, William Karamui told SIBC news that...

Government serious about media laws.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) - Tonga's new media law is now well and truly established in the country. Gazetted copies of the new media legislation were immediately introduced at Christmas Eve, the Matangi Tonga reports. The...

Fraudster jailed for 20 years.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 SAIPAN (Pacnews) A Saipan businessman, Bert Douglas Montgomery will spend 20 years in jail for his role in the conspiracy to defraud Bank of Saipan. U.S. District Court Judge Alex R. Munson imposed a 60-month jail term for...

Marshallese community takes root in Texas.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 TEXAS (Pacnews) - Recent statistics are showing that many Marshall Islanders are settling in Texas when they arrive in the USA. Reports even suggest that one need not to be in the Marshall Islands at this time to enjoy our...

Council of chiefs lobby for release from prison of four senior police officers.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 PORT VILA (Pacnews) --- A request for pardon has been made to Vanuatu's Head of State Vanuatu, Father John Bani on behalf of four former senior police officers imprisoned for mutiny. The Vanuatu Daily Post newspaper has...

French President Chirac's visit was highlight of 2003 for French Polynesia.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 PAPEETE (Pacnews) ---A report from French Polynesia says one of the highlights of Year 2003 was the visit to the French territory of the French President, Jacques Chirac in July. That visit, according to the Tahiti Presse,...

Palau fugitive arrested in the Northern Marianas.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 SAIPAN (Pacnews) --- United States agents have arrested a man on Saipan who has been a fugitive from Palau since 2001 for trafficking methamphetamine or "ice." Audy MacDonald Maldangasang, 40, was brought before U.S....

Guam's plan to tap into Chinese tourism market looks positive.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2004 HAGTNA (Pacnews) ---The possibility of Guam tapping into the 17 million strong Chinese tourism market appears to be getting stronger after a positive meeting between Gov. Felix P. Camacho and visiting members of China's foreign...

Former politician and government minister knighted by the Queen.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- A former politician and government minister is the only Knight named in the Queen's New Year's Honours for Papua New Guinea. He is Martin ToVadek from East New Britain Province. Mr ToVadek was a...

Fiji man heads Commonwealth Veterinary Association.
January 2, 2004... 02 JANUARY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) - Fiji's Robin H Yarrow has been appointed the new world President of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA). The association has membership of 52 Commonwealth countries and he succeeds Dr Bert Stevenson of...

PM Malielegaoi leads charge to brace against Cyclone Heta.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2005 APIA (Pacnews) - Samoan Prime Minister, Malielegaoi Tuilaepa Sailele, is leading a selected group of Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and senior government officials to inspect roads, coastal areas and other public...

Tonga and Niue in the path of cyclone Heta.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- The small island nation of Niue is bracing itself for tropical cyclone Heta, currently hitting the western part of Samoa. The Fiji Meteorological Centre has issued a tropical cyclone alert for Niue,...

Unions to consider nation-wide strike action.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) - All public sector unions in Solomon Islands meet in the capital, Honiara tomorrow (06 Jan) to consider a nation-wide strike. Chairman of all Public Sector Unions and Associations' Joint Consultative...

Information Minister favours Media Bill squash.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) - Fiji's Minister for Information & Media Relations, Simione Kaitani, has reportedly said he would recommend that a proposed Fiji Media Bill be thrown out. A report in The Fiji Times on 1 January 2004,...

Niue on an election countdown.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews) - Niueans have 15 months to go before the next general election on Niue. Niue News reports that there are predictions that current Finance Minister, Toke Talagi, could become island's new Premier, replacing...

Parliament may have breached law governing people's power.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - A Papua New Guinea Government task force reviewing the draft Bougainville Constitution says that the validity of the amendment to the National Constitution giving legislative powers to a Bougainville...

Tiebreaker vote or straw count for parliament race.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANAURY 2004 MAJURO (Pacnews) - Ballots from the Marshall Islands' parliament race for Ailinglaplap have once again been subjected to a recount. Incumbent Senator Christopher Loeak, who also holds the traditional leader title of...

Cyclone Heta does damage and moves on in North East Pacific.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 PACIFIC (Pacnews) - Some villagers on American Samoa's shoreline escaped injuries when Cyclone Heta waves hit the island nation, Radio New Zealand International reports. A home owner in Poloa Village heard waves on the sound...

Fiji to sign deal with US on world court.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) - Fiji will sign an agreement with the United States of America exempting American citizens from being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes committed in Fiji, creating an uproar from non...

Pohnpei gubernatorial candidate under probe.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 KOLONIA (Pacnews) - Defeated Pohnpei gubernatorial candidate William Iriarte and his wife, Lily Jean, are the subject of an investigation by the state Attorney General's Office for their alleged mishandling of insurance policy...

NZ workers to start housing project soon.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews) - New Zealand workmen are likely to make a start replacing asbestos roofs on Niuean homes within the next few months. The Niue government is reported to want the NZD$10 million (USD$6.595m) project completed...

Squash growers seek loan funds to meet debts.
January 5, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 NUKA'LOFA (Pacnews) - The Tongan Squash Exporters' Council is seeking a TOP6 million (USD$2.593m) loan for the purpose of compensating squash growers who were hurt by low returns from their sale of squash to Japan this year. ...

French National Assembly to vote on Tahiti's increased autonomy statute next week.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 PAPEETE (Pacnews) --- The proposed organic law, which approves autonomy for the French Pacific territory of French Polynesia will now go before the French National Assembly on Jan. 13. French Polynesia Government President...

United Nations mission in Bougainville extended for another six months.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- The United Nations has extended its Observer Mission (UNOMB) Bougainville by another six month. It has also brought in new staff for the office. The UN political office on Bougainville Mission...

Afghan detainees may be granted refugee status, UNHCR official says.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 YAREN (Pacnews) --- A United Nations representative says some Afghan detainees on Nauru may be granted refugee status. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees regional representative, Michel Gabaudan, says some of the people...

Palau murder suspect pleads not guilty.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 KOROR (Pacnews) --- A Palau man who told police he had smoked crystal methamphetamine before allegedly killing a missionary pastor, his wife and 11-year-old son with "a large stick" has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity....

Bougainville trouble makers warned.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- Bougainvilleans who carry out any adverse activities within the Solomon Islands have been warned that they will be found and dealt with. Retired Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) Commander, General...

Cooks' garlands in big Hawaiian demand.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) - Cook Islands flowers are in big demand in Hawaii, reports the Cook Islands News The Hawaiian market is demanding more maire ei, a kind of sweet-smelling flowery garland widely used by Polynesians for...

Niue on red alert as cyclone approaches.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews) --- For the first time in its history, the tiny Pacific island nation of Niue is on red alert, as it awaits the impact of Cyclone Heta, which is expected to hit at 0600 UTC (6pm today - Fiji time). Radio...

Nauru calls for Australian responsibility as hunger strike worsens.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 YAREN (Pacnews) - As the hunger strike in Nauru escalates, Nauru's Minister for Finance, Kinza Clodumar, has condemned the Australian Government's inaction and dismissal of its responsibility to asylum seekers. In a...

Regional workshop participants encouraged to enhance existing capacities.
January 6, 2004... APT-ACA WORKSHOP ON REGULATORY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES 06 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) - Regional participants at the Asia Pacific Telecommunity-Australian Communications Authority (APT/ACA) workshop now underway...

Panguna joins peace process.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 PANGUNA (Pacnews) - Bougainville's untouched area, has at last opened up to join the peace process - but at its own pace, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army said last Friday. About 85 high-powered guns, homemade weapons -...

Tourists take shelter at High Commissioner's residence.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews) ---Niue is currently facing Cyclone Heta, say New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials in Wellington. MOFA executive, Brad Tatterfield, told PACNEWS they have been in contact with New Zealand...

PM Somare sacks acting Fisheries Minister.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - Papua New Guinea's acting Fisheries Minister Peter O'Neill has been removed from the ministry following his unauthorised approval of 17 fishing licences to Asian companies, sources have revealed. ...

Series of quakes jolt islands in New Caledonia.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 NOUMEA (Pacnews) - Nearly 20 powerful earthquakes have rocked islands in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia since late December, the Institute of Research and Development (IRD) said yesterday (05 Jan). In all...

Minister orders investigation into downed chopper.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) - Fiji's Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Josefa Vosanibola, has ordered an investigation into an accident, involving Helicopter DQFIH owned by Pacific Crown, last Tuesday (30 Dec). Mr Vosanibola is...

FSM islands report steady recovery.
January 6, 2004... 06 JANUARY 2004 PALIKIR (Pacnews) - Islands in the outer regions of the Federated States of Micronesia reported a steady recovery after their beating by November's Typhoon Lupit. Lupit hit the outer islands of Yap and Chuuk states in the...

Cyclone Heta: worst in living memory.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews) --- Niue's Premier Vivian Young today expressed his deep concern over the devastation of Cyclone Heta in his tiny island nation, saying that it has "knocked my little country back to square one". Premier...

Agencies combine to fight crime.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) - A Combined Law Agency Group (CLAG) has been launched in Cook Islands obligating all government ministries and departments to network for national and transnational security purposes. Cook Islands News...

Note re-elected Marshalls President.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 MAJURO (Pacnews) - Kessai Note has been re-elected President of the Marshall Islands. Members of the Nitijela gave the Jabat District Senator the second nod in its 2004 opening session this week. Yokwe quotes sources as...

PM firm over award.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) - Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza has maintained his government made the right decision by waiving or slightly altering civil servants' pay increases awarded by the Trade Dispute Panel. ...

Australian dollar reaches new high.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 CANBERRA (Pacnews) - Australian analysts predict the Australian dollar could break through the US 80 cents barrier this year, after hitting a new six-and-a-half year high overnight. The dollar reached US$0.7727 in offshore...

Wellington to put on party sevens.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) - The New Zealand capital, Wellington, is planning a big party at the annual Wellington Sevens Rugby tournament next month. New Zealand Rugby Union Deputy Chief Executive Steve Tew said Wellington would...

Barter decries Bougainville report.
January 7, 2004... PACNEWS DIGEST The views expressed in PACNEWS DIGEST are those of agencies contributing articles and not necessarily those of PIBA and/or PACNEWS 07 JANUARY 2004 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Minister for...

Division between Fiji Government and army widens.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Division between the Fiji Government and its military force appears to have widened this week, with the commander of the Fiji army pointing fingers at bureaucrats claiming they are behind moves to remove him...

Cyclone damages houses and fruit trees.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) --- Cyclone Heta's gale force winds created major damage to houses and fruit-bearing trees on the northern island of Niuatoputapu when it struck last night, an initial assessment team has concluded. ...

EPG report expected in a few weeks.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 FORUM (Pacnews) - The findings of a group of prominent Pacific Islanders tasked to conduct a review of the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat should be ready in a few weeks' time. New Zealand Foreign Affairs spokesperson,...

Taiwanese fishing vessel skipper sentenced to six months jail, heavy fines.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 NOUMEA (Pacnews) --- Forty-nine year-old Lin Ven Chang, a Taiwanese national and skipper of Taiwanese fishing vessel San Sheng 168 has been sentenced to six months jail with a total of US$180,000 fine for illegally fishing in...

Foreign fishing companies restricted from fishing in archipelago waters.
January 7, 2004... 07 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Foreign fishing companies are now restricted from fishing in Fiji's archipelago waters, now declared by government as traditional fishing grounds, Radio Fiji reports. The Fisheries Ministry has warned...

Villagers escape destructive winds.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 APIA (Pacnews) - Coastal villages on the Samoan island of Savai'i have narrowly escaped the full force of the first tropical cyclone of the season. Cyclone Heta passed less than 30 kilometres from the main village on...

Report asks NZ to take Nauru refugees.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) - A report on Nauru's asylum-seekers commissioned by the Australian Government recommends New Zealand accept them as refugees. The report - to be released today - says political intervention by New...

Tongan-registered cargo ship sinks off Algeria.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 ALGIERS (Pacnews) - Spanish and Algerian search teams on Sunday rescued the 12 crew members of a Tongan cargo ship which sank off the Algerian coast on Saturday, the official Algerian news agency APS said. It said the ship...

PM plans for 2004 government reform.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Sir Allan Kemakeza says his government has plans to implement its reform programme this year. PM Kemakeza says this include the restructuring of the public service, state...

Fans applaud Serevi inclusion.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) - The inclusion of Waisele Serevi, known as the world's number one sevens rugby player, in the Fiji national team for the Wellington tournament next month has received overwhelming support from rugby followers....

African footballer to visit Vanuatu.
January 7, 2004... 05 JANUARY 2004 PORT VILA (Pacnews) - Football fans in Vanuatu will have the opportunity to meet one Africa's most famous soccer players when former Ghana international Abedi Pele makes a visit to the Vanuatu capital later this month. ...

Emergency relief supplies from New Zealand arrives in cyclone-ravaged Niue.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 ALOFI (Pacnews ) --- A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 aircraft with emergency relief supplies and personnel have landed on Niue this morning to assist the cyclone-ravaged Pacific Island nation. The aircraft has a...

Nauru would welcome Australian doctors to assist hunger strikers.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 YAREN (Pacnews) --- The Government of Nauru would welcome a delegation of doctors from the Australian Medical Association to visit Nauru to assist the medical care of asylum seekers who are on hunger strike, a government...

French Polynesia's autonomy bill to be debated next week.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 PARIS (Pacnews) --- A new autonomy status for French Polynesia will be debated next week in the French National Assembly. The first of three major legislative hurdles was overcome last month, when France's upper House...

Health authorities declare dengue epidemic.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) --- Health authorities have declared a dengue epidemic in Tonga. This follows the confirmation that a 74 year-old man in the Nuku'alofa area has been diagnosed with the most dangerous type of dengue...

RAMSI asked to look at root causes of problems.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) with all its great achievements is failing to touch the root causes of the troubles affecting Solomon Islands. This is the view of doctor John...

China and FSM sign MOU to recognise tuna resource.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 POHNPEI (Pacnews) - A memorandum of fisheries cooperation has been signed between the People's Republic of China and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to recognise the importance of tuna resource in the Pacific. Both...

Rarotonga takes massive battering from effects of Cyclone Heta.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) --- The west coast of Rarotonga took a massive battering from towering seas yesterday as the effects of cyclone Heta were felt, 500km from the centre of the storm. Cook Islands News reports that huge...

Prince Tu'ipelehake calls on Australia to pressure Tonga for democratic change.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) --- In an unprecedented move by a member of the Tongan Royal Family, Prince Tu'ipelehake has called on the Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, to use his influence to pressure the Tongan...

Vanstone defends Nauru care.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 CANBERRA (Pacnews) ---Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone on Tuesday (06 Jan) insisted the care given to hunger strikers on Nauru was more than adequate, after criticism by the Nauruan Government. Nauru's...

Payroll is single largest government recurrent expense.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- The single biggest cost in Solomon Islands 2004 recurrent budget is the public sector payroll which accounts for more than SBD$188. 8 million (US$25.401 million). This accounts to over 52 percent of the...

China is Northern Marianas next best market.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 SAIPAN (Pacnews) --- The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) government is shifting its efforts to lure Chinese visitors into the Northern Marianas, with the institution of permanent direct flights between Saipan and a...

Christmas Island airport likely to be ready by the end next month.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 SUVA (Pacnews) ---- Kiribati says Cassidy airport on Christmas Island is expected to be operational by the end of next month, after a two-month delay. The airport will replace Johnston Atoll airport as an emergency landing...

School tied to fraud case.
January 8, 2004... 08 JANUARY 2004 HAGANA (Pacnews) -- The man indicted by federal authorities on charges of receiving more than US$500,000 in fees from dozens of Chinese nationals, who were promised they would study and work in a golf-course-dotted Saipan...