Wednesday 11th February, 2004 |
In brief
Fa’afunua’s seat contested
Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza is confident his party will regain the parliamentary seat vacated by his jailed Minister for Aviation. Last week former Aviation Minister Daniel Fa’afunua was sent to prison for three years for extortion — demanding money with menace from the publisher of the Solomon Star newspaper. Fa’afunua won the seat of North Malaita for the Prime Minister’s Peoples Alliance Party in the December 2001 elections, but following his conviction and imprisonment is now banned from parliament. A date for the by-election has not yet been set.
Fijian guard injured in attack
FIJI: A local guard serving with Global Risk Strategies has become the latest casualty in Iraq after sustaining massive head injuries from a mortar attack yesterday. 41-year-old Lance Corporal Tomasi Ramatau was on duty at the time at the Baghdad International Airport when he was fired upon by unidentified hostile Iraqis. A second guard was also injured in the attack. Mr Ramatau, from Bua in Vanua Levu, was with a fellow guard Private Tevita Tukana when they were fired upon. He was hit by shrapnel from the mortar shell which is believed to have been fired from outside the airport perimeter.
Aussie currency for SI urged
SOLOMON ISlands: Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman and east Kwaio MP Alfred Sasako has urged the Solomon Islands government to reconsider the idea of the country using the Australian currency. Mr Sasako said the fact that much of what Australia had intended to do as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has now been completed, and the economy is the critical factor to rebuilding the nation, but in order for the economy to improve, the country needs foreign investors who come in to make business and at the same time have confidence in the currency. He says the Solomon Islands currency has had a downhill slide since the devaluation two years ago, and the only way to arrest the descent is to reactivate the debate on the idea put forward by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard about the region having a common currency.
Home-made gun seized
FIJI: For the second time in two months, police in the North have seized a home-made gun. Following the weekend find, two men are being questioned at the Labasa police station. Home-made guns are a new phenomenon in Fiji, but are very common in troubled Papua New Guinea. The report of a theft started the police investigation that led to the discovery. The complainant had bought a gun for 300 dollars, but not long after the purchase it was stolen, allegedly by the very person who had sold the gun to the complainant. Police then raided a village in the interior of Macuata, where they found the gun buried, and arrested the man alleged to have sold the gun. He then implicated another man and both are now being questioned. So far there seems to be nothing to indicate who made the firearm.
Probe into soil contamination
COOK ISLANDS: A New Zealand scientist will investigate soil contamination at a Cook Islands school after a health scare left people complaining of eye, nose and throat problems. Titikaveka College on the south side of Rarotonga was closed last year after soil around the playing field was found to contain high concentrations of chromium, but the contaminant has still not been conclusively identified. The Cook Islands Environment Service has voluntarily stopped excavating at the site until the investigation is completed. A detailed report is expected in about three weeks.
Telpac fights legislation ban
FIJI: Once again, Telpac is increasing the tempo in its fight against government and existing telecommunication providers in Fiji. Prevented by after-the-event legislation which closed their internet phone services last year, the telecommunications company is confident even local legislation can’t stop them from providing a new service which allows residents to call without going through Telecom. The company said its new diamond technology — which anyone can register for online — is already affecting Fintel’s business, because customers can talk overseas at much cheaper rates through a call-back service. Fiji One TV says it knows of at least six large companies which have large volumes of daily overseas telephone traffic using the service. Now Telepac even wants to take a bite at Telecom’s services providing local long distance calls.
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