from the islands press

From an article in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier on an incident between a provincial premier and one of his ministers.

Asked why the Premier had refused his company, Mr Heboume said; “Maybe because I was under the influence of liquor. I was very angry and smashed the Premier’s car windscreen and one other.”

From The Fiji Times Flotsam & Jetsam column commenting on the vigilance of the local police force.

A sword seller had cunningly placed his swords and masks among grass skirts women were selling on Gumming Street. The police officer noticed the handicraft and asked the woman who it belonged to. A young man who obviously had been waiting to pounce upon some unwary tourist who showed some interest towards the handicraft admitted that it belonged to him. The police officer told him to pack his goods and go to the restricted area for sword-sellers on Stinson Parade.

From The Drum column in the Papua New Guinea Post Courier.

The Minister for Works and Supply, Mr Pato Kakarya, speaking during a debate on changes to the Public Service Commission: “Many departmental heads have nothing in their offices but cigarettes and betel nuts. We have not developed fast enough since independence.”

From an article in Tam-Tam, Vanuatu entitled “Plight of hawksbill turtle”.

The lone survivor of four hawksbill turtles is now in a two-by-four plastic container at Port-Vilas Natai Fish Market, awaiting a safe home, according to the Fish Market Manager, Mr John Nicholson.

The others were eaten at Ifira. Hawksbill and Green turtles are rare, and are protected species in Vanuatu. Mr Nicholson said the four turtles were caught in November last year by local fisherman off Nguna Island, and brought to the Fish Market where they were bought by the company for safe keeping. ... A regretful Mr Nicholson explained that Natai Fish Market had been “pressurised” by the Department of Fisheries to release them.

“We released three of them and because we had tamed them, they went ashore the next day at Ifira and were speared and eaten, the people involved told us themselves,” said Mr Nicholson. . . The remaining turtle is well fed daily and is as tame as a kitten but neither the Fish Market nor the Natural Science Society seems to know where to move it next.

From the Flotsam & Jetsam column of The Fiji Times.

Fiji weather has never been bad enough for runners to wear parkas or tracksuits. That’s the view of long-distance runner Paddy Ryan after several years of running in Fiji.

Yet, as he observes, the people of Fiji seem to have fallen in love with parkas and tracksuits. They must have seen films of athletes overseas in parkas and tracksuits and decided they must be the right things to wear. Now we see Fiji dancers in woollen leg warmers. In local parlance, parkas, tracksuits and leg warmers all look a bit nako.

From a report in The Samoa Times on the increasing violence in rugby games and the need for police interven tion.

However because of the increase in the number of attacks on players and referees it is now time for the police to step on to the playing fields to put a stop to them. Last Saturday at least three referees were beaten up, two on the playing fields and one at the market place at night several hours after the game was finished.