Headlines

10 win top

study awards

MULTI-YEAR scholarships for univer sity study in the United States have been awarded after a tough competition for 10 young people from seven South Pacific nations.

More than 500 people applied for this new programme, created by Congress man Eni Hunkin Faleomavaega (D- American Samoa), and funded by the US Government.

The 10 winners will begin their stud ies later this year at the University of Hawaii, and may subsequently transfer to other institutions. The winners includ ed: Cook Islands: William Wigmore, entomology; Fiji: Arti Reddy, marine resources and Ilisapeci Vukialau, busi ness administration; Kiribati: Fred Murdock, environmental management and Kinaai Kairo, economics/agricultur al resources; PNG: Winis Map, journal ism and Andrew Kaipu geology/mining engineering; Solomon Islands, Aram Oroi, education; Tonga: Havila Saafi, environmental sciences; Western Samoa, Georgina Ainuu, natural resources.

Each student will receive full tuition, travel to and from Hawaii, and a stipend to meet living expenses. If they do well in university most will have the option of staying through a bachelor’s degree.

In the case of Wigmore, who already has one bachelors degree, he may be funded for graduate study as well.

Should the US Congress vote more funds, other competitions will be held.

Aussies join

nuclear fight

AUSTRALIA has formally supported New Zealand’s move for a speedy International Court of Justice hearing into French nuclear weapons testing in the South Pacific.

Australia’s ambassador to The Hague, Michael Tate, said both Australia and New Zealand wanted the hearing to begin in the next three weeks, before too many tests were conducted. France has

announced it would resume nuclear test ing at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia this month.

New Zealand has applied to the International Court to reopen its 1973 case against French testing, which was

suspended in 1974 when France announced it would conduct no more atmospheric tests. It also asked the court for an interim order requiring France to suspend testing until the main case was heard.

The bad news

on Malaria

THE World Health Organisation has admitted that it s malaria eradication programme in the Solomons failed because the administration of the pro gramme was localised too early.

Malaria is still the main killer disease in the Solomon Islands. The programme started in the 60s. The WHO Western Pacific regional director, Sang Tae Han, told journalists in Honiara the local health authority took over the pro gramme before malaria had been eradi cated.

Financial gamble

for top Samoan

AMERICAN Samoan Congressman Eni Hunkin Faleomavaega (D-AS) took a gamble with his islands’ financing in July when he supported a successful effort to eliminate a SUSI6.B million appropriation for the United States Flag islands.

Faleomavaega lined up with the islands subcommittee chair Elton Gallegly (R-CA) as the latter’s amend ment carried the day while the House of Representative voted on the massive Department of Interior budget. The Gallegly amendment wiped out funding for all Interior Department administra tion of funds for the islands (SUS3.S million) plus SUSI 3.3 million in con struction grants for American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana and the US Virgin Islands (in the Caribbean).

Untouched was another SUS2I million or so, the annual budget supplement for the territorial government in Pago Pago.

Faleomavaega and Gallegly want a different approach; they seek to end Interior’s oversight of the islands and the piecemeal funding of Samoan activities in exchange for a guaranteed SUS34S

million to Samoa over the next 10 years.

So they are backing a proposal to that effect (HR 1332) now wending its way through the House.

But what happens if HR 1332 dies and the Senate agrees with the House on the current version of the Interior Appropriations Bill? In Washington terms, that’s called a “down-side risk.”

Muslims support

indigenous rights

FIJI’S biggest Muslim organisation, the Fiji Muslim Feague, has called for the recognition of indigenous Fijians in the country’s Constitution.

The League made the statement in its submission to Fiji’s Constitutional Review Commission which has been tasked with reviewing the country’s five-year-old post-coup Constitution.

The League said Fiji would only be able to maintain social and economic stability if political power was in the hands of the indigenous people.

Speaking on behalf of the League, Hafiz Dean Khan, said the League understood and accepted that indigenous Fijians were seeking control to preserve their identity by having a Fijian as president chosen by the Great Council of Chiefs.

Mr Khan said Fiji’s Muslims would like separate seats in Parliament.

Another killed

in PNG brawl

A SECOND University of Papua New Guinea student is reported to have been killed last month during a party brawl in Port Moresby. Police say the 20-year-old student from Waima village in Central Province died from serious head injuries received during a fight with unknown assailants. Police said the student had gone home with a bleeding head and was then rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, students at the University have called for an end to the army taking part in patrols on campus following the death of a student, alleged ly after he was shot by soldiers.

Sick deal

in Hawaii

A HAWAIIAN hospital has been accused of having held hostage an ill American Samoan girl to exert unpaid bills from the patient’s country.

The Queens Hospital refused treat ment to the girl until the American Samoan government paid part of its

unsettled account. The hospital in Honolulu was described by the media in Pago Pago as having held the 17-year old hostage until a ransom of SUS 10,000 was paid.

American Samoa government trea surer Ray Pritt said the behaviour of the hospital was unethical A cheque was hand-carried to Honolulu.