Cyclone nears Tonga

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga –-Tropical cyclone Mona is threatening Tonga’s with wind speed of up to 60 miles an hour.

Forecasters reported that the storm center Wednesday was about 50 miles north of the main island, Tongatapu, and moving south-southwest at six miles an hour.

Tonga rejects U.S. human rights criticism

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – Government spokeswoman Eseta Fusitu’a has rejected a new U.S. State Department human rights report claiming severe speech and media freedoms restrictions in the kingdom.

Fusitu’a said there are “lots of factual inaccuracies in the report.”

The report said Police Minister Clive Edwards infringed on media freedom by filing civil law suits against journalists and “government critics.”

Fusitu’a said, “This is absolutely false. There has never been a suit either by the police minister or any other minister for critics of government. The police minister filed suits against alleged defamation against him (and) he won most of these cases.”

Japanese to repatriate soldiers’ remains from PNG

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Negotiations have begun between the government and a private Japan group to repatriate the remains of Japanese soldiers who fought and died in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

Group leader Hirokazu Yasuhara said about 150,000 soldiers died in different parts of the country during the war.

He said it is now sixty years since the war ended, and any hope of recovering remains will be lost if arrangements are not made quickly.

UH Center to help Pacific with E-Commerce

HONOLULU, Hawaii – The University of Hawaii’s College of Business Administration is seeking $1 million in funding from the state legislature for a center to help businesses in the Pacific Islands market themselves online.

The Asia Pacific Center for E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship would offer consultation and expertise in Internet marketing for small businesses in the region, said the college’s dean, David McClain.

McClain said e-commerce would allow businesses in the Pacific to overcome the tyranny of distance, an obvious concern for many isolated countries and territories in the region.

Kiribati to tighten drinking law enforcement

TARAWA, Kiribati – Government officials have begun to rigorously enforce the country’s liquor laws to stop youths from drinking and entering nightclubs.

The decision comes following a community leaders’ meeting in the capital that called on the government to end “the growing menace of under-aged people consuming alcohol and acting irresponsibly.”

The Ministry of Social Development said the government will enforce existing laws on liquor licensing and strengthen other ordinances pertaining to the presence of young people in and around bars and nightclubs. (Pacific Islands Report)