HUMNEWS HEADLINES - March 13, 2010 (Asia and the Pacific)

Asia and the Pacific:

AMERICAN SAMOA: 

Former official of federally-funded organization in American Samoa pleads guilty to theft - http://bit.ly/d5Ls8b

BHUTAN:  Bhutan duo on mountain mission to lift women's football - http://bit.ly/b0iDRn 

BHUTAN:   Many fingers in one pie- http://bit.ly/cmunQT   

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM:  Bruneian Organisations Unite Under One Body- http://bit.ly/9fYQdT  

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM:  Brunei farmers can quadruple rice yield by double cropping - http://bit.ly/cprx4X 

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM:   Litterbugs slapped with fines - http://bit.ly/cDt2zT 

CHRISTMAS ISLAND:    Navy intercepts another asylum boat - http://bit.ly/9Yf4CQ 

CHRISTMAS ISLAND:    UN changes may see detainees sent home http://bit.ly/aJm8av  

CHRISTMAS ISLAND:     Crew from asylum boats transferred to Darwin - http://bit.ly/9Z0EWS

CHRISTMAS ISLAND: Evidence on detention centre riot in doubt - http://bit.ly/bZ4aA1  

COOK ISLANDS:    Aitutaki reconstruction aid announced - http://bit.ly/an4sdY   

COOK ISLANDS:   

Thousands flock to Pasifika festival, Cook Islands village is one of the most popular attractions-http://bit.ly/dkmXfc

EAST TIMOR: 

Human Rights Watch Film Festival features East Timor in “The Balibo Conspiracy”; in London - http://bit.ly/99LUR4

EAST TIMOR:  East Timor denies supporting human rights tribunal- http://bit.ly/94qfyV

EAST TIMOR:   A haven gone, but Old John keeps the faith- http://bit.ly/br0mjf

EAST TIMOR:    East Timor development reveals multiple graves - http://bit.ly/8YDZhD 

FRENCH POLYNESIA:    

55,000 in poverty in French Polynesia, says study - http://bit.ly/bPeeSN 

FRENCH POLYNESIA:  

French Polynesia defection strengthens ruling majority - http://bit.ly/b4krQ5 

GUAM:   Guam Airport Gets $7.7 Million in Federal Grants - http://bit.ly/d3cwdC  

LAOS:   Thieves loot Lao city's Buddha statue heritage- http://bit.ly/cUuasV  

LAOS:    When the Mekong runs dry- http://bit.ly/cRWTtf

LAOS:     First TBM launched in Laos- http://bit.ly/aRPa2w 

LAOS:     Laos and US discuss comprehensive accord- http://bit.ly/aZGRcN  

LAOS:  (INTERVIEW)  China No. 2 fuel ethanol maker eyes overseas plant in Laos - http://bit.ly/ahh4Nx 

MACAU:    US reports ‘sex trade’, trafficking in Macau- http://bit.ly/95rOAh 

MALDIVES:  Maldives - President Nasheed meets President and PM of Iceland- http://bit.ly/cqrWTM

MALDIVES:    Vice President meets with WHO Director General- http://bit.ly/9qBIng

MALDIVES:     Maldives president: We must find out who hacked climate emails- http://bit.ly/bFVGv6 

MARSHALL ISLANDS:   Maritime Labour Convention: Marshall Islands authorizes GL- http://bit.ly/9qhV6W 

MARSHALL ISLANDS:  Piracy update – Marshall Islands Chemical tanker hijacked- http://bit.ly/cgZTS8   

MICRONESIA:   PNA seeks tuna certification - http://bit.ly/daP1A1   

MICRONESIA:    Coast Guard on alert for missing men in FSM- http://bit.ly/dd7Pzm  

NEW CALEDONIA:   New Caledonia weathers 2009 global economic downturn- http://bit.ly/bvvYKb

NEW CALEDONIA:   Strike by New Caledonia nickel miners- http://bit.ly/axAplj

NORFOLK ISLAND:  Australian Labour Party and its last frontier - http://bit.ly/cZ7jPw

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS:    

Bigger role for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in US military buildup? http://bit.ly/9EyoqU 

NORTH KOREA: 

North Korean Defector Receives International Women of Courage Award - http://bit.ly/ccz0f4

NORTH KOREA:   Mexico announces roster for North Korea soccer match - http://bit.ly/aRDvZl

PACIFIC ISLANDS:  

Banking on Genes: Pacific Island invest in test tube plants and crops - http://bit.ly/d5pPOA

PALAU:

Second round of (Scripps Howard spelling) bee over, spellers from spellers from Guam, Saipan, Rota, Tinian and Palau left- http://bit.ly/dCnPi8  

PALAU:    Lucrative Shark Trade under Scrutiny after Palau, Maldives take steps- http://bit.ly/dndXFC 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:

Yudhoyono holds bilateral talks with Papua New Guinea's Somare- http://bit.ly/cQNPoq

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:

Groups Threaten Lawsuit Over Export-Import Bank ExxonMobil PNG Project - http://bit.ly/bROZwz

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:    Indonesia, PNG Agree on Official Border Post- http://bit.ly/dp4qeS

SAMOA:

Samoa will host the 2010 ANZ Pacific Nations Cup, the International Rugby Board announced yesterday- http://bit.ly/cJAhy4 

SAMOA:

Samoa's AG happy with New Zealand Broadcasting Association decision- http://bit.ly/9S4R5d 

SAMOA:   Samoa government to crack down on dishing out of titles- http://bit.ly/aUxnDR

SOLOMON ISLANDS:   Cyclone bill estimated at least US $77million so far- http://bit.ly/cJ6fZV

SOLOMON ISLANDS:    Touo Bible Translation Project begins- http://bit.ly/aSDZui

SOLOMON ISLANDS:   Seda lashes out at Solomon Islands Music Federation- http://bit.ly/bs8yiU  

TONGA:     Harvard’s Tonga line- http://bit.ly/agvjCS   

TUVALU ISLAND:  Internet still spreading its web- http://bit.ly/bC0Pcz   

VANUATU:    Vanuatu will shine in 2010 says Asian Development Bank- http://bit.ly/d5I3tp

WALLIS AND FUTUNA:     Wild weather brews in Pacific- http://bit.ly/d25shh

WALLIS AND FUTUNA:     Two cyclones named in region- http://bit.ly/9KaLId