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Friday, August 1, 2008
Litokwa to attend
Niue Forum meeting
The President’s Office confirmed Wednesday that President Litokwa Tomeing will attend his first Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Niue next month. Tomeing was also slated to attend the coronation ceremonies this week for Tonga’s King George Tupou V. But President’s Office spokesperson Yolanda Lodge-Ned told the Journal “due to the economic difficulties we are currently facing, and the high costs involved, the President unfortunately had to forego this important occasion.”
Digicel ready
to spend $17m
Digicel Pacific is stepping up efforts to gain entrance to the Marshall Islands telecommunications market. David Dillon, Digicel Pacific’s general counsel, spent several days in Majuro last week meeting with top government and private sector officials.
Muller's plea
In his first statement before the United Nations General Assembly in mid-July, new RMI Ambassador Phillip Muller put the international spotlight on RMI’s energy and food crisis. RMI’s statement was part of a special meeting in New York on July 18 to address the worldwide problem of the skyrocketing costs of fuel and basic food staples.
Nitijela session
The Nitijela will reconvene for its second session of the year later this month. Speaker Jurelang Zedkaia has set Monday, August 11 for the official opening of the session. The opening is set for 10 am.

Phone:
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Fax:
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PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands
In Person:
On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro
This gas is for you, Mori
Mori Loren, a Marshall Islands Resort security guard, was all smiles this week after winning $200 worth of free gas from the Budweiser Great Gas Give-Away promotion at the Flame Tree on Friday.
Games glory
RMI athletes head to Beijing
Next Friday, August 8, five Marshall Islands athletes and their support delegation will make history when they enter Beijing’s Olympic Stadium flying the RMI flag at the opening of the 29th Games. Anju Jason, Roman Cress, Haley Nemra, Jared Heine and Julianne Kirchner will compete in taekwondo, track and swimming. The RMI gained membership in the International Olympic Committee in 2006, making Beijing its first shot at the Olympics. Martial arts specialist Jason is the only one of the five RMI athletes to qualify on his own merit. He won a gold medal in New Caledonia in December at an Oceania qualifying competition, giving him automatic entry to the Games in taekwondo — setting the pace for all RMI athletes. Marshall Islands residents may get to see the Olympic Games live on TV, following the IOC and the Oceania National Olympic Committees’ approval of broadcast by TV New Zealand to the Marshall Islands. Marshalls Broadcasting Co. is attempting to align its equipment with the satellite used by TVNZ. In the meantime, the athletes — all of whom are in Hawaii or the US mainland training — and the sports and RMI government delegations will leave for Beijing on August 5. The opening ceremony kicking off the Games is set for next week Friday.
Amenta signs ROC deal
Health Minister Amenta Matthew joined with Deputy Health Minister Dr. Tzay-Jinn Chen, Taiwan Ambassador Bruce JD Linghu and RMI Attorney General Filimon Manoni to sign a cooperation agreement for the Taiwan Health Center in Majuro. Matthew said the agreement will strengthen the partnership between RMI and ROC, helping the Ministry of Health to “strengthen the delivery of health care” in the Marshall Islands.The agreement took a year and a half to work out between the two sides. Taiwan has had medical officials here since early 2007 as part of the effort to boost preventive services. Dr. Chen the goal is to start on diabetes prevention because it is the “most urgent” health need in RMI. But the center will not be limited to diabetes, he added. The aim is to improve preventive services in diabetes and then expand that to other health areas, he said. A senior nurse and one or two medical/public health experts will be stationed in Majuro to assist coordination with the Ministry of Health, he said. “Marshall Islands was first to express a need (for health collaboration) and we’ve worked quickly to respond,” Chen said.
Sunderland arrives Majuro!
By KAREN EARNSHAW
Laurence Sunderland (pictured above right) was all smiles as he watched his 16-year-old son, Zac, power through the main pass of Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands at 5:30 pm on Saturday. On board the inter-island vessel Lona, Laurence cheered his son on as he rode the sloppy swell into the calm waters of Majuro's lagoon. Zac's arrival in Majuro at the weekend - some 4,500 miles southwest of his starting point in Los Angeles - is another milestone in his attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the globe. The voyage began on June 14 as he headed out from Los Angeles on board his 36-foot yacht Intrepid. The wind was “fluky” on the first leg of the voyage to Hawaii he said, but “I had more wind coming to the Marshalls.” At times too much wind: “In the last few days, he had about 20 squalls,” said Laurence. “He hardly got any sleep what with taking sails down and putting them back up again.” The captain of Lona, Maide Dian, led Zac through a shortcut into the pass around Kalalin Island, saving him about an hour over using the main channel. It then took a couple of hours for Zac to sail across the lagoon to downtown Uliga. Ashore, at about 7:30pm, were dozens of Marshallese waiting to say 'Yokwe' (hello) to the young hero. “Wow, I can't believe he's so young and he sailed here all on his own,” said one Marshallese man waiting to greet Zac. Immigration official Burton McKay was also at the RRE Shoreline dock to clear Zac into the country, and then it was up to the nearby hotel's Tide Table restaurant. “I'll have a burger,” Zac not so surprisingly told waitress Wanda Thomas. Zac intends on staying in Majuro “for about a week,” during which time he'll provision the boat, take on fresh water and sort out a few small glitches on Intrepid: “My autopilot needs fixing, but that will be easy,” he said. While in Majuro, Zac also hopes to sail on a Marshallese canoe; meet up with other people his age; and learn a little about the culture. A visit with the President, Litokwa Tomeing, is being arranged and the Mieco Beach Yacht Club is giving him a hero's welcome on Tuesday. Zac's next port of call is likely to be the Solomon Islands and then the voyage will become a little more complicated as he approaches Darwin. “I have to sail through Torres Strait, which is pretty much the deadliest strait in the world,” said Zac. “Around there they have 20-foot tides (meaning a lot of strong current), oil rigs to avoid, and lots of shipping.” Zac said he needs to keep up the pace of his trip, because for seasonal weather reasons he needs to “round the Cape of Good Hope by November or December.” That's when Zac will turn 17, on November 29. “I plan to be home while I'm still 17,” he said. And if he achieves that, he will easily beat the record set by solo circumnavigator David Dicks of Australia, who finished his round-the-world voyage in 1996 aged 18 years and 41 days.
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