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Asian Investors Look To Acquire CNMI Hotel-Casino

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Group could initially invest up to $180 million on Tinian

By Alexie Villegas Zotomayor

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, July 31, 2013) – A consortium of investors from Macau and Hong Kong wants to acquire Tinian Dynasty from its current owners in the Northern Marianas.

In an interview with Variety on Sunday, Mega Stars Overseas Limited chief executive officer Cario Hon confirmed to Variety the group’s interest in the full acquisition of Tinian Dynasty.

If they succeed in doing so, Hon says they may be investing from $150 million to $180 million initially.

Variety asked about the group’s combined assets, Hon said one of them easily tops the $500 million mark.

"We are talking of eight to 10 individuals of this asset size," Hon said.

However, Hon said two of these businesses will be involved in the startup.

His group, Hon said, is into both finance and marketing.

"We have the money and the marketing expertise," said Hon....

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Wed
31
Jul
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Senator Proposes Passport Stamp For U.S.-Bound Palauans

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Palauans apparently assumed to be illegal immigrants

By Aurea Gerundio-Dizon

KOROR, Palau (Island Times, July 30, 2013) – Sen. J. Uduch Sengebau Senior introduced a bill to establish a passport stamp for Palauans travelling to the United States.

The senator proposed that upon request, the Minister of State shall issue a stamp in a Palau passport demonstrating the eligibility of that individual to reside in the US as non-immigrants and to accept employment.

It is further proposed that the stamp shall also include, in whole or part, Section 141, subsection (a) of Article IV of the Compact of Free Association, which states that a citizen of Palau shall be "admitted to, lawfully engage in occupations, and establish residence as a non-immigrant in the United States and its territories and possessions."

Senior said she received complaints from several Palauans...

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Wed
31
Jul
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PNG Commits $214 Million To Upgrade Mt. Hagen Hospital

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Hospital expected to serve more than half of PNG’s population

By Isaac Nicholas

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, July 30, 2013) – The National Government has committed K500 million [US$214 million] over the next four years for the rebuilding of Mt. Hagen General Hospital to a level 6 trauma specialist hospital.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Health Minister Michael Malabag made the commitment in Mt. Hagen during a high profile visit to the Western Highlands Province over the weekend.

Mr. Malabag said the K500 million would be rolled over the next four years with the first K50 million [US$21.4 million] to be captured in next year’s budget for work to begin.

He said the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority and the hospital management had done extremely well, and had given the National Government a detailed submission of new plans to develop the hospital which would serve 54 percent of PNG’s population.

The project...

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Wed
31
Jul
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Samoa Opposition Warns Against Trade Deal With U.S.

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Palusalue: Samoa lacks real commodities to trade

By Sophie Budvietas

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, July 29, 2013) – In the absence of any real substantial export commodities, Samoa would be better to promote the unique Samoan culture to Americans.

The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pacific countries and the United States of America will only advantage the Americans.

That’s the warning from the leader of the Opposition Party, Palusalue Fa’apo II.

At the recent Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting held here in Apia, ministers’ instructed the Forum Secretariat to make discussions with the U.S. a priority for Pacific leaders.

Economic Governance at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Director Shiu Raj, Director of, says the Pacific region can't afford to stay isolated from the global trade environment.

"There are other regions which have been able to successfully conclude quite an interesting trading arrangement with the United...

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Wed
31
Jul
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Am. Samoa Government Employees Paid For Overtime

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Over $916,000 allocated after U.S. Labor settlement

By Joyetter Feagaimaalii-Luamanu

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News, July 30, 2013) – Close to 300 American Samoa Government (ASG) employees will be receiving their overtime paychecks in accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) settlement between the ASG and the DOL, says Treasurer Dr. Falema’o Phil Pili.

The settlement agreement between USDOL and ASG is over unpaid overtime to ASG workers, following a federal probe some two years ago. Falema’o told Samoa News the government employees whose names are on the distribution list are to appear in person to pick up their settlement disbursements at the Executive Office Building on Wednesday and Thursday.

"Disbursement dates will be Wednesday July 31, 2013 for those with their last names beginning from the letter A to M. On Thursday August 1, 2013 will be the individuals with last names beginning with the letter N to Z." Disbursement will...

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Wed
31
Jul
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Tonga’s Final RAMSI Troop Contingent Returns Home

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Tonga’s Final RAMSI Troop Contingent Returns Home 34 soldiers back in Tonga after RAMSI celebrates 10 years

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, July 30, 2013) – Tonga’s 13th and final military contingent deployed to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) returned to Tonga on Monday, July 29.

RAMSI marked its 10th Anniversary in Honiara last week and the military component of the mission from Participating Forces is now withdrawing from the island while the police contingent remains until June 2017.

The Deputy Commander of the Tonga Defence Services (TDS) Captain Toni Fonokalafi said Tonga's military contingent consisted of 34 soldiers led by TDS Liaison Officer to RAMSI, Lt. Commander Fonohema.

He said Tonga has been supporting RAMSI since it was first launched in 2003 to help settle civil unrest.

Support

RAMSI is a partnership between the people and Government of the Solomon Islands and 15 countries of the Pacific who...

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Wed
31
Jul
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Transparency Group Calls For Electoral Reform In Vanuatu

Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Vanuatu politicians allegedly know how to abuse the system

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, July 30, 2013) –There are calls for a complete overhaul of Vanuatu's electoral system after the release of a report on last year's national election.

Transparency Vanuatu's report says the problems range from large scale fraud involving proxy votes to a lack of transparency during vote recounts.

The report also shows major flaws with voter registration, estimating nearly 40 percent of eligible voters were either invalid, disallowed or fraudulent.

Marie-Noelle Ferrieux-Patterson, Transparency Vanuatu's president, says the entire electoral system needs to be reviewed.

"The politicians are used to the system the way it operates and they have found their way around it," Ms. Ferrieux-...

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Wed
31
Jul

Squid Fishery Under Consideration In Cook Islands

Submitted by piradmin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Secretariat of the Pacific Community Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The first trials seeking to catch giant squid off Aitutaki in the Cook Islands netted a haul of four diamondback squids and a neon flying squid after the first casting of nine fishing lines last Saturday (27 July 2013).

The squid, weighing from 8 to almost 17 kilograms, offer a potential new source of protein for fishers seeking alternative sources of food and livelihoods in the Pacific.

"We were all very excited by our haul," says Secretariat of Pacific Community’s (SPC) master fisherman William Sokimi.

SPC is working with the Cook Islands’ Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) to...

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Wed
31
Jul

Pacific Tuna Found 13 Years After Being Tagged For Tracking

Submitted by piradmin on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Secretariat of the Pacific Community Noumea, New Caledonia

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A bigeye tuna has been re-captured, nearly 13 years after it was originally caught, tagged and released as part of a scientific experiment.

The 100 kilogram tuna was caught 1,000 kilometers east of Fiji and the tag returned to fisheries scientists in Noumea.

The monitoring program is organized by the Fisheries Division of Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) as part of a research effort to maintain the health and sustainability of the tuna fishery in the Pacific.

Scientists say that 13 years on the run is close to a record period of freedom, in a tuna-tagging program SPC began in the 1970s.

Bruno Leroy, a fisheries scientist with SPC, says trained teams catch and release thousands of tuna after...

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