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HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Sept. 30) – The Solomon Islands may soon see its third casino in Honiara.

The foreign investor, who was sold the National Arts Gallery, is demanding that it be issued a casino licence as part of its proposed five-star hotel development.

But to issue a third casino licence, the Government must amend current legislation that only allows for the existence of two casinos in the country.

Tourism minister Trevor Olovae told the Solomon Star last night the Government is currently working on amending the relevant legislation so that a third casino licence can be issued.

"The investor is demanding that it be issued a casino licence before it starts developing the place," he said. "It is now just waiting for the casino licence before it can start. The Government is facilitating this demand."

As soon as it is done, work by the developer, Constantinou Group of Australia, to turn the National Art Gallery into a five-star...

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Sept. 30) – Express Manufacturing in Puerto Rico will be the sixth garment factory on Saipan to close this year, resulting in an additional 400 displaced resident and nonresident workers by Dec. 1, Variety learned.

Management informed its employees of the closure before noon on Friday, the same day Variety reported that Winners Corp. II garment factory, with some 350 workers, is closing by December,

Employees interviewed at Express Manufacturing said they were surprised to learn of the factory’s closure.

"We were always paid on time, the management was okay, so we didn’t think it would close just like the others. But at least they gave us two months of advance notice," said a worker who has been employed by Express Manufacturing for four years as a line helper.

The employees were made to sign a closure notice on Friday, and were also verbally informed of the management decision by their...

By John Ravelo

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Oct. 3) – A law firm that worked for former Bank of Saipan receiver Randall Fennell said government depositors are losing millions of dollars in declining interests on long-term deposits, opposing the request of bank directors and current receiver Antonio Muna to end the receivership.

In a separate submission to the Superior Court, the CNMI government also opposed the bank directors and Muna's request to end the receivership at this time.

Acting Commerce Secretary Daniel L. Camacho and the law firm Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt said Muna's request for exoneration is premature without a full and final accounting of his actions as receiver.

The Schwabe firm also said Muna's entering into an agreement with the bank directors that purported to protect the parties from liability was inappropriate and conflicted his fiduciary duty to the bank.

"Despite his duty to investigate wrongdoing that caused the bank'...

By Giff Johnson

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Marianas Variety, Oct. 3) — Facing a national unemployment rate of 40 percent, the Marshall Islands announced plans this week to begin injecting large amounts of funding into a job-training program and named one of the country’s most experienced administrators to head the effort.

Marie Maddison was named to head the National Training Council this week. She is a previous permanent secretary for the ministries of Social Services, Health, Education and Foreign Affairs, and has been a key figure in recent years in the development and expansion of non-governmental organizations.

Her arrival in this until now very low-profile organization coincides with the infusion of at least $800,000 in funding for a broad range of training initiatives, with a focus on targeting youth unemployment. A 2005 Economic and Social Report issued earlier this month by the government’s Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office estimated that...