Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019. Photo: Imperial Pacific Casino
CNMI - Casino worker awarded millions
A former casino employee in the Northern Marianas has been awarded more than $5-and-a-half million US dollars for wrongful termination.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern Marianas issued a default judgment order in favour of the former director of operations of Imperial Pacific International, Joshua Gray.
Mr Gray had complained to management about the company violating immigration law and CNMI public policy, by failing to hire qualified US and local applicants.
Imperial Pacific allegedly terminated Mr Gray's employment in January 2018, without reason or justification, and he claims it was clearly in retaliation.
French Polynesia - Vanilla thieves arrested
Police in French Polynesia have arrested six people on Tahaa and Raiatea suspected of stealing hundreds of kilos of vanilla.
Five of them have been remanded in custody, while a sixth person is under judicial supervision pending their joint trial on July 20.
The six, aged between 24 and 51, are accused of stealing a total of 640 kilograms of vanilla since 2021.
An investigation was launched last year when, in three thefts, about a quarter of a million US dollars' worth of vanilla was stolen.
If convicted, they face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $160,000 US dollars, and the confiscation of their bank assets.
Samoa - Airline gets govt funding boost
Samoa Airways is set to receive $4 million tālā in assistance from the Government to help with its development and paying off its debt.
The money was included in the $1-point-zero-eight billion tālā Budget tabled in Parliament last week.
The interim CEO of Samoa Airways, Fauoo Fata Tielu, has confirmed the airline managed to pay $15 million tālā owed to non-government agencies as of March 8th this year, but they still have a long way to go with the remaining debt.
Australia - Operation Solania concludes
The Australian Defence Force says it has successfully completed Operation Solania − its latest maritime surveillance mission aimed at detecting and deterring illegal fishing activities in the waters of Samoa and Tonga.
The aerial patrols covered around 470-thousand square kilometres of the Samoan and Tongan exclusive economic zones, identifying seven vessels of interest, and documenting suspicious activities.
Defence Force Commander in the South-West Pacific, Major General Scott Winter, said the support was a major part of Australia's longstanding commitment to maritime security.
Major-General Winter says illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing not only threatens the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, but also undermines the livelihoods of legitimate fishermen and the economic stability of coastal communities.
Canada - Steps up Pacific engagement
Canada is pledging to step up its military posture in the Indo-Pacific, with its defense minister announcing it will annually commit an extra warship to the region.
Defence News reports the new Canadian deployments fall under Operation Horizon and replace Operation Projection, which is Canada's main Indo-Pacific military mission.
The Canadian military is also set to step up interactions and cooperation with regional and allied nations, including growing its participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises under its recently released Indo-Pacific Strategy.
France - Plastic pollution meeting
A meeting to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution has ended in Paris.
SPREP reports the Pacific was represented by the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, at the second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting.
The Director of Tuvalu's Department of Waste Management, Epu Falega, says slow progress is better than no progress at all.
Mr Falega and his delegation have been amplifying Pacific's voice and priorities for a global treaty on plastic pollution, which negotiators hope could be finalised by 2024.
Mr Falega says Tuvalu wants this treaty to become effective as soon as possible and given the seriousness of the situation our islands are confronted by; we don't want any delays.
French Polynesia - Appeal court clears foreigner of cocaine smuggling
The appeal court in French Polynesia has ordered the release of a Swedish man jailed for seven years for smuggling cocaine.
The man was the captain of a British-registered and Swedish-flagged yacht which had been intercepted near Tahiti last year, with more than 420 kilograms of cocaine on board.
The man, who is in his 50s, insisted he didn't know about the cargo, but the criminal court didn't believe him and ordered his jailing.
He successfully appealed, having the support of the Swedish man travelling with him, who said the captain was unaware of what was stashed inside the yacht.
Although he is now free, he might be tried again should the prosecution in Tahiti take the case to the highest court in France and win.
The two sailors had arrived from Panama.
Tonga - Second chance for youth
A new project aims to give 40 young people in Tonga a second chance at education and training.
Called Pacific Youth Engagement, Empowerment, and Economic Pathways, or PYEEEP, it is funded by New Zealand's foreign ministry, and aims to engage those not in education, employment or training.
In Tonga, youth unemployment stands at 18.7 per cent according to the International Labour Organization, while the average rate for the Pacific region is 23 per cent.
The pilot project is being implemented in Tonga and Solomon Islands with the intention of expanding it to other Pacific Island countries.
Its strategic goal is Pacific Island countries improving sustainable development outcomes for youth who are excluded from mainstream development.
Fiji - Public warned of scams
Fiji's Consumer Council is warning about trade scams, among so-called businesses whose offerings include makeup and hair, online fashion, hardware, and electronics.
In a statement, the council warns customers to be vigilant when dealing with certain individuals and traders operating via social media platforms.
Consumer Council CEO Seema Shandil says it is deeply concerning to see these dodgy dealers are on the rise.
In response to the increasing number of complaints, and to protect consumers and respective industries as a whole, the Council is now naming scammers publicly, so people are aware of who to look out for.