Photo: 123rf.com
Fiji - drugs
Drug peddlers in Fiji are using school students to transport drugs.
Dilkusha Boys Primary School principal observed it was a hub for drug activity.
Paiata Faga Savukiono said random spot checks revealing students carrying drugs unwittingly, and this had resulted in the school collaborating closely with police, according toThe Fiji Times' report.
Assistant education minister Iliesa Vanawalu said students made up two percent of the 3500 reported drug-related cases in in the country.
He said there has been an increase in cases involving school children over the past three years.
Samoa - environment
Samoa's Magiagi village near Apia has pledged to help safeguard about 114 hectares of rainforest and the historical monument of Fale-o-le-fe'e.
The Samoa Observer reported that at the weekend, Magiagi opened Samoa's newest conservation area.
A high-ranking matai of the village, Sootagamaali'i Auelua, highlighted the significant impact of the project on both the local community and the broader environmental landscape.
In September 2022, Magiagi became a Manumea Friendly Village - a programme focused on protecting Samoa's national bird.
Palau - mining
Palau has renewed calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, stressing its dire threat to deep-sea ecosystems.
Speaking at the Our Ocean Conference in Greece last week, president Surangel Whipps Jr. said deep-sea mining could cause irreversible damage.
Whipps garnered support from various countries like Brazil, Costa Rica, France and Vanuatu who echoed his concerns and urged others to join the cause.
According to the Island Times, Whipps sees a pivotal moment to discuss - and potentially enact measures to halt - deep sea mining activities with the upcoming assembly of the international seabed authority.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona was appointed President Joe Biden for another 10-year term as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the NMI last April 18. Photo: Supplied
Northern Mariana Islands - judgeship
The Northern Marianas' first indigenous and first woman chief judge was sworn in for second 10-year term last week.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona was appointed by President Joe Biden for another 10-year term as a judge of the US District Court for the NMI on 18 April.
Manglona became a federal judge in 2011, when President Barak Obama first appointed her.
She is the first person from the Northern Mariana Islands to serve as a federal judge.
In 2002, she served as the Nothern Marianas' attorney general.
Fiji - traffic incidents
In Fiji, nine children have been involved in traffic incidents this month resulting in serious concerns about child safety.
Speaking to fijivillage.com, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mitieli Divuana highlighted the need for increased vigilance, as children's behavior on the roads can be unpredictable.
He emphasized drivers to be extra cautious near schools as several pedestrian incidents were recorded before and after school.
Four of the children were pedestrians and five were passengers.
American Samoa - addresses
American Samoa's governor has issued an executive order to begin the process to establish physical addresses in the territory.
Talenei News reported Lemanu Mauga saying American Samoa is one of the few remaining US territories and states without official physical addresses or location identifiers for streets, households, business, government or private facilities.
He said this limits access to vital services and opportunities available to other US citizens.
Under the executive order, a territorial physical addressing working group is established to advise the Governor on all matters essential to the development and successful implementation of the addressing system.