Cook Islanders have voiced frustration with immigration processes ahead of Christmas. Photo: cookislands.travel
Cook Islands - drowning
Cook Islands Tourism chief executive Karla Eggelton says Avaavaroa passage, which is a popular turtle swimming spot, is notorious for drownings.
Tony Thorp, a 50-year-old New Zealand man died in the passage on Monday afternoon local time.
Thorp was in Rarotonga attending his sister's wedding.
Eggelton said over the last year, lots of work has been done to educate visitors about the dangers of the passage.
She said signs also tell people not to swim at Avaavaroa.
Eggelton confirmed that new regulations are expected to come into force in the next 12 to 18 months.
"Swimming with sea turtles is highly unregulated and we need to lean in on what kind of guidelines and rules that we can put into the passage that that is going to keep everybody safe."
Cook Islands - immigration
Returning Cook Islanders have voiced frustration with immigration processes as they arrive home for Christmas.
Cook Islands-born Terry Henry, who resides in Western Australia, was among those queuing for hours at the Cook Islands Foreign Affairs and Immigration office in Avarua, waiting to get a Cook Islands status stamp on their passports.
The Cook Islands News reported Henry and the group said they were told to report to Immigration as there was a change of law.
The Ministry has adopted multiple changes in recent months.
In October, it was revealed teething problems were persisting as the Ministry was getting to grips with its new application processes.
Northern Marianas - gifts
Government agencies in the Northern Marianas were recently reminded not to solicit gifts from anyone, especially this holiday season
The CNMI Office of the Public Auditor said the Government Ethics Code Act of 1992 generally prohibits any government agency from soliciting or receiving gifts from any private entity that they regulate or obtain goods or services from.
The Ethics Code Act also generally prohibits private entities from providing gifts to any public entity who has regulatory authority over the donor, added the OPA.
The purpose of these prohibitions is to ensure that decisions of government entities are free from actual or perceived conflict of interest, as public solicitations for private donations may run counter to the stated purposes of the Ethics Code Act and may inflict unwarranted pressure upon private entities to contribute.
OPA said the Ethics Code Act seeks to develop public confidence in persons holding public office, to ensure official acts are free of the influence of undisclosed private or business interests, and to enhance the dignity of public offices.
Papua New Guinea - wage
The Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress (TUC) wants to see a big leap in the minimum wage.
Currently the minimum wage is K3.50 (NZ$1.45) an hour.
But the acting general secretary of the TUC, Anton Sekum, told The National newspaper that this should be increased to K10.50 an hour.
Sekum said the value of the kina is so low and raising the minimum wage would restore purchasing power for low income workers and also stimulate the market.
He said the recently announced new tax regime of no tax on the first 20,000 kina earned means little for the minimum wage earner.
The National reported the new income tax rates mean earnings above K20,000 are taxed at 35 percent, rising to 40 percent at K70,000 and 42 percent at 250,000.
Northern Marianas - cannabis
The CNMI Cannabis Commission managing director Mikiotti Evangelista says 16 commercial cannabis licenses have been issued in the country.
Evangelista said that translates to US$75,400 in total licensing fees every year.
He said as of 30 September there were 59 employees in the Northern Marianas' cannabis industry, compared to 17 a year and a half ago.
The Saipan Tribune reported Evangelista saying the 16 licenses were issued to eight marijuana producers, six marijuana retailers, one marijuana processor, and one marijuana lounge licensee.
More applications are pending.
Samoa - vodka
A Supreme Court Justice in Samoa says a ban on the sale of locally manufactured vodka has saved many lives and seen a drop in alcohol-related offences.
Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke made the comments on Thursday when he sentenced a man to five years in jail for an alcohol-related stabbing death.
Justice Clarke said the incident occurred when what he called "cheap jet fuel vodka" could be lawfully sold.
He said that statistics on violent offending in the community were difficult to obtain.
But he said the view from the court is that the number of serious violent offenders appearing in the Supreme Court has reduced considerably since the ban was imposed by the Liquor Control Board.