Inefficient, very slow, prejudiced and too bureaucratic -- this was how the members of Saipan Chamber of Commerce rated the performance of the Department of Labor and Immigration.

Japan Airlines will provide charter flights from Nagoya and Fukuoka to Saipan in July and August as it remains committed to boost traffic and help revive the island's ailing tourism economy.

Despite mounting calls from the business sector, a bill easing a requirement for foreign investors to post a $100,000 security deposit appears to run into troubles in the Senate as it is still awaiting committee review more than nine months after it passed the lower house.

Nelson, New Zealand saw an increase in its Pacific Island community in April with 13 women from around the Pacific attending the New Zealand School of Fisheries for four weeks, according to a news release from the South Pacific Commission.