More military training in Guam
Exercise Sea Dragon 23 runs from March 15 to March 30 at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and is for coordinated anti-submarine warfare training amongst the participating countries, according to a March 16 release from the Indian Navy.
Aside from the Indian Navy, participating aircraft include those of the U.S. Navy, the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, the Republic of Korea’s Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The exercise was held in January in 2022, when a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was deployed by the U.S. Navy to participate.
International federation alleges issues with ships flagged to Palau and other countries
Up to 1,000 ships flagged to Palau, the Cook Islands, Togo and Sierra Leone “will be targeted for safety, maintenance and seafarer welfare inspections across the Mediterranean Sea in the coming eight weeks by an army of inspectors from the International Transport Workers’ Federation, seafarers’ unions and port authorities,” according to a March 16 release from the ITF.
Steve Trowsdale, inspectorate coordinator with the federation, said, “Sub-standard shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is driving down seafarers wages and conditions, it’s endangering the lives of crew and risking our environment.”
The ITF alleged the vessels are old, poorly maintained and should not be trading.
The Journal has reached out to the registry for comments and any action it intends to take on the allegations.
The Palau International Ship Registry was founded in 2012, according to Journal files, following
An amendment to the Title 7 of the ROP National Code in 2010. The first two ships to take part in Palau’s shipping registry program registered on Sept. 28, 2012. The ships were luxury cruise liners Leisure World and Amusement World and traveled between Singapore Malaysia and Indonesia.
The registry has four offices – its head office in Piraeus, Greece and offices in Texas, England and Cyprus.
Representatives of the Palau International Shipping Registry said in a presentation to the Palau National Congress on Oct. 6, 2015 that $609,714 in revenues had been gained through the registry since its inception in September 2012. Under the agreement, there was a 70/30 sharing between the company and Palau, respectively. As of August 2015, $329,360 had been paid to the Palau government.
As of Sept. 30, 2022 – the end of the fiscal year, the registry had earned the Government of Palau $1.04 million according to the government’s financial report.
According to its website the registry has a “network of 48 Deputy Registrars in 29 countries and 75 Flag State Inspectors in 43 countries.”
Attempted hack halted telecom company services in Guam and NMI
While customer data was protected, Docomo Pacific saw its services halted throughout March 17 from early in the morning throughout the day into the evening as it worked to restore them after “a cyber security incident” necessitated the shutdown of servers, according to a release that afternoon.
Stores in Guam had “cash only” signs as did bars on what was a Government of Guam payday and St. Patrick’s Day. By the morning of March 18 all services had been restored, except for some phone lines.
On March 2, Guam Memorial Hospital “determined unauthorized access” had been made to its network, according to a March 13 release – almost two weeks after the breach.
On March 13, the hospital said its phone lines and emails were “being restored” with other networks to be fully restored “soon.” Visitations to patients – which had been suspended – were restored March 13.
Austerity measures to kick in for NMI government in April
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios issued Directive 2023-02 on March 16, which will see the executive branch work of the government of the Northern Marian Islands take up a 72-hour work week from April 24. Executive branch offices will be closed every other Monday. The offices will also not close for lunch during working hours from Tuesday to Friday. Palacios also asked department heads to submit plans to reduce personnel costs by a minimum of 10%. Within-grade salary increases are also on hold and utility costs are to be reduced by at least 25% a month. Other measures are also being introduced.
In other NMI news, the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will receive a grant of $1.5 million to support its COVID-19 relief efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced March 14, according to the office of Gregorio “Kilili” Camacho Sablan, the NMI delegate to Congress. In addition, the NMI Division of Fish and Wildlife is receiving $141,243 in fiscal 2023 State Wildlife Grant funds, Sablan’s office said.
Airline expects slow quarter
United Airlines Holdings Inc., which does business as United Airlines Inc., forecast a first quarter loss for 2023 in a filing with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission on March 13, citing higher fuel costs and an upcoming collective bargaining agreement with “employees represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.” United said, “While all months of 2023 are expected to produce unit revenue significantly above the corresponding months in 2019, the Company is observing new seasonal demand patterns, with lower-demand months such as January and February 2023 growing less than higher-demand months.” The SEC filing can be found at www.sec.gov.
United reported an $843 million profit for the last three months of 2022, a 31% increase compared with three years earlier, on revenue of $12.4 billion, despite higher costs of fuel and bad weather, but in line with increased demand.
The airline launched a fare sale from Guam and Saipan to its Japan destinations from March 12 to March 19 for travel from March 10 through May 31. Japan Airlines is returning to the Guam route from March through August.
Arrivals from Japan in February were 6,191, compared to arrivals from Korea of 37,477 according to the Guam Visitors Bureau.
GVB released a Weighted Hotel Occupancy Rate of 59.7% for February, and a Weighted Hotel Room rate of $193.61 for the month. The Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association has not shared monthly statistics since 2020. February was a good month for some hotels in Guam, due to military exercises, which continued through March.
And also:
Doosan Ukudu Power LLC was in the middle of No. 9 of its series of haulage of heavy equipment for the new power plant on March 18 and 19. Haulage is anticipated to last until May, with 25 heavy haul moves planned.
President David W. Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia is requesting the first of courtesy resignations from cabinet members, according to a March 18 release. Other resignations will be requested in April and May and in the meantime acting officials are being announced. Some political appointees will be asked to become consultants to assist the next administration when it assumes power on May 11, and some will not be, the release said.
According to Journal files, the FSM Congress is comprised of 14 senators, with four of those serving in an “at-large capacity,” representing one of the four states of the FSM. The other 10 represent election districts,
Only “at-large” senators are eligible to become the president and vice President of the FSM.
The four highest “at large” vote getters for the states in the March 7 elections were former president Peter M. Christian for Pohnpei, current Vice President Aren B. Palik for Kosrae, incumbent At Large senator and Speaker Wesley W. Simina for Chuuk, and former president Joseph Urusemal for Yap.
The FSM Congress will convene on May 11, and will elect the president and vice president. mbj
Exercise Sea Dragon 23 runs from March 15 to March 30 at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and is for coordinated anti-submarine warfare training amongst the participating countries, according to a March 16 release from the Indian Navy.
Aside from the Indian Navy, participating aircraft include those of the U.S. Navy, the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, the Republic of Korea’s Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The exercise was held in January in 2022, when a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was deployed by the U.S. Navy to participate.
International federation alleges issues with ships flagged to Palau and other countries
Up to 1,000 ships flagged to Palau, the Cook Islands, Togo and Sierra Leone “will be targeted for safety, maintenance and seafarer welfare inspections across the Mediterranean Sea in the coming eight weeks by an army of inspectors from the International Transport Workers’ Federation, seafarers’ unions and port authorities,” according to a March 16 release from the ITF.
Steve Trowsdale, inspectorate coordinator with the federation, said, “Sub-standard shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is driving down seafarers wages and conditions, it’s endangering the lives of crew and risking our environment.”
The ITF alleged the vessels are old, poorly maintained and should not be trading.
The Journal has reached out to the registry for comments and any action it intends to take on the allegations.
The Palau International Ship Registry was founded in 2012, according to Journal files, following
An amendment to the Title 7 of the ROP National Code in 2010. The first two ships to take part in Palau’s shipping registry program registered on Sept. 28, 2012. The ships were luxury cruise liners Leisure World and Amusement World and traveled between Singapore Malaysia and Indonesia.
The registry has four offices – its head office in Piraeus, Greece and offices in Texas, England and Cyprus.
Representatives of the Palau International Shipping Registry said in a presentation to the Palau National Congress on Oct. 6, 2015 that $609,714 in revenues had been gained through the registry since its inception in September 2012. Under the agreement, there was a 70/30 sharing between the company and Palau, respectively. As of August 2015, $329,360 had been paid to the Palau government.
As of Sept. 30, 2022 – the end of the fiscal year, the registry had earned the Government of Palau $1.04 million according to the government’s financial report.
According to its website the registry has a “network of 48 Deputy Registrars in 29 countries and 75 Flag State Inspectors in 43 countries.”
Attempted hack halted telecom company services in Guam and NMI
While customer data was protected, Docomo Pacific saw its services halted throughout March 17 from early in the morning throughout the day into the evening as it worked to restore them after “a cyber security incident” necessitated the shutdown of servers, according to a release that afternoon.
Stores in Guam had “cash only” signs as did bars on what was a Government of Guam payday and St. Patrick’s Day. By the morning of March 18 all services had been restored, except for some phone lines.
On March 2, Guam Memorial Hospital “determined unauthorized access” had been made to its network, according to a March 13 release – almost two weeks after the breach.
On March 13, the hospital said its phone lines and emails were “being restored” with other networks to be fully restored “soon.” Visitations to patients – which had been suspended – were restored March 13.
Austerity measures to kick in for NMI government in April
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios issued Directive 2023-02 on March 16, which will see the executive branch work of the government of the Northern Marian Islands take up a 72-hour work week from April 24. Executive branch offices will be closed every other Monday. The offices will also not close for lunch during working hours from Tuesday to Friday. Palacios also asked department heads to submit plans to reduce personnel costs by a minimum of 10%. Within-grade salary increases are also on hold and utility costs are to be reduced by at least 25% a month. Other measures are also being introduced.
In other NMI news, the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will receive a grant of $1.5 million to support its COVID-19 relief efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced March 14, according to the office of Gregorio “Kilili” Camacho Sablan, the NMI delegate to Congress. In addition, the NMI Division of Fish and Wildlife is receiving $141,243 in fiscal 2023 State Wildlife Grant funds, Sablan’s office said.
Airline expects slow quarter
United Airlines Holdings Inc., which does business as United Airlines Inc., forecast a first quarter loss for 2023 in a filing with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission on March 13, citing higher fuel costs and an upcoming collective bargaining agreement with “employees represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.” United said, “While all months of 2023 are expected to produce unit revenue significantly above the corresponding months in 2019, the Company is observing new seasonal demand patterns, with lower-demand months such as January and February 2023 growing less than higher-demand months.” The SEC filing can be found at www.sec.gov.
United reported an $843 million profit for the last three months of 2022, a 31% increase compared with three years earlier, on revenue of $12.4 billion, despite higher costs of fuel and bad weather, but in line with increased demand.
The airline launched a fare sale from Guam and Saipan to its Japan destinations from March 12 to March 19 for travel from March 10 through May 31. Japan Airlines is returning to the Guam route from March through August.
Arrivals from Japan in February were 6,191, compared to arrivals from Korea of 37,477 according to the Guam Visitors Bureau.
GVB released a Weighted Hotel Occupancy Rate of 59.7% for February, and a Weighted Hotel Room rate of $193.61 for the month. The Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association has not shared monthly statistics since 2020. February was a good month for some hotels in Guam, due to military exercises, which continued through March.
And also:
Doosan Ukudu Power LLC was in the middle of No. 9 of its series of haulage of heavy equipment for the new power plant on March 18 and 19. Haulage is anticipated to last until May, with 25 heavy haul moves planned.
President David W. Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia is requesting the first of courtesy resignations from cabinet members, according to a March 18 release. Other resignations will be requested in April and May and in the meantime acting officials are being announced. Some political appointees will be asked to become consultants to assist the next administration when it assumes power on May 11, and some will not be, the release said.
According to Journal files, the FSM Congress is comprised of 14 senators, with four of those serving in an “at-large capacity,” representing one of the four states of the FSM. The other 10 represent election districts,
Only “at-large” senators are eligible to become the president and vice President of the FSM.
The four highest “at large” vote getters for the states in the March 7 elections were former president Peter M. Christian for Pohnpei, current Vice President Aren B. Palik for Kosrae, incumbent At Large senator and Speaker Wesley W. Simina for Chuuk, and former president Joseph Urusemal for Yap.
The FSM Congress will convene on May 11, and will elect the president and vice president. mbj