U.S. Senate fails to add Compact Funds to aid package
A last-minute bipartisan effort to add key funding aimed at countering China in the Pacific has failed in the U.S. Senate even as a US$95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan moved forward. A renewal of
Russian oligarch’s seized yacht costs $7 million a year to maintain, U.S says
The U.S government said it is spending more than US$7 million a year to maintain a superyacht it seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch, and urged a judge to let it auction the vessel before a dispute over its
U.S. will resume Peace Corps programme in Palau
The United States will resume a long-suspended Peace Corps programme in the North Pacific island of Palau as the Biden administration continues moves to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The Peace Corps
Allies ‘have to compete aggressively’ with China for Pacific security, U.S. warns
The U.S. has urged Papua New Guinea to turn down China’s offer of a security pact, increasing pressure on the prime minister of Australia’s nearest neighbour as he prepares to address parliament in Canberra this
U.S. urges Pacific to keep Chinese tech out of undersea cables
Pacific nations are being warned against using Chinese technology to connect to Western-funded undersea cables or risk having access cut off on security grounds. Nathaniel Fick, the U.S. envoy for cyberspace and digital
Huge rogue waves smash into remote U.S. military base in Pacific
“Gigantic” waves swamped parts of a key U.S. military facility in the middle of the Pacific Ocean last weekend, causing damage that will take months to repair, according to a U.S. Army report. A video posted on X
U.S. political support for deep-sea mining growing despite pushback from allies
A report in the Wall Street Journal says U.S. political support for deep-sea mining has taken on a new urgency as Norway this week became the first country to legalise extraction of minerals from the ocean bottom
Deportation of Palauans from the U.S. hits record high in 2023
Nine Palauan citizens were deported from the United States in 2023, marking the highest number of deportees Palau has received in a single year. This significant increase, compared to the usual two or less deportees per
U.S. signals plan for immediate-range missiles in the North Pacific
The U.S. military’s purported plan to station intermediate-range missiles in Guam is likely to heighten concerns among some Pacific Island countries of a new era of militarisation of their region, analysts said. The
U.S. gives K1.85 million for volcanic eruption victims in PNG
In response to the volcanic eruptions at Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea, the United States, through USAID, has allocated K1.85 million (US$500,000) to provide immediate emergency assistance. The aid aims to address
Nations can look elsewhere: Micronesia ex-leader urges U.S. to keep funds pledge
Months after exiting office, the former president of the Federated States of Micronesia has urged American lawmakers to keep their promise of approving funds for the Compact of Free Association (Cofa) pact, warning that
