U.S eyes Yap for regional defence plans
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a component of America’s homeland defence and Yap will play a role in the U.S. military repositioning in the region, according to FSM President David Panuelo. While there
America engages the Pacific
After a 38-year break from Fiji and a 10-year break from the Pacific, a United States Secretary of State has visited the region, committing to “a free and open Pacific” with promises to “respect core
COVID, climate, China, Compacts: Blinken’s Pacific agenda
A decade since the last visit of a U.S. Secretary of State to the Pacific Islands, the U.S. President’s chief foreign advisor, Antony Blinken visits Fiji briefly today in an effort to re-engage with Pacific
COVID-19 may create a flood of criminal deportations to the Pacific
Closed borders have created a backlog of criminal deportations to Pacific Islands states, and more effective transition programs are needed to reduce the risk of recidivism among returnees, Henrietta McNeill and Magele
US labels Pacific Islands a climate ‘region of concern’
By Nic Maclellan A major assessment by US intelligence agencies lists the Pacific islands as one of two “regions of great concern” in the world, because of the adverse effects of climate change. The assessment of
U.S funding tapped for Pacific undersea cable after China rebuffed
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) will tap a U.S funding facility to construct a Pacific undersea communications cable, two sources told Reuters, after rejecting a Chinese company-led proposal that was deemed a
Palau’s new President takes a strong stance vs China
China has emerged as one of the key players in the Pacific region and at the changing of the guard of Palau’s leadership in January, new President, Surangel Whipps Jr. was expected to concentrate on the pandemic
‘Sickened’, ‘saddened’ and ‘a bit angry’: US Ambassador Cella on riots
The outgoing US Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu and Tonga says he was sickened, saddened and a bit angered by the scenes of violence at the US Capitol building in Washington DC last week.
