Micronesia’s president accuses China of ‘political warfare’
March 13, 2023 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Micronesia's president accused China of “political warfare” in a letter to other national leaders and discussed switching diplomatic allegiance from China to Taiwan in exchange for $50 million.
Biden budget aims at China with billions for Pacific islands
March 9, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Alarmed by China’s success in wooing Pacific island nations, the Biden administration is proposing to spend billions to keep three of those countries in the U.S. orbit.
President Joe Biden’s proposed federal budget released on Thursday includes more than $7.1 billion in funding for the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.
Micronesia’s first COVID-19 outbreak balloons, causing alarm
July 26, 2022 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Micronesia's first outbreak of COVID-19 grew in one week to more than 1,000 cases by Tuesday, causing alarm in the Pacific island nation.
Micronesia last of bigger nations to have COVID-19 outbreak
July 20, 2022 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19.
For more than two-and-a-half years, the Pacific archipelago managed to avoid any outbreaks thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls.
Harris vows US will strengthen its Pacific islands relations
July 13, 2022 GMTSUVA, Fiji (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. engagement after acknowledging Wednesday the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved.
US Vice President Harris to announce investments in Pacific
July 12, 2022 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will announce new investments in the Pacific and the opening of two embassies when she addresses a summit on Wednesday of island nations that are increasingly coming under Chinese influence.
Solomon Islands says China deal won’t include military base
April 1, 2022 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seeking to counter international fears over its new security alliance with China, the Solomon Islands said Friday it won't allow China to build a military base there.
Some fear China could win from US spat with Marshall Islands
November 26, 2021 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally. Its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made it a key strategic outpost for the U.S.
Micronesia’s president says he mandated vaccines to protect
September 1, 2021 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Micronesia President David Panuelo said Wednesday he'll continue to walk around his island nation without fear, despite an alleged death threat against him over his government's vaccine mandate.
Some seek more boxes to check for ‘other’ Pacific Islanders
July 18, 2021 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — A few months into the pandemic, data showed Pacific Islanders suffered the highest infection rates in Hawaii.
But what early numbers didn’t publicly show was which Pacific Islanders in the diverse identification category — which includes people with ethnic roots in Samoa, Micronesia and other islands but excludes Native Hawaiians — were affected the most.
3 Honolulu police officers face charges in fatal shooting
June 26, 2021 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — Three Honolulu police officers appeared in court on Friday to face charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Micronesian boy, the first cases of their kind against law enforcement in the city in more than 40 years.
Micronesians feel hatred in Hawaii, decry police shooting
May 9, 2021 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — Comments on social media about a 16-year-old boy shot and killed by Honolulu police have been so hateful that a Catholic priest, who hails from the same small Pacific island as the teen’s family, hesitates to repeat them...
Guam podcast to tell stories of modern Micronesian history
February 15, 2021 GMTHAGATNA, Guam (AP) — A podcast focused on Guam's history aims to deliver a greater understanding of the people and ideas that helped shape modern Micronesia...
3 men rescued from Pacific island after writing SOS in sand
August 4, 2020 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say...
Airline now says 1 missing after Pacific lagoon plane crash
September 29, 2018 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The airline operating a flight that crashed into a Pacific lagoon in Micronesia on Friday now says one man is missing, after earlier saying all 47 passengers and crew had safely evacuated the sinking plane...
Everybody on plane survives crash landing in Pacific lagoon
September 28, 2018 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A passenger on a plane that crashed into a Pacific lagoon on Friday said the flight attendants were panicking and he saw water pouring through a hole in the side of the plane before he was able to escape...
Migrants to fight Hawaii health care ruling
April 3, 2014 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — An attorney representing Hawaii's Micronesian migrants says he will fight a ruling that the state isn't required to fund Medicaid for people under the Compact of Free Association.
Honolulu attorney Paul Alston tells the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://ow.ly/voHHc ) he'll take the case to the U.S.