#pacific island countries

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Surf the net in the air: United rolls out free Starlink service on Guam flights

United Airlines has deployed Elon Musk’s high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi on two of its Guam-based Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, allowing passengers to stay connected and navigate online for free.

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15 hours ago

How did GovGuam spend the $50M emergency funding for Mawar recovery?

More than three years after Super Typhoon Mawar wrecked Guam, no storm-related action report has been published and no oversight has been held to determine what happened to the $50 million appropriation for recovery efforts.

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21 hours ago

'It's not a junket; it's an investment ': Governor says San Francisco talks expected to yield $5.1B for Guam

Smarting from criticisms against the administration's 30-member delegation to San Francisco, the governor said any federal assistance flowing into Guam could grow to approximately 11.7 billion over the years.

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3 days ago

THE PACIFIC

WHO warns of outbreaks in Western Pacific due to gaps in vaccine programs

Health leaders noted that measles is one of the most contagious diseases that expose weaknesses in immunization systems. Nearly 1.7 million babies—or about one in every 11— born in the Western Pacific missed the first routine vaccine dose in 2025, the World Health Organization said, warning against the risks of otherwise eliminated diseases resurging in the region.

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4 days ago

Died once, buried twice: Why Some Pacific Islanders dug up their dead

Islanders also asked their ancestors for help with planting crops, traveling, going to war, or other important activities. Traditional healers, called "makahna," used the skulls in prayers and rituals.

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4 days ago

US flags China's 'systemic geocriminality' in Pacific island region

The U.S. government has warned against the rising trend of criminals operating across the Pacific with ties to China.

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5 days ago

INSIGHTS

LIFE & ARTS

The Peace Corps is coming back

On the sidelines of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror on Sept. 2, Wesley W. Simina, Surangel Whipps Jr. and Hilda Heine, presidents of the FSM, Palau and the Marshall Islands, respectively, along with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau signed a letter of intent to establish a new North Pacific Peace Corps program.

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1 day ago

The island that disappeared from the map—and the one that never appeared

More than 50 countries showed up. Fiji pledged US$2.2 million. The Taku Pakasoa Declaration, adopted in Funafuti and eventually backed by around thirty countries, called for stronger ambition and faster access to climate finance.

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2 days ago

Term limits are good for Guam

Whether serving in the Guam legislature, on the Consolidated Commission on Utilities, or on the Guam Department of Education board, public officials are entrusted with decisions that directly affect our residents' lives. That responsibility is exactly why Guam should adopt reasonable term limits for these positions and other elected offices.

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3 days ago

‘A Retrospective 1986-2026’ traces Dell’Isola’s artistic evolution

“Mark Dell’Isola: A Retrospective 1986-2026” traces the evolution of Dell’Isola’s work from early landscapes through paintings inspired by underwater environments, astronomy, the Mariana Trench, DNA, optical effects and the places he has lived.

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2 days ago

Community Events: Canned food drive; Brunch for culinary programs; 2 pianists at Biba's; Art exhibit ArtSpace; Diwali night at Dusit

Be Heartfelt, in partnership with Tower for Humanity, is hosting the Fourth Annual Cans for Humanity at Micronesia Mall, bringing together businesses, schools, churches, military groups, nonprofits, student organizations, clubs and community members with one shared goal: helping feed children experiencing food insecurity throughout Guam.

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3 days ago

Gen X and a world that no longer exists

The term was popularized by Douglas Coupland, author of "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture." In a 1991 interview with the Boston Globe, Coupland said, "I just want to show society what people born after 1960 think about things. We're sick of stupid labels, we're sick of being marginalized in lousy jobs, and we're tired of hearing about ourselves from others."

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3 days ago

Clickbait or fake news? How Pacific island myths kept people alive

For the ancient islanders, typhoons weren't just bad weather. They attributed terrifying events to supernatural forces in an attempt to make sense of inexplicable phenomena. Perhaps the ancestors were angry, or maybe someone broke a sacred taboo. Maybe a spirit was offended and demanding respect.

By Raquel Bagnol

Sep 134 min read

Marshall Islands is a sovereign state, Heine reminds US following Trump's social media gaffe

According to a statement from the Office of the President of the Marshall Islands, Heine “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining a strong partnership based on mutual respect, close consultation and recognition of the Marshall Islands’ sovereignty as a nation in free association with the United States.”

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Sep 32 min read

Pacific islands seek to strengthen ties with European Union

Pacific island leaders agreed that the implementation of the Samoa Agreement and the Pacific Regional Protocol is aligned with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the outcomes of the Review of the Regional Architecture, ensuring a coherent Pacific-led approach.

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Sep 22 min read

Pacific unity: Centrifugal and centripetal force

Perhaps it is an easier statement to make south of the equator than north in the island Pacific. Great power rivalry and security concerns have never really left Micronesia. Guam remains the center of the distribution of American military might for the Asia-Pacific region, while the Marshall Islands has been a venue for American missile testing for three generations.

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Sep 24 min read

'Put your money where your mouth is,' Pacific climate leaders tell big nations

For Pacific Islanders, who are increasingly being flooded out of their home islands by rising seas, this is an occasion to put their lived experience, knowledge and solutions directly before the world, Qereqeretabua said.

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Aug 264 min read

Naoero shifting focus from aid to economic growth, president says

Naoero's economic transformation over the past decade reflects the strategy recommended by a New Zealand official, who advised Pacific leaders to cut reliance on aid and focus on growing domestic economies, President David Adeang said.

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Aug 213 min read