World

KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — According to the latest report from the Office of the Attorney General, as of April 3, 2025, the government of Palau had expanded its list of “undesirable aliens” to 533 individuals, up from over 400 in January of this year. The list includes foreign nationals whose e…

Mark Ocampo HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man faces drug trafficking charges for purchasing pills in Mexico that tested positive for methamphetamine and flying with them from Hawaii to Guam. On Monday afternoon, Mark Edwin Cacho Ocampo, 32, arrived in Guam by plane from Hawaii and advised Guam …

KOROR/NEW YORK (Island Times/Pacnews) — Palau abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote on April 16 on a resolution that referenced Russian aggression against Ukraine and Georgia. The resolution focused on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, specifically t…

HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The local business community continues to struggle, according to the Guam Chamber of Commerce, which is once again seeking a rollback of the business privilege tax or BPT to help provide some much-needed relief. “Without immediate and decisive action, Guam’s go…

Raynold Oilouch KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — More than 3,000 children in Palau have been approved to receive the annual child-raising subsidy, according to Vice President and Minister of Health and Human Services Raynold Oilouch. A total of 3,051 children were certified as eligible for the subsid…

Surangel Whipps Jr.  KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said Palau must brace for the economic impact of global trade tensions but avoid reactionary responses, especially when it comes to investments and cost-of-living challenges. “We must act based on a long-term pl…

SUVA (Fijivillage/Pacnews) — It’s puzzling that any country purporting to be a friend to Fiji would try to publicly undermine Fiji’s bilateral relationship with one of its partners. U.S. Ambassador to Fiji Marie Damour highlighted this in a response to the Chinese Embassy’s statement calling …

ALOFI/NUKU’ALOFA/SUVA, (RNZ Pacific/Pacnews) — Several health outbreaks are being monitored across the Pacific, including the flu in Niue, and dengue in Tonga and Fiji. Niue’s health division is monitoring an outbreak of influenza A virus. The outbreak was declared on March 26 and as of…

SUVA (FBC News/Pacnews) —Fiji is set to scale up its cruise tourism offerings, with new projects in the pipeline aimed at enhancing the visitor experience and unlocking greater economic returns. The sector, which welcomed over 80,000 passengers last year has become a vital contributor to the econom…

Alexander Narruhn CHUUK (Island Times/Pacnews) — What began as a routine gubernatorial election in Chuuk State has spiraled into a deepening political crisis marked by disputed election results, violence, and growing mistrust in the state’s democratic institutions.  Governor Alexander Narruhn was s…