Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Pacific leaders address U.S deportation distress and regional unity at Micronesian meeting
MAJURO (PMN) — The latest wave of deportations of Pacific people from the United States was among a range of issues discussed at the recent Micronesian Islands Forum in the Marshall Islands. The three-day summit brought together leaders from...
In our 50s, we moved to a remote Pacific island. We know we'll need better healthcare someday, but for now, it's paradise.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Buz Moffett, 63, who moved from Hawaii to Pohnpei, an island in the Pacific Ocean that's part of the Federated States of Micronesia, with his wife in 2018. It has been edited for length and...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – July 4 – July 10, 2025
Editor’s Note: We are undergoing a web host migration process and may need to make necessary modifications to our format and frequency over the next several weeks. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Political Leadership and Regionalism,...

Over 1,600 Delegates Gather in Geneva for WIPO General Assembly
More than 1,600 delegates from the 194 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have convened in Geneva, Switzerland, for the 66th session of the WIPO General Assembly. The event is held from July 8 to 17 at the...

Eased NZ travel rules welcomed
Samoans are excited and optimistic about New Zealand’s new immigration changes, which allow Pacific Island citizens to be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa. The changes, which came into effect on 6 July 2025, have sparked positive responses...
This Pacific Ocean country is one of Earth’s most biodiverse places
Thursday 10 July 2025 8:41 am Share Facebook Share on Facebook X Share on Twitter LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp Email Share on Email A trip to remote Palau on the Four Seasons Explorer This Pacific Ocean hideaway offers...

Navy’s Pacific Partnership mission kicks off 6-month run with Pearl Harbor stop
The USS Pearl Harbor, a 600-foot-long amphibious dock landing ship that will serve as flagship for the Pacific Partnership mission, is moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on July 10, 2025. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) JOINT BASE...

Pacific islands push back against growing climate threats
The Cook Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are separated by around 6,000 kilometres of Pacific Ocean. Despite the vast stretch of water between them, the two small island nations share a common challenge: how to protect their people...
They need to listen and act now: Pacific countries ramp up…
Pacific countries have taken a critical step to finalise their priorities as they ramp up the call for a high-ambition treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. Ahead of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental...

Pacific Mini Games comes to a close
After 10 days of regional competition, Team Guam heads home from Palau with 20 medals and an endless amount of memories. Long distance collegiate runner Hugh Kent paved the way with half of Guam’s gold medal count of four. He and fellow long...
21st Iteration of Pacific Partnership Prepares for Indo-Pacific Mission Aboard USS Pearl Harbor
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, UNITED STATES 07.09.2025 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) officially kicks off with the arrival of the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52)...

Kiribati youth maintain culture through music and connection
As Kiribati Language Week unfolds across Aotearoa, university student Ronita Kuaoni reflects on what it means to be i-Kiribati while living and studying far from home. Born in Tarawa, Kuaoni says her connection to the atolls of Nonouti and Nikunau...

ICE is now hunting for clergy members willing to work in Guantánamo Bay
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...
Communes, divorce and being a 'good villain': How 'Survivor' star Parvati Shallow stopped being in 'survival mode'
“I love a good villain,” Parvati Shallow tells me from her couch as we’re connected on Zoom. “Everyone has the capacity to lie. Everyone has the capacity to be mean or bad or cutthroat.” Despite the bright smile and warm personality that I see...

It’s time for a US Indo-Pacific reset
As the recent struggle to pass a budget for the US government illustrates, yet again, the immutable reality of limited fiscal resources, it’s time to reconsider America’s vital national interests in the Indo-Pacific and maintain a laser-like focus...

Micronesian Island Forum or Second Island Chain Alliance?
These Islands By Robert Underwood Pacific island nations and territories like to discuss the Blue Continent and give dramatic visions about a Pacific future based on island wisdom, traditions and connections. Despite the diversity of island forms,...

Pacific leaders address US deportation distress and regional unity at Micronesian meeting
The latest wave of deportations of Pacific people from the United States was among a range of issues discussed at the recent Micronesian Islands Forum in the Marshall Islands. The three-day summit brought together leaders from Kiribati, Nauru, the...

China's visa-free policy to extend to Micronesia amid expanding 'circle of friends'
Foreign tourists pose for photos at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China on May 3, 2025. The Temple of Heaven became a popular tourist spot for foreign visitors during the Labor Day holiday. Photo: VCG China continues to expand its...

Look around the stunning paradise island with WW2 wrecks, that’s become a haven for dark tourism
A REMOTE paradise island, littered with abandoned World War II wrecks, has become a popular destination for dark tourists. During the Second World War, battles spread to the Pacific, where Japanese and American troops fought on tiny islands. 7...

Amazing finish for an amazing team
(Northern Marianas Sports Association) — Team Marianas closed out its campaign in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau with a bang, winning a gold medal in the half marathon and a bronze in 3x3 basketball on Wednesday. Northern Marianas Athletics’...