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

Worsening global economic conditions expect to slow economic growth in the Pacific
By: Bernadette Carreon According to the June Pacific Economic Update by the World Bank, economic growth in the Pacific Islands is projected to decelerate in 2025. This slowdown is primarily due to worsening global financial conditions and slower...

'Slow but sure' economic rise in most of Pacific - World Bank
Photo: AFP The Pacific regional economy is growing, slowly but surely, reports the World Bank. In their latest Pacific update, released 17 June, they argue for more employment of women to help the economy amidst global economic uncertainty,...

U.S. Coast Guard strengthens partnership with Federated States of Micronesia at semi-annual Joint Committee Meeting
SANTA RITA, Guam — The U.S. Coast Guard actively participated in the semi-annual bilateral Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) on June 4 to 5, 2025, at Joint Task Force-Micronesia (JTF-M) Headquarters. Led...

Micronesia Mall hosts 'Super Dad Showdown' for Father's Day
Micronesia Mall will host its Super Dad Showdown on Sunday, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the mall's center court. "This Father’s Day, we’re inviting families to show their love and appreciation for dad in the most heroic way possible—with a...

CHamoru education fellowship seeks applicants
In response to a call to address the need for CHamoru language and cultural education on the island, the Guam Philharmonic Foundation, Inc., has secured enough financial support to open three fellowship opportunities for “dedicated CHamoru...

Breaking Wave Theatre Company hopes to amplify voices of Pacific with $150K national award
Breaking Wave Theatre Company (BWTC) has received national recognition as one of 11 recipients of the National Theatre Project Creation and Touring Awards by the New England Foundation for the Arts “big step” for “breaking through.” “Being awarded...

Breaking Wave Theatre Company gets $120K grant to support 'We Will Not Go Silent' production
Guam's Breaking Wave Theatre Company received a $120,000 National Theatre Project Creation and Touring grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts to support its original production, "We Will Not Go Silent." The grant is part of an...

Pacific Islands need to boost women in jobs: World Bank
Less than half of working age women are employed across the Pacific Islands due to outdated laws and other barriers, the World Bank said in a new report yesterday, adding that closing the gender gap could boost economic growth. The World Bank...

Pacific Economic Update: Slowing Growth Highlights Need for More Inclusive Workforce
HONIARA, June 17, 2025 — Economic growth is slowing across the Pacific as countries face weak global growth, natural hazards and climate related shocks. The World Bank’s flagship Pacific Economic Update, released today in Honiara, projects...

As economic growth slows, Pacific Islands should boost women in jobs, says World Bank
By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Less than half of working age women are employed across the Pacific Islands due to outdated laws and other barriers, the World Bank said in a new report on Tuesday, and said closing the gender gap could boost...

Trump administration holding immigrants from 26 countries at Guantánamo prison
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...

COFA in Micronesia: Insights From Former Economic Advisor
CAPE CORAL, Florida — In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), subsistence farming and fishing have long protected many households from hunger. Yet, while abject poverty is uncommon, daily hardships have steadily increased in recent years. For...

MATSON PUBLISHES 2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
(MENAFN- PR Newswire) About Matson Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX ) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline of ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous...

Leepan named GM of one of Micronesia’s longest-running businesses
Joseph Leepan Tenorio Deleon Guerrero HERMAN’S Modern Bakery, one of the oldest businesses in Micronesia, has announced the appointment of Joseph Leepan Tenorio Deleon Guerrero as its new general manager. Herman’s has been serving the Northern...

STEPHEN DAISLEY: With 'business friends' like the SNP, who needs liquidators?
Here’s a brainteaser for you. What do you have to add to £1.7 billion to get £600 million? The answer is the SNP. According to independent analysis from the Scottish Fiscal Commission, Scotland’s higher income tax rates ought to pull in an extra...

LETTER: An opposing view—assessing US-China dynamics, Micronesian stability
In a recent article published in the Pacific Daily News, political scientist Van Jackson examined United States military power limitations and disputes forecasts for Chinese dominance in Micronesia but failed to address China’s strategic goals and...
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...
Visualizing The State Of Freedom Around The World
In 2024, 60 countries saw their freedom decline in a historic election year. Strikingly, 40% of countries and territories that held elections experienced targeted attacks on candidates amid heightened instability. Yet bright spots were seen in...

Vulnerable Countries Deserve Full Statehood as Sea Levels Rise
Both existing international law and the ongoing imperative to counter injustice and preserve human dignity demand full and enduring statehood for countries that stand to lose much or all of their land territory beneath rising seas, says a new...