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...

Variations ǀ Survey says
PREPARED by a team of economists and other experts, the Marianas Economic Roadmap includes the results of a community survey conducted from Nov. 14 to Dec. 5, 2024. The confidence level is 95%, and the margin of error is ±4.35%. The results are...

Bridging the Pacific’s Digital Divide: Why the West Must Act Together
The Pacific is no longer an afterthought in global strategic competition. Stretching across a vast ocean, the region’s scattered island nations are navigating a digital transition that will shape their economic development, national security, and...

Teams locked in for Mall Ball 3x3 Middle School Tournament
Micronesia Mall, in partnership with Clutch Guam, announced that slots are officially locked in for the second tournament of the Mall Ball ’25: 3x3 Summer Circuit series - the Middle School Tournament - taking place Friday through Sunday at the...

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...

Air NZ, Qantas lag some rival airlines for on-time arrivals, Honolulu is best Oceania airport, Solomon Airlines pushes Auckland-Vanuatu route
Data from Cirium showed Thai AirAsia had 87.71% on-time arrivals. Japan’s ANA and Philippine Airlines rounded out the region’s top three. Qantas, Singapore and Air New Zealand ranged from 78.96% to 78.61%. Kate Boyer, Air New Zealand airports...

Africa’s Addiction to Aid
by Mesay Berhanu Gemechu Is it the beginning of the end of Africa’s overreliance on foreign aid? Trump’s decision to end the flow of aid going to the developing world, notably Africa, which has been channeled through the USAID over the past...

GRMC lines up staff, community events to celebrate 10 years
Guam Regional Medical City, the only private hospital on the island, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this July with a series of activities for both staff and the community, including a July 26 health fair. From breaking ground in 2011 to...

Shelly Lebehn Amor
KOLONIA, Pohnpei — For more than 28 years, Shelly Lebehn Amor has quietly played a vital role in advancing conservation work across Micronesia and Polynesia. The Pohnpei native is the longest-serving staff member of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in...

Letters to the Editor | July 17, 2025
Fist of fury! Runqi Zhou, who has been dubbed as the ‘Fist of Fury’, jetted into the country to face Junior Binnu Singh in the highly anticipated bout of the ZEG Kings Boxing Promotion this weekend. During his last visit to Fiji, Zhou did not have...

Governor drums up regional support for her Guam hospital project
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero with Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor of Guam The 27th Micronesian Islands Forum has adopted a resolution supporting the development of a regional medical complex on...

Brazilian science and technology on Filipino plates: A recipe for agricultural development
Contrary to what some may assume, Brazil did not become a major food producer by chance or good fortune alone. Instead, this achievement was built upon decades of rigorous scientific research, technological innovation and strategic investments....

IHG adds two new ANA Holiday Inn hotels to portfolio
Hospitality group IHG Hotels & Resorts has entered a new agreement with Fet System to rebrand two existing hotels in Sanda and Tosu, Japan, to ANA Holiday Inn properties. This rebranding marks the introduction of the first internationally branded...

Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Why Me?
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Why Me? Constructor: Guilherme Gilioli Editor: Amie Walker What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle ARNOLD (23A: "The Neighborhood" star Tichina) The Neighborhood...

UN General Assembly adopts resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire
The result of the vote to adopt a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is shown on the screens during an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 12, 2025. The General Assembly,...

IHG Continues Growth Momentum of the Holiday Inn Brand in Japan
Tokyo, Japan – IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) today announced a further agreement with FET SYSTEM INC, to rebrand two hotels to ANA Holiday Inn, bringing the first international branded hotels to Sanda and Tosu City. The 130 room ANA Holiday Inn Kobe...

Holiday Inn Heads to Sanda and Tosu: IHG Brings First International Hotels to Emerging Japanese Cities
IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced a significant expansion of its footprint in Japan with the rebranding of two existing properties into ANA Holiday Inn hotels, marking the first international hotel presence in both Sanda and Tosu City. The move...