Corporate Giving – October 2025

Matson Navigation Co. has given a $165,000 in-kind shipping commitment to the University of Guam. The contribution will support the transport of equipment and furnishings for four new campus buildings — the Dr. Lucio C. Tan Student Success Center,...

Palau Averts Shutdown With Stopgap Budget, but Delays Raise Accountability Questions

Palau narrowly avoided a government shutdown this week after the House of Delegates’ stalled negotiations forced lawmakers to pass a three-month stopgap budget. The temporary measure, signed Oct. 1, keeps operations running through Dec. 31 while...

Proposes $6 Million Deal for Palau to Accept 75 “Refugees”

Palau is facing a major diplomatic decision as the United States proposes a $6 million deal for the island nation to host 75 people identified as “refugees.” While the offer includes additional support such as drug experts and funding for care,...

Refugees or Deportees? Palau Must Put Its People First

Dear Editor, When President Whipps announced the creation of a Refugee Working Group, many Palauans paused in confusion. The United States proposal, as it turns out, does not speak of refugees—it speaks of deportees. That single word changes...

Palau senator’s son on Fiji drug charge

THE sun dips low over Fiji’s western coast as a fisherman hauls his catch ashore. Hours at sea under the scorching sun have yielded bundles of fish, but when he sells them at the market, much of the profit slips away into the hands of middlemen....

What Anthony Albanese and fiancée Jodie Haydon REALLY did on their holiday - after rumours swirled they were set to tie the knot on the island paradise

Snapshots of the secretive holiday taken by Anthony Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon have been revealed by a tour operator in the western Pacific. The pair jetted to the island nation of Palau last week in what is believed to be the Prime...

Palau President calls for Climate Justice, Ocean Protection and UN reform…

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr has told the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) that small island states are “at war” with climate change, warning that 1.5 degrees is now a binding global obligation and calling for urgent reforms to deliver...

China to grow 4.8% in 2025 amid regional slowdown: World Bank

China is expected to achieve a prominent GDP growth of 4.8 percent in 2025 and 4.2 percent in 2026, up from the previously forecasted 4.0 percent for both years in April, according to the World Bank's latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update...

World Bank keeps PHL GDP forecasts unchanged

THE WORLD BANK maintained its Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts for this year and 2026, amid heightened uncertainty and slowing global growth. In its latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released on Tuesday, the...

World Bank keeps Philippine GDP forecasts for 2025, 2026

The World Bank maintained its Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts for this year and 2026, amid heightened uncertainty and slowing global growth. In its recent East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released on Tuesday, the...

The young tycoon accused of masterminding a multibillion-dollar international fraud network

By Helen Regan, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — He is a baby-faced tycoon who rose to the highest echelons of power in his adopted home of Cambodia, where he bestows scholarships and runs philanthropy programs while overseeing one of the country’s largest...

Palau, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu step up push for Taiwan's reinstatement to UN

The Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu have accelerated their campaign for Taiwan’s readmission to the United Nations, challenging the world organization to reexamine the resolution that handed its seat over to China. At the 80th session of the...

World leaders extend congratulations as Palau marks 31st Independence Day

Palau marked its 31st Independence Day on Oct. 1 with congratulatory messages from global leaders, highlighting the island nation’s growing role in climate action, ocean conservation, and regional security. From the United States and European...

U.S. Congratulates Palau on Its Independence Day

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio wished Palau a happy Independence Day on October 1st, 2025, the 31st anniversary of the country’s establishment as an independent nation. “On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the...

Guam at the Pacific Islands Forum: ‘Business as Usual’ Despite External Partner Ban 

At this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting, the story that seemed to capture headlines was the decision by this year’s host, Solomon Islands, to disinvite all external partners from attendance. The reporting around this decision...

Son of Palau Senate Leader Caught up in Fiji Drug Sweep

Among the 10 people arrested in Fiji last week in a major anti-drug operation was the son of a senior pro-China politician from Palau, who presides over his country’s Senate, OCCRP confirmed. Hokkons Baules told OCCRP on Tuesday that he learned...

Cash and calories: Palau survey details household incomes, spending priorities, diet challenges

How Palauan households earn, spend and eat: A survey release sheds light on a diet heavy in rice, employment-driven incomes, and challenges with health and inequality, among other themes. Palau’s Office of Planning and Statistics, with technical...

Belau DIMS to Streamline Tourism Strategy and Support Local Businesses

Palau’s new Sustainable Tourism Strategy puts local businesses at the center — and the Belau Destination Information Management System (Belau DIMS) is the tool to make it happen. From tracking projects to sharing resources, DIMS will help...

Monkeys in Palau: How Germany's colonial past, WWII and US military plans have fuelled an ecological calamity

This is an ABC podcast. Pilot Pleasure to have you on board this morning. It should be a pretty smooth ride down. James Nokise It's early Saturday morning and I'm sitting crammed inside an eight-seater plane with the side door open so we can get...

Beluad Enterprise Debuts at Palau’s 31st. Independence Day Boat Race

At Palau’s 31st Independence Day Boat Race, 29-year-old Rimuu Salii Williams debuted Beluad Enterprise, a new brand inspired by Palauan culture and community pride. Her launch highlighted not just entrepreneurship but the growing role of young...