Earlier this month, President Hilda Heine and her Cabinet held a one-day summit on drugs and security with local government mayors, traditional leaders and community representatives. Now, there is a regional call for a summit to be held next year to tackle the drug crisis impacting many islands in the Pacific. “The Pacific region is […]
GIFF JOHNSON As Air Marshall Islands new Cessna SkyCourier goes into regular service soon, it will be limited by one major factor: The lack of paved runways on the outer islands. It will be able to service Kwajalein, of course, and Jaluit and likely Wotje. But until more runways are paved, the plane’s service will […]
Just about every major news agency in the US and around the world is reporting on what could be one of the worst-ever El Niño weather conditions later this year. For the Marshall Islands, an El Niño year usually causes an extended drought as well warming ocean water at the equator pushing tuna into RMI […]
The roof support structure has been going up on the Nitijela building since last week. The prefabricated roof, which arrived from the US by ship earlier this month, will be installed by the PII construction crews as soon as the roof support beams are all in place. Construction is under immense time constraints with Pacific […]
Two months after President Hilda Heine joined with the presidents of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia to urge the US government to exempt freely associated state citizens from a new US directive limiting issuance of commercial drivers licenses, the US government last last week issued the exemption. This outcome was the result of […]
GIFF JOHNSON The May distribution of Enra funds will happen next week, according to the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration, which handles the quarterly payments. The bigger news is that next week’s payment will be larger than the March distribution due to President Hilda Heine’s advocacy to increase money going out to citizens during a […]
GIFF JOHNSON Media freedom in the Pacific Islands was celebrated in Majuro May 9 with the showcasing of over a dozen short films entered in the “My Pacific Story” competition and the awarding of prize money to the winners. Sponsored by the Marshall Islands-based non-profit, Pacific Media Institute, films entered in the contest were a […]
GIFF JOHNSON There are policies and procedures in place that in theory offer victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and sexual harassment an opportunity to address these problems. But the actual implementation is often where we find women left confused, angry and unhappy at the responses received, delays in action by authorities, or simply the […]
National and local leaders gathered last week for the first RMI National Security and Substance/Drug Summit, aimed at strengthening coordination to address the growing threat of illicit drugs and broader national security challenges. Hosted by the Office of National Security (ONS), the summit brought together mayors from across the outer atolls, members of the Council […]
Majuro Atoll Waste Company has a few things to celebrate, and it did just that last week Thursday with an event at the landfill site in Batkan. With the support of the Asian Development Bank, MAWC has received an important piece of heavy equipment that will assist it as it closes up the dump area […]
