Kalani Kaneko

RMI marks Emperor’s birthday

RMI marks Emperor’s birthday

HILARY HOSIA Marshall Islands joined the rest of the world in celebrating Japan Emperor Naruhito’s 64th birthday at the Marshall Islands Resort last Thursday. In the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko exchanged toasts with Japan Ambassador Tanaka Kazunari, signifying 35 years of political partnership between the two nations. In his remarks, […]

VIP Kili visit

VIP Kili visit

HILARY HOSIA Action speaks louder than words. This seems to be the marching order for President Hilda Heine and her Cabinet following a one-day visit to Kili Island last Friday. That day before, Thursday, the Heine administration declared a state of emergency to address the immediate needs of the Kili community, which has been experiencing […]

President Hilda confirms Cabinet

President Hilda confirms Cabinet

The new Cabinet lineup was confirmed Monday. It features a mix of Nitijela Members, and demonstrates how President Hilda Heine and her core supporters reached out to newly elected Members as well as those from islands that would normally be considered aligned with the Kabua traditional leadership in order to form the new government. Members […]

Mayor Ladie back for third term

Mayor Ladie back for third term

GIFF JOHNSON In the still preliminary and unofficial vote tabulation, Majuro Mayor Ladie Jack was outpolling main challenger Margaret Alee Bigler by more than two-to-one and three of the four incumbent Majuro Nitijela members were showing the highest numbers. Incumbent Stephen Phillip and candidates David Kramer and Yolanda Lodge-Ned were locked in a battle for […]

Kalani to chair VA panel

Kalani to chair VA panel

Majuro Nitijela Member and retired US Army veteran Kalani Kaneko has been named by the US Veterans Administration to chair a new Congressionally-established advisory committee. In a September 13 letter to Kaneko, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said he was appointing Kaneko as chairman of the new Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on […]

Yun, Kabua agree on Compact money

Yun, Kabua agree on Compact money

GIFF JOHNSON and HILARY HOSIA Last week’s signing of an MOU for the Compact of Free Association was momentous for the Marshall Islands and the United States, coming less than a year since RMI Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua took up her post and US Special Envoy Joseph Yun was named by President Biden to head […]

Nitijela launches final year

Nitijela launches final year

GIFF JOHNSON The Marshall Islands is facing hard times — prices of food, fuel and other goods have skyrocketed, while worker salaries have remained stagnant. This was a message delivered repeatedly by President David Kabua during his address to the nation at Monday’s Nitijela opening. Kabua said Covid, climate change and the war in Ukraine […]

RMI record budget set to pass

RMI record budget set to pass

The Nitijela is expected to return to session this week Thursday to hear the report of the Appropriation Committee on the proposed $297.5 million FY2023 national budget. The committee wrapped up a week of public hearings Monday this week. The hearings were briefer than some past years due to Nitijela opening the third week of […]

Covid dominates Nitijela’s return

Covid dominates Nitijela’s return

HILARY HOSIA Leaders of the nation began their first Parliament meeting of the August session Monday with a moment of silence to honor the 14 Marshallese who passed away from Covid since the pandemic reached the shores of the RMI August 8. A few minutes into the session, Speaker Kenneth Kedi called for an off air […]

Lib launches big project

Lib launches big project

The small community of Lib Island celebrated the launching of the new Lib Island boat pass dock project with a groundbreaking ceremony last week. The over $1 million project will improve access to Lib, which is a single island surrounded by reef making it difficult to access the island from the ocean. Pacific International Inc. […]