By Europe correspondent Elias Clure in London (ABC-Australia) Air Force One was cruising over the Atlantic towards a NATO summit in June last year when Donald Trump announced his country’s U-turn. The plane kept travelling towards The Hague, but the US president’s words signalled an abrupt departure from decades of White House foreign policy norms. Trump was […]
Category: In Focus
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Call for a National Referendum on the Acceptance of Refugees into Palau
Dear Leaders of the Republic of Palau, Members of the Olbiil Era Kelulau, and Fellow Citizens, I write with deep respect for our nation, our leaders, and the democratic values that define the Republic of Palau. The question of whether Palau should accept refugees from abroad is not a minor administrative decision—it is a national […]
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What Trump’s inexplicable plan to mine the Mariana Trench could mean for the Pacific
By Andrew D. Thaler WASHINGTON, 22 DECEMBER 2025 (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) — Can you name a single geologic feature of the deep sea? Take a moment. Think about it. Did you pick the Mariana Trench? Odds are pretty good that you did. It is the deepest point on our planet and one of the few […]
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Taiwan’s Green Port Diplomacy: Wind, Shore Power, and Pacific Engagement
By Mohammed Afsal K H TAIPEI, 18 DECEMBER 2025 (GLOBAL TAIWAN) — Taiwan’s latest diplomatic push in the Pacific has come with developments in maritime infrastructure. Between 2024 and 2025, Taiwan pushed the number of high-voltage shore power systems at its ports to 11, relaunched a solar-powered research yacht for Palau, and helped finance Tuvalu’s […]
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When Leaving Is the Hardest, and Bravest, Choice
In many families, especially close-knit ones, there is a familiar line of advice given to women in toxic relationships: stay together for the kids. It is often followed by other well-meaning but heavy expectations. Be patient. Be his peace. He is sick. He is an addict. He needs you. What is rarely asked is a […]
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The Marshall Islands’ experiment with a universal basic income
By Monique Taylor The scheme tests whether microstates can sustain widespread cash transfers, with the Pacific watching on. MAJURO, 09 DECEMBER 2025 (THE INTERPRETER)—The Republic of the Marshall Islands is embarking on one of the world’s most ambitious experiments in universal basic income (UBI). Beginning on 26 November 2025, the government introduced a nationwide UBI […]