NEWSWORTHY
Typhoon Yutu leaves Northern Marianas without power or water
Rescue teams and heavy equipment were mobilized across the Northern Mariana Islands on Thursday after a typhoon hit U.S. Western Pacific territories overnight, causing blackouts and damage to critical infrastructure. With sustained winds of over 270 kph (168 mph), Typhoon Yutu pulled down trees, telegraph ...
Pentagon report says forces likely training for strikes against U.S., allies
China's military has expanded overwater bomber operations farther from the country's shores, likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, including Japan, the U.S. Defense Department said Thursday. In an annual report to Congress on military and security developments involving China, the ...
Hawaii volcanic smog blankets Marshall Islands 3,700 km away as it spreads west
Haze from the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii blanketed the Marshall Islands 3,700 km (2,300 miles) away on Sunday, as officials warned it would continue moving west. The haze, a phenomenon known as "vog," or volcanic smog, "is spreading across Micronesia," the U.S. National Weather ...
Guam hopes to attract more Japanese tourists after their numbers fell from top market
Guam is stepping up its effort to attract more Japanese tourists after they fell from the top spot of visitors who vacation on the Pacific island. According to the Guam Visitors Bureau, arrivals from Japan fell 16.8 percent in 2017 to 620,547, giving way to ...
Canada starts first Western Pacific sub patrols in 50 years amid North Korea threat
A Canadian submarine is patrolling the Western Pacific for the first time in nearly 50 years, the navy said Thursday, amid heightened tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Although the HMCS Chicoutimi's mission was scheduled a year ago, it comes after the United States ...
Some see U.S. already on North Korea war footing, waiting for allies to get onboard
Is a war pitting the U.S. and its allies against nuclear-armed North Korea on the horizon? While most analysts, regional security experts and government officials say the odds of conflict erupting on the Korean Peninsula remain low, observers say there has in recent months been ...
Fewer Japanese tourists visit Guam amid North Korea missile scare
The island had been a popular tourist destination for Japanese nationals who accounted for roughly half the total number of visitors to Guam in 2016.
Taiwan's president visits U.S. territory of Guam despite Chinese ire
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived on the U.S. Pacific island of Guam on Friday on her way back from visiting diplomatic allies in the Pacific — a trip that caused strong objections from China. Beijing had urged the United States not to allow Tsai to ...
U.S. Navy rescues Hawaii women and dogs adrift aboard sloop in Pacific since May
Two women and their dogs have been rescued after being lost at sea for months while trying to sail from Hawaii to Tahiti. The U.S. Navy rescued the women on Wednesday after a Taiwanese fishing vessel spotted them about 900 miles southeast of Japan, well ...
U.S.-North Korean tensions prompt H.K.-based airline to delay Guam-Japan flights
Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have prompted a Hong Kong-based airline to delay flights between the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and Japan. HK Express announced five weeks ago that it planned to start the flights on Oct. 29, but has since delayed ...
The Hyogo Prefectural Government said Wednesday it will hold an evacuation drill Sept. 17 in Nishinomiya to prepare for a possible ballistic missile attack. The drill, also involving the central government, will be held in response to North Korea's recent announcement of a plan to ...
Guam urges Japanese tourists to ignore North Korea missile threat
Guam's lieutenant governor on Wednesday urged Japanese people to visit the Pacific island despite North Korea's threat to fire missiles near the U.S. territory, saying Washington has prepared for any contingency. "All the defenses are already in place" such as the Aegis missile defense system, ...
