Hurricane Beryl becomes earliest Category 5 storm on record hours after pummeling Windward Islands
Just hours after Hurricane Beryl struck the Windward Islands as a Category 4 superstorm, packing devastating winds and a powerful storm surge, it strengthened further, reaching Category 5 strength on Monday night, breaking the record for the earliest Category 5 hurricane observed in the Atlantic basin. The National Hurricane Center said that as of its […]
How the humble coconut is starting to fuel parts of Papua New Guinea | Pacific islands
Hundreds of coconut trees tower into the distance on Papua New Guinea’s Karkar Island. Decades ago, this fruit was a lucrative export, but over the years it has become less prized on international markets. Now, a small island off the country’s north coast is repurposing coconuts. Oil from copra (the white flesh of coconuts) is […]
Solomon Islands chooses China-friendly ex-diplomat Jeremiah Manele as new prime minister | Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands lawmakers have elected former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele as their new prime minister, pledging to continue the Pacific island nation’s embrace of China. Speaking outside parliament on Thursday, Manele said “the people have spoken out” and called for calm. “I humbly stand before you as your elected prime minister. We must respect and […]
Solomon Islands election: PM Sogavare retains seat as count continues | Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, retained his seat in Saturday’s results, but it will be several days before votes are counted to determine whether his party can form the next government. Wednesday’s national election was Sogavare’s first since signing a security pact with China in 2022, bringing the Pacific island nation closer […]
How hidden WW2 bombs across the Pacific are found and destroyed, decades after war | Marshall Islands
TThe Marshall Islands is an atoll country made up of hundreds of small islands covered with coconut palms and pandanus trees. These atolls in the Pacific Ocean symbolize tropical beauty, but they are also home to the remains of an explosive war. Eighty years after the guns were silenced, ammunition left behind by the United […]
Northumberland’s Farne Islands reopen to tourists after bird flu outbreak | Wildlife
Puffins started arriving two weeks ago and are now milling about in their thousands. They joined kittiwakes, murres, toucans, fulmars and shags. Arctic terns arrive shortly after completing their epic journey across the globe from Antarctica. Humans arrived this week after a two-year ban on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, one of the UK’s most […]
Long Island’s ‘Hot Dog Hooker’ Catherine Scalia busted yet again for stalking man
A Long Island woman who was arrested several years ago for prostitution at a hot dog truck was arrested again this week for aggressively stalking a man at work by exposing her breasts and shouting anti-Semitic comments. It was done. Katherine Scalia, 57, was arrested Tuesday by Nassau County police in East Rockaway and charged […]
Greece travel guide: From Athens to the islands
Greece is a country that has always loomed large in the American imagination. With beautiful Mediterranean landscapes, towering mountains and over 6,000 islands, it’s a country where magical memories are made. It is also a country filled with rich history. One of the world’s great ancient civilizations, it made vital contributions to government, philosophy, literature, […]
4 migrants dead, 64 rescued as West African boat reaches Canary Islands
Four migrants were killed and 64 others were rescued when a boat from Mauritania arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands after making the dangerous Atlantic route from West Africa, Spain’s Maritime and Rescue Service said. The migrants arrived on El Hierro late Tuesday night and survivors included two women and nine minors, the agency said. According […]
Tuvalu names Feleti Teo prime minister after pro-Taiwan leader Kausea Natano ousted | Pacific islands
Lawmakers in Tuvalu have elected Feleti Teo as the Pacific island nation’s new prime minister, weeks after an election focused on relations with Taiwan. Government Secretary Tufoa Panapa told Agence France-Presse on Monday that former attorney general Theo had secured the backing of lawmakers elected last month. There is speculation that Tuvalu, one of only […]