Stories by Giff Johnson
News
Covid-free Pacific islands look to rejoin the world
The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia prepare to open borders.
Skyrocketing prices hit Marshall Islands
Fuel prices have hit another milestone in Marshall Islands adding an exclamation point to the prices for imported goods that have skyrocketed since last year.
US blocks release of mental health funds for Marshall Islands
US funds for essential Marshall Islands mental health-related programmes are still on hold more than a year after the US Health Department launched an investigation.
Marshalls launches big child health intervention
The Marshall Islands is rolling out a major intervention in an attempt to help parents improve the health of their young children. A high-rate of malnutrition and growth stunting among children has…
'It's a struggle': Inflation hits Marshall Islands
Fuel prices hit US$7 per gallon in Majuro this past week, a milestone for prices of imported goods that have skyrocketed since last year.
Marshall Islands gets largest number of Covid border cases
Covid-19 testing of Marshall Islanders in managed quarantine saw the largest number test positive for Covid-19 since managed repatriation started nearly two years ago.
Marshall Islands telecom service hit by cyber attack
When internet systems in the Marshall Islands went on the blink in mid-March, it wasn't immediately clear what was causing the rolling outages.
Marshalls President calls for Forum ‘peace’
The President of the Marshall Islands David Kabua says he does not want the Micronesia area nations to pull out of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Marshall Islands study: Concern raised over long-ignored nuclear contamination
A new scientific report suggests that the radioactive element strontium 90 is a more significant contamination factor in the northern Marshall Islands than has been acknowledged to date by the US…
Marshall Islands media icon leaves a lasting legacy
Micronitor News and Printing Company founder Joe Murphy moved the goal posts of freedom of press and freedom of expression in the Marshall Islands by establishing an independent newspaper that today…
Marshall Islands looks to relax Hawaii quarantine, ramps up Covid vaccines
The head of the Marshall Islands government's National Disaster Committee is hopeful the government will adopt a reduced quarantine policy for people coming to the Marshall Islands starting next…
Marshall Islands pushes back on ship registry criticism
A Marshall Islands ship registry official has pushed back at criticism a US organization lobbed its way as part of the announcement that the US government is going to launch an "open" ship registry.
Freely associated Pacific states at center of US disconnect
The Marshall Islands and the other Freely Associated States are key to US security but there's an ongoing and remarkable disconnect in the American political world.
Deportation dilemma for Marshall Islands
A total of 218 Marshall Islanders were deported from the United States in the eight years prior to the country's border lockdown when the Covid pandemic hit in early 2020.
Marshalls teen pregnancy rate second highest in Pacific
The teenage birth rate in the Marshall Islands is the second highest in the Pacific islands and has remained virtually the same over the past five years.
Illegal fishing in Pacific much lower than 2016 level, says report
The problem of illegal fishing in the Pacific is far less than a 2016 report that estimated losses of over US$600 million a year.
Marshall Islands maintains Covid-free status amid surges in neighboring nations
The remarkable spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant globally appeared to play out for the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Palau in different ways this week.
Major US airline suspends service to Majuro
United Airlines has suspended flights into and out of the Marshall Islands capital, Majuro, because of safety issues at the airport, effectively cutting off passenger travel from the capital to the…
Marshall Islands airport terminal ‘unsafe’
The Marshall Islands President David Kabua has described the Majuro terminal as being in "bad shape" and "dangerous for the public."
US Army Commander apologises to Marshall Islands
US Army Commander Col. Thomas Pugsley offered his personal apology to the people of the Marshall Islands for the "breakdown of established protocols" for Army repatriation groups arriving at Kwajalein…
Three US Army personnel test positive for Covid at Marshall Islands border
The US Army ignored agreed-to Covid prevention rules for entry into the Marshall Islands this week and the result was the first border cases of Covid in the Marshall Islands in over a year.
Ocean flooding hits Marshalls, Micronesia over consecutive days
Ocean flooding for the third straight day hit the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Marshall Islands moves to reduce world's strictest Covid-quarantine
The Marshall Islands government has announced the Hawaii portion of quarantine for entry will be reduced to three days starting in January.
Marshall Islands census numbers show heavy out-migration
The preliminary results of the Marshall Islands national census are startling. Instead of expected modest growth, the Marshall Islands has seen a 26 percent drop in its population.
US leaders press White House on Marshall Islands talks
Politicians have increased pressure on the US government over Compact negotiations with Palau, Marshall Islands and FSM, and unresolved issues from nuclear testing.