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☆ Palau, U.S. security ally in Pacific, holds presidential election as China looks on
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Australia — The Pacific Island nation of Palau, important to the U.S. military amid tensions with China, and among a dozen allies of Taiwan, holds a national election for president on Tuesday. The U.S. military is constructing an over-the-horizon radar on Palau, scheduled to be completed in 2026. To counter the fall in Chinese tourist arrivals, Palau has opened direct flights to Japan and Australia, with support from those governments. Tax reform has emerged as an election issue, with Remengesau’s campaign arguing that big business is not paying enough, and pledging tax incentives for small businesses. During the election campaign, Remengesau said that Palau needs to “ensure that foreign influences do not overshadow our identity or compromise our independence.”His campaign did not respond to questions on which foreign influence he was referring to.

Persons: Surangel Whipps, Tommy Remengesau, Whipps, Surangel, Whipps ’, Remengesau, ” Organizations: Free Association, Washington, U.S, Palau Media Council, Island Times, Co, Patriot, Senate Locations: SYDNEY, Australia, Palau, China, Taiwan, U.S, Philippines, Guam, The U.S, Beijing, Japan

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Dallas doctor Thursday for allegedly providing transition-related care to nearly two dozen minors in violation of state law. Paxton alleged that Dr. May Chi Lau, who specializes in adolescent medicine, provided hormone-replacement therapy to 21 minors between October 2023 and August for the purpose of transitioning genders. In 2023, Texas enacted a law banning hormone-replacement therapy and other forms of gender-affirming care for minors. Lau’s employer, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, did not immediately return a request for comment. Paxton’s suit is the first in the nation by an attorney general against an individual doctor for allegedly violating a restriction on transition-related care for minors.

Persons: Ken Paxton, Paxton, May Chi Lau, ” Paxton, Paxton's, Lau Organizations: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Locations: Texas, Dallas, “ Texas

☆ This couple’s hobby? Illegally scaling the world’s tallest buildings together
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Nikolau was the first major female rooftopper and caught the eye of Beerkus, who was looking to partner for social media content. In 2022, when Beerkus and Nikolau made their plans, the “supertall” skyscraper had topped out but was still under construction. With the urban “sport” emerging as one more of the more extreme ways to get likes on social media, several harrowing deaths have followed. For “Skywalkers” the film crew followed Beerkus and Nikolau to document their stunts, but only to a point. “With any activity that’s dangerous, social media tends to disguise the difficulty,” he said.

Persons: —, Ivan Beerkus, Angela Nikolau didn’t, Beerkus, Nikolau, ”, Jeff Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina, Skywalkers ”, It’s, ” Zimbalist, “ Angela, Zimbalist, Ivan, Angela, don’t, ’ ” Zimbalist, rooftopping, ” Nikolau, she's, Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, Carolina Amell, Félicité Carrel, Miriam O’Brien Organizations: CNN, Familia, Eiffel, Goldin Finance, Netflix, Sundance Film, Kuala Lumpur’s, Merdeka Locations: Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka, Moscow, ”, El Capitan, Félicité

☆ Peleliu: US Marine Corps rebuilds runway on site of ‘nightmare’ World War II battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Marines named the rebuilt landing strip the “Sledge” runway in honor of a veteran of the Peleliu battle, Pfc. The United States must recapitalize islands gained during World War II to form a Second Island Chain of strategic expeditionary points,” Georgulis wrote. For Washington, establishing strong ties to Pacific island states is also seen as a way to keep China from gaining footholds in the region. Along with the runway, US Marines are helping make improvements to the Peleliu Civic Center Museum, to house artifacts from the World War II battle. At an event last month marking the landing of the Marine aircraft on Peleliu, island Gov.

Persons: weren’t, Eugene Sledge, Corbis, Sledge, Grant Georgulis, ” Georgulis, Xi Jinping, Biden, Palauans, Carlos Del Toro, Del Toro, Surangel Whipps, Emais Roberts, ” Organizations: CNN, Marine Corps, Marines, KC, Heritage Command, 1st Marine Regiment, HBO, ” Troops, First Marine Division, Pentagon, “, US Air Force, US Defense Department, Marshall, Xinhua, US Coast Guard, US, Palau, Peleliu Civic Center Museum, Marine, Gov Locations: Peleliu, China, Palau, Okinawa, ”, Beijing, Japan, Philippines, United States, Marianas, Guam, China’s, Yap, Federated States, Micronesia, Pacific, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Palau’s, Koror, South Korea, Taiwan

☆ Australia: A man complained about a ‘women only’ art exhibit. Now a tribunal has ruled the museum must admit male visitors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A museum in Australia is being forced to allow men into art exhibit originally conceived for women only, after a tribunal ruled it “discriminatory,” following a complaint by a disgruntled man who was denied entry. During proceedings, Kaechele told the tribunal that denying men entry to the mysterious room is indeed part of the art — giving them a taste of the discrimination and exclusion many women have experienced through history. “Because the requirement is that it will have to open to men, and that’s not happening,” she said. After Tuesday’s ruling, MONA’s official spokesperson told CNN that the institution was “deeply disappointed” by the tribunal’s decision. It was beautiful, the room, the art installation, the meaning of it all.”

Persons: MONA, Kirsha Kaechele, —, ” Jason Lau, Lau, ”, Kaechele, “, Jesse Hunniford, ” Kaechele, Charlotte Vignau Kaechele, Tuesday’s Organizations: CNN, Tasmania’s, of, Tasmanian Civil, KK Locations: Australia, New South Wales, Lau’s

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will resume a long-suspended Peace Corps program in the North Pacific island of Palau as the Biden administration continues moves to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. “Volunteers will live and work side-by-side with community partners to improve childhood literacy and math and science skills, along with teaching English as a foreign language,” Peace Corps director Carol Spahn said in a statement. Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps, said the return of the Peace Corps reflects the strong relationship between his nation and the United States. Peace Corps officials said they hope that with congressional funding the Palau reopening will be the first of several new programs it will restart in the Pacific. The Peace Corps, a creation of the John F. Kennedy administration, currently has Pacific island programs in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Persons: Biden, Carol Spahn, Surangel Whipps, “, ” Whipps, John F, Kennedy, Didi Tang Organizations: WASHINGTON, Peace Corps, “ Volunteers, Peace, Corps, Pacific, Marshall, Associated Press Locations: United States, North, Palau, Taiwan, Federated States, Micronesia, China, Marshall Islands, Beijing, U.S, Pacific, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu

☆ Maui Family Describes a Tragic Night Trying to Escape the Deadly Wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Corina Knoll | More About Corina Knoll | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Folau Tone steadied himself as a gale whipped through his street in Lahaina. Trying to nail down the rattling tin roof on his family’s home, he gave up as fragments were stripped away. In West Maui, power lines were crashing down, and the electricity was out across a large swath of the island. Folau’s wife had already left for her job at a hotel, but their four children had stayed behind. She liked cooking in the open air and had long ago set up a makeshift kitchen with propane burners under a tent.

Persons: steadied, Faaoso Locations: Lahaina ., West Maui, fussing

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - More than 100 arms-control, environmental and other activist groups have urged the Biden administration to formally apologize to the Marshall Islands for the impact of massive nuclear testing there in the 1940s and '50s and to provide fair compensation. The activists, led by the by the Arms Control Association and including Greenpeace, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Marshallese Education Initiative, made the call in a Dec. 5 letter to President Joe Biden. It urged Washington to deliver on promises of nuclear justice in ongoing negotiations with the Marshall Islands on renewing a Compact of Free Association (COFA) that has been the basis of relations with the Pacific territory since the 1980s. COFA provisions will expire in 2023 for the Marshall Islands and another Pacific territory, the Federated States of Micronesia, and with Palau in 2024. They said that as well as issuing a formal apology and meeting compensation claims, Washington should support long-term environmental remediation, expand access to healthcare, especially for illnesses associated with radiation exposure, and declassify documents related on nuclear testing.

The Hong Kong billionaire is offering $240 million to buy out minority shareholders in Caymans-registered Lifestyle International (1212.HK), his department store chain. Several Hong Kong tycoons have fallen foul of the notorious tests, which the Cayman Islands will scrap at the end of this month. Hong Kong dropped the rule in 2014, but is home to just 8% of the city’s listed companies. Lifestyle is domiciled in the Cayman Islands, which at the end of August will drop a requirement for the so-called headcount test. Almost 60% of primary-listed Hong Kong companies are domiciled in the Caribbean tax haven.

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