Marshall Islands

Latest Stories

Illustration on China's menacing moves in the Pacific by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Don’t hand China a victory in the Pacific

By Andrew J. Harding

In this photo provided by the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, children play with a soccer ball in Majuro, Marshall Islands, on Aug. 3, 2023. The Marshall Islands has no soccer team, and is often referred to as the "last country on Earth" without international representation in the sport. (Chewy Lin/Marshall Islands Soccer Federation via AP)

Coach hired, team still required: Soccer’s status in the Marshall Islands is a work in progress

By Dennis Passa - Associated Press

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, March 9, 2023, en route to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

Biden budget aims at China with billions for Pacific islands

By Matthew Lee - Associated Press

President Joe Biden, center, poses for a photo with Pacific Island leaders on the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Sept. 29, 2022. From left, New Caledonia President Louis Mapou, Tonga Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Micronesia President David Panuelo, Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Biden, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, Marshall Islands President David Kabua, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, French Polynesia President Edouard Fritch and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

U.S. nears new cooperation deals with Pacific Island nations

By Matthew Lee - Associated Press

President of the Marshall Islands David Kabua addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Drowning island nations: ‘This is how a Pacific atoll dies’

By Pia Sarkar - Associated Press

In this May 14, 2013, photo, the Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington is photographed early in the morning. (AP Photo/J. David Ake) ** FILE **

U.S. indicts two Marshall Islands nationals in China-linked bribery scheme

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Ex-Arizona official gets more prison time in adoption scheme

By BRADY McCOMBS - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019, file photo, then-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, and his attorney, Kurt Altman, leave a court hearing in Phoenix. Petersen, a former Phoenix politician already in prison on a six-year sentence for operating an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands, was ordered Friday, March 19, 2021, to serve another five years behind bars for defrauding Arizona’s Medicaid system in a scam to get taxpayer-funded health coverage for the birth mothers, even though he knew they didn’t live in the state. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud, File)

Ex-politician in prison in adoption scam gets 5 more years

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019, file photo, then-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, and his attorney, Kurt Altman, leave a court hearing in Phoenix. Petersen is scheduled on Friday, March 19, 2021, to receive the second of three prison sentences for convictions stemming from his acknowledged operation of an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud, File)

Stiff adoption scheme term sought for Arizona ex-politician

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

Ex-Arizona politician appeals sentence in adoption scheme

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019, file photo, former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, walks with his attorney, Kurt Altman, as they leave a court hearing in Phoenix. Petersen, who has acknowledged running an adoption scheme in three states that involved women from the Marshall Islands, is required to report to federal prison by midday Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, to start serving a 6-year sentence for his guilty plea in Arkansas to conspiring to commit human smuggling. Petersen also is awaiting sentencing for related convictions in Arizona and in Utah. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud, File)

Ex-Arizona official to head to prison for illegal adoptions

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019 file photo, former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, with his attorney, Kurt Altman, leave after a court hearing in Phoenix. Petersen, who admitted running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands, was sentenced in Arkansas to six years in federal prison on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. It was the first of three punishments he’ll face for arranging adoptions prohibited by an international compact. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud, File)

Ex-Arizona politician gets 6 years in adoption scheme

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019, file photo, is former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, with his attorney, Kurt Altman, after a court hearing in Phoenix. Prosecutors in Arkansas are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for Petersen for his conspiracy conviction in running an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands. He also faces sentencings in Arizona and Utah during January for convictions related to the adoption scheme. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud, File)

Ex-politician in adoption scheme to be sentenced in 3 states

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2019, file photo, Paul Petersen looks on following an initial court appearance in Salt Lake City. Petersen, a former elected official in metro Phoenix accused of running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands, The former elected official from metro Phoenix accused of running an illegal adoption scheme pleaded guilty, Thursday, June 18 , 2020, to fraud charges. He faces a maximum of 17 years in prison for his guilty pleas on Arizona charges of fraudulent schemes and forgery. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Official pleads guilty to human smuggling in adoption scheme

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST - Associated Press

Prostitution camp provided women in human smuggling case

Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2019, file photo, Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen leaves court in Salt Lake City. He resigned from his elected position on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, months after being charged with running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the U.S. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Official quits amid charges he paid women to give up babies

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

File - In this Nov. 15, 2019, file photo, Paul Petersen, an Arizona elected official accused of running a multi-state adoption scheme, leaves court following an initial appearance on charges filed in the state in Salt Lake City. A woman accused of aiding a politician in metro Phoenix in what authorities say was an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft charges. Lynwood Jennet admitted in court Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, that she helped arrange benefits from Arizona's Medicaid program for expecting mothers who did not reside in the state. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Arizona politician’s alleged adoption aide pleads guilty

By JACQUES BILLEAUD - Associated Press

FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows County Assessor Paul Petersen, who has been indicted in an adoption fraud case. Petersen is accused of arranging for dozens of pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to come to the U.S. to give their children up for adoption. Utah also has charged him with 11 felony counts, including human smuggling, sale of a child and communications fraud. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday, Oct. 23, to notify Petersen that it plans to consider suspending him for up to 120 days. It can't remove him from office and he's refused to resign. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

Suspension sought for politician in human trafficking case

By JONATHAN J. COOPER - Associated Press

This undated photo provided by the Maricopa County Assessor's Office shows Assessor Paul Petersen. Petersen has been indicted in an adoption fraud case, accused of arranging for dozens of pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to come to the U.S. to give their children up for adoption. Utah also has charged him on multiple felony counts, including human smuggling, sale of a child and communications fraud. (Maricopa County Assessor's Office via AP)

Lawyer says Arizona official miscast as human smuggler

By JONATHAN J. COOPER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST - Associated Press

This Friday, March 22, 2019, photo shows the Department of Justice Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** FILE **

Feds indict lawyer for enticing pregnant women to come to U.S., give up babies for adoption

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times