Us Pacific Rim
Taiwan, US territory Guam should defend freedom in region: Taiwan Prez Lai
Taiwan and Guam should work together to defend freedom and democracy in the region, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Thursday on a visit to the American territory. Guam was Lai's second US stop on an ongoing tour of the Pacific islands, following a visit to Hawaii last weekend. China's authoritarian government claims Taiwan as its territory and says the self-governing island must come under its control at some point in the future. Lai, in a speech to Guam's legislature, emphasized the shared values and strategic importance of Taiwan and Guam in the Indo-Pacific region. "Let us together become the crucial force in defending freedom, democracy in the first island chain, he said, referring to a string of islands off the Asian continent that includes Japan, Taiwan and part of the Philippines. The legislature passed a resolution welcoming Lai and extending appreciation for Taiwan's "significant contributions to Guam's economy and community, Speaker Therese Terlaje said. Lai called fo
 "Taiwan, US territory Guam should defend freedom in region: Taiwan Prez Lai")
US govt could end legal fight against planned expedition to Titanic
The US government could end its legal fight against a planned expedition to the Titanic, which has sparked concerns that it would violate a law that treats the wreck as a gravesite. Kent Porter, an assistant US attorney, told a federal judge in Virginia on Wednesday that the US is seeking more information on revised plans for the May expedition, which have been significantly scaled back. Porter said the US has not determined whether the new plans would break the law. RMS Titanic Inc., the Georgia company that owns the salvage rights to the wreck, originally planned to take images inside the ocean liner's severed hull and to retrieve artifacts from the debris field. RMST also said it would possibly recover free-standing objects inside the Titanic, including the room where the sinking ship had broadcast its distress signals. The US filed a legal challenge to the expedition in August, citing a 2017 federal law and a pact with Great Britain to treat the site as a memorial. More than 1,5
 "US govt could end legal fight against planned expedition to Titanic")
US, Pacific Rim nations at odds over trade pact
New US trade representative Robert Lighthizer said there was no way back
 "US, Pacific Rim nations at odds over trade pact")
