United States

He will be offering a show of solidarity with Cubans and making clear that Hispanics in the United States are the bedrock of the American church.

The visit boasts several firsts for history's first Latin American pope: Francis will become the first pope to address the U.S. Congress and he will also proclaim the first saint on U.S. soil by canonizing the controversial (and Hispanic) missionary, Junipero Serra.

Four of the matchday squad are playing in their third World Cup, while six are suiting up for the second time.

17 of the matchday 23 also featured in the historic test against the All Blacks in Apia in July.

Teofilo Paulo and Jack Lam are the only newcomers in the pack, which will be led by skipper and number eight Ofisa Treviranus.

Fullback Tim Nanai-Williams will be making just his second test appearance, while the experienced pairing of Kahn Fotuali'i and Tusi Pisi will direct the team in the halves, with vice-captain Alesana Tuilagi on the left wing.

For the past 15 years, Marshall Islanders have been deported from the United States at an annual rate of 16 per year, according to government data.

But the numbers increased dramatically from 2011.

The larger numbers also coincide with ongoing heavy out-migration to the United States that has seen an average of over 1,000 islanders leaving to the U.S. annually since the late 1990s.

More than 30,000 Marshall Islanders are estimated to be living in the U.S.  

Government data indicates that over the past 15 years, there's a rate of sixteen deportations of Marshall Islanders per year.

While there's been a slight decline in the deportation rate this year, overall the numbers have increased dramatically from 2011. It coincides with ongoing heavy Marshallese out-migration to the US, with an average of over 1,000 islanders leaving to the US annually since the late 1990s.

This is a question the latest economic review of the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, issued last week, suggests should be asked by officials from these two north Pacific nations.

The Graduate School USA, which produces annual economic reports on these three U.S.-affiliated nations, includes an assessment in the reports of the U.S.-funded national trust funds now being capitalized to provide a funding source to the island governments when U.S grant funding ends after 2023.

The extraordinary gesture on Sept. 22 is just the beginning of the pomp and protocol that Washington will put on display to welcome the popular leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics and the head of Vatican City on his first U.S. visit.

The next day, Francis will be just the third pope to visit the White House, being greeted as most heads of state are, with his car pulling slowly up the South Lawn's driveway to the spot where a red carpet will be rolled out and Obama and his wife, Michelle, will be waiting.

Two officials and a congressional aide said that Secretary of State John Kerry told members of Congress in a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the United States will boost its worldwide quota for resettling refugees from 70,000 to 75,000 next year, a number that could increase further. A fraction of those would be from Syria.

Kerry said after the meeting that the United States would increase the number of refugees it is willing to take in but did not give a specific number.

The Manu round out their tournament preparations against English Premiership club Wasps in Coventry Sunday morning.

10 changes have been made to the run-on team that lost to the Barbarians, in an effort to give all players some game-time and a chance to press for selection.

Stephen Betham says the players know they can't rest on their laurels.

On Sunday night, Yeezus made waves when he announced at the end of his 13-minute speech while accepting the prestigious Video Vanguard Award that he is running for president in 2020.

So, naturally, Rolling Stone asked Donald Trump about the much-buzzed about moment during a sit-down with the real estate mogul at Trump Tower on Tuesday.

"He's said very nice things about me in the past... extremely positive things," the 69-year-old presidential hopeful and quote machine told the publication.

It will be headed by Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Heather Higginbottom, and the State Department says the visit aims to emphasize the depth and breadth of US engagement with the Pacific.

The U.S. delegation will also include senior officials from the United States Pacific Command, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Agency for International Development.