Author: TMC Palau

Jayapura, Jubi – The Palau Senate and two private citizens have asked the Supreme Court to immediately halt a government plan to accept up to 75 deportees from the United States, arguing the arrangement violates the Constitution, immigration laws and the authority of the national legislature. The plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) seeking to stop President Surangel Whipps Jr and executive agencies from issuing visas or entry permits to the deportees while the case is being decided. The case challenges a 24 December 2025, announcement by the president that Palau would accept third-country nationals —…

Vatia Jetty, where one of Fiji’s largest meth consignment was seized. Pacific police ministers have agreed on a new regional mandate to strengthen cooperation against growing security threats, in what Fiji is calling a major milestone for Pacific policing partnerships. The agreement follows the first-ever Pacific Police Ministers Summit, with leaders committing not only to continued dialogue but to coordinated action on regional security challenges. Speaking after day one of the summit, Minister for Policing Iowane Naivalurua says the gathering has created strong momentum that will continue beyond this week’s discussions. He says the summit marks history in the making…

The annual survey by Business Advantage PNG of the CEOs of 100 of Papua New Guinea’s largest firms is invaluable for the insights it provides. While little is published about how the CEOs are chosen and how many actually respond, the fact that this survey has been carried out since 2012 asking basically the same questions every year makes it the best mechanism we have for tracking business views in PNG. For most of the last decade, a shortage of foreign exchange was the private sector’s top complaint. But the just-published 2026 PNG 100 CEO Survey shows that access to foreign…

The authorities of Valencia have decided to retain the current director, Jesús Iglesias, as the artistic director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, despite his contract expiring in December. It has become known that to achieve this, they plan to bypass the requirement to hold a new competitive selection, as stipulated by the theater’s charter. The reason for this move is the record-breaking performance of the season and the high praise for Iglesias’s work from both the public and critics.According to Pablo Font de Mora, chairman of the theater’s Board of Trustees, the Generalitat Valenciana has agreed to…

PNG’s parliament has very few women MPs. Photo: Loop PNG / Screencapture A new law in Papua New Guinea, requiring a political parties to meet a quota for fielding women candidates, is being described as a step in the right direction, but maybe not far enough. The new elections rule that women must make up ten percent of parties’ endorsed candidates was recently announced by Pang’s Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission. The law is an affirmative action aimed at trying to address the chronic lack of women as elected representatives in the country. There are currently three women…

Fiji Men’s Netball team following win over Tonga The Fiji Men’s Netball team delivered a dominant performance on day two of the 2026 Men’s Invitational Series, thrashing Tonga 79-18 at the Vodafone Arena in Suva. Fiji captain Kitione Waqavonovono says the side showed major improvement from their opening match, particularly in execution and overall teamwork. Despite the convincing win, Waqavonovono believes there is still room for improvement as the tournament progresses. “We managed to get a much larger score line than we did in our opening game and I am really proud with how the boys performed. We just need…

[Source: Supplied] The 2026 Extra Futsal League continues this week with matches scheduled across Suva, Labasa, and Ba as teams look to build momentum early in the competition. Action in the Southern Division kicks off on May 20 at the Fiji FA Futsal Court in Suva, with Lami facing Nasinu in the opening match before Navua takes on Tailevu Naitasiri. The final fixture in Suva will see Rewa battle Suva in what shapes up as one of the headline clashes of the round. In the Northern Division, matches will be played at the Fiji FA Futsal Court in Labasa on…

The Pacific Security College says a regional strategy is needed to combat the growing methamphetamine crisis in the region. Photo: Supplied / NZ Customs Pacific – security The Pacific Security College says a regional strategy is needed to combat the growing methamphetamine crisis in the region. The Australia-based college has released a new report proposing a regional summit to address the crisis. The Turning the Tide Together report says the surge in meth across Pacific Island countries is fuelling an escalating epidemic of HIV, and undermining human, national and regional security. Former Tokelau administrator and research contributor Ross Ardern said…

Some Civil society groups in Fiji and the region say they have been sidelined from key discussions on deep-sea mining, raising concerns about transparency and the inclusion of Pacific voices in decisions that could impact the region’s oceans and future. The Pacific Regional Non-Government Organisations Alliance, which includes the Pacific Conference of Churches, Pacific Network on Globalisation, Fiji Council of Social Services, and Greenpeace Australia Pacific, held a press conference in Suva criticising the International Seabed Authority’s ongoing regional consultation. The group says while they have conducted extensive research and policy analysis on deep-sea mining, their expertise has not been…

More than 11,000 Fijians have applied to work during the upcoming election periods, as preparations continue amid uncertainty over whether the Local Government Elections will proceed as planned. The Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa, says the Fijian Elections Office has already completed its Phase One recruitment drive, attracting a total of 11,333 applicants willing to serve as election officials. Mataiciwa said the recruitment covered both the Local Government Elections and the General Elections, ensuring manpower can be shared efficiently depending on how the government decides to proceed. She acknowledged ongoing uncertainty, with Cabinet still deliberating whether the municipal polls will…