Author: TMC Palau

[File Photo] The Taxi Association says it never asked for a temporary increase and instead sought a permanent review based on the full cost of operating a taxi. Its submission proposed a permanent distance rate of $1.50 per kilometre. Instead, FCCC introduced the temporary $1.40 rate and required operators to recalibrate their meters. The Association says operators paid about $50 each for the recalibration, testing and sealing of their meters.Article continues after advertisement It says the process took three weeks to a month in many areas because there are too few authorised meter service providers. Operators will now have to…

Contemplating the future of Grey Lynn’s abandoned Carlile HouseMorning Report* This article has been updated to clarify Auckland Council was approached by the church regarding demolition, but this was prohibited.Leaders of a church that owns a historic abandoned building in central Auckland have been in talks with Auckland Council about the possibility of demolishing it.The once-grand, two storey Carlile House in Auckland’s Grey Lynn was built in 1886 and has had many uses over its long life – including as an Anglican children’s home, and an alternative school.But in recent decades it has fallen into ruin and the church that…

[File Photo] The Fiji Independent Commission counsel is expected to disclose documents in relation to former Fijian Broadcasting Corporation CEO Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and current Chief Financial Officer Vimlesh Sagar by this afternoon The defense today informed the Suva Magistrates Court that they have been requesting the documents from the beginning. The FICAC counsel said they have not been withholding the documents but needed to get witness statements on the issues raised by the defense. The additional information being sought is in relation to the alleged loss connected to the chargesArticle continues after advertisement The counsel informed the court that the…

Team Ono-I-Lau at Albert Park in Suva earlier this week. Komo and Moce are leading their respective groups after two days of competition in the Cricket Fiji Super 8 Championship. Komo tops Group B with four points after winning both of their matches. Ono-I-Lau and Nadi sit joint second with two points each, having recorded one win and one loss. Suva is fourth after suffering two defeats. In Group A, Moce leads the standings with four points from two wins. Lakeba and Kabara are tied in second with two points each after recording one win and one loss, while Namuka…

[Photo: FILE] Private control of Cloudbreak was the reason Fiji introduced the Surfing Act, former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has told Parliament. Sayed-Khaiyum said the law was introduced to stop a private operator from having exclusive control over a nationally important marine resource. He told the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights that Tavarua Island resort had secured a 20-year exclusive licence over Cloudbreak under an arrangement reached with the government in the 1990s. Sayed-Khaiyum said the arrangement meant even people living in nearby communities could not freely access the surfing area.Article continues after advertisement He rejected claims that…

The establishment of the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) in 2015 was a beacon of Myanmar’s deepening economic liberalisation. Moving in tandem with political liberalisation, its launch by the outgoing military-backed Thein Sein government arrived shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landmark election, ushering in a period of genuine civilian rule. Yet, between the YSX’s opening and the military takeover in 2021, activity on the bourse was underwhelming. While it was initially reported that 200 companies were aiming to list, only six ultimately did so. When the military seized power, it was feared that economic…

Polling is open in the Cook Islands where 11,000 registered voters will elect their leaders for the next four years.Voting stations open at 9am on Wednesday morning, Cook Islands time (7am Thursday NZT) and will close at 6pm.There are 24 constituencies, 10 on the main island of Rarotonga, and the other 14 spread across the Pa Enua, or outer islands.Thirteen seats are needed for a majority to form a government.A total of 63 candidates were confirmed for the 2026 general election, down from the 71 who contested the 2022 election. This year’s lineup includes 49 men and 14 women.With independents…

[Photo: FILE] Pharmacists are calling for tighter ownership requirements for wholesale companies importing controlled medicines. The proposal was raised during public consultations on the Medicinal Products Act, amid concerns that some wholesalers have pharmacists holding only a small percentage of shares. Private pharmacist Renshika Sen says some businesses operate with pharmacists as minor shareholders, raising questions over accountability and oversight in medicine importation. “What’s happening right now is you’ve got wholesale companies that are bringing in Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 medicines. But the pharmacist on their board or as a director only owns 5%, 10%.”Article continues after advertisement Sen…

In the final days of May, a Chinese research vessel ventured 74 kilometres into Palau’s waters and reportedly spent 14 hours moving slowly through the island nation’s maritime zone.With a bow built to push through a metre of Arctic sea ice, the 89-metre icebreaker, Ji Di, might have looked out of place in the warm waters of the North Pacific.The Ji Di was designed to push through polar sea ice. (U.S. Coast Guard Courtesy Photo)Exactly what it was doing remains unclear to Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr.”Their research vessels come into our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) uninvited and do whatever…

[Photo: FILE] Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has defended a traffic officer accused of overreach by Opposition Member of Parliament Jone Usamate over a parking infringement. Tudravu says the officer was doing his job after identifying a traffic offence and taking the appropriate action. He says Usamate, like any other citizen, can challenge the decision in court if he wishes. Commissioner Tudravu is standing by the officer’s action, calling on anyone with complaints against the conduct of police officers to follow proper reporting channels.Article continues after advertisement The Opposition MP on his social media post accused police of overreach after receiving…