Author: TMC Palau
Overview: Papua New Guinea has announced it will close Taiwan’s trade mission in Port Moresby, reaffirming its commitment to the One China policy in a move welcomed by Beijing but opposed by Taipei. The decision comes just weeks after the Australia-Papua New Guinea Pukpuk Treaty took effect, highlighting the complex diplomatic balancing act unfolding across the Pacific. PORT MORESBY, 20 JULY 2026 (ABC) — Papua New Guinea will close Taiwan’s trade mission in its capital Port Moresby, freezing out its fifth largest trading partner in a major strategic move designed to reaffirm ties with China. In a statement on Thursday,…
[Photo: FILE] The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption has filed Nolle Prosequi against Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde. Senior Prosecutor Lani More filed the application this morning. Magistrate Yogesh Prasad accepted it and the proceedings against Pryde hase been discontinued. Pryde faced multiple charges relating to alleged misuse of public funds.Article continues after advertisement FICAC had alleged that he approved and received $138,445.05 in gratuity payments without the required approvals, claimed $47,053.03 in airfare reimbursements for his wife and child despite them not living with him in Fiji, and failed to return $7,828.56 refunded by an airline for unused…
[Photo: FILE] Stronger laws and tougher penalties for repeat scam offenders have been identified as key measures to tackle the growing threat of scams in Fiji. The issue was raised during a panel discussion for National Scam Awareness Week, where panelists stressed the need for greater public awareness alongside stronger policy action. Responding to questions about the so-called “eBay scam” investigation, Vodafone Head of eCommerce Shailendra Prasad highlighted that information and data have been provided to the Financial Intelligence Unit and Fiji Police Force. Prasad says the term “eBay scam” is misleading as the platform itself was not compromised.Article continues…
Commission chair Eci Naisele. [Photo: FILE] The Higher Education Commission’s funding formula is drawing scrutiny after revelations that 97 percent of government grants go to universities, while only 3 percent is shared among non-universities, raising questions about whether technical and vocational institutions are being sidelined despite their critical role in addressing Fiji’s skills shortage. Commission chair Eci Naisele explained that the formula was designed to create fairness across all 54 registered higher education institutions in the country. “It’s a subsidiary funding model that is classified or categorized into two categories, for universities and non-universities. When the formula was established, it…
On 6 July 2026, China launched a second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in the Pacific Ocean, following a previous test in 2024 that ended a four-decade hiatus. This latest sign of military modernisation forms part of a competition for primacy with the US. Beijing described the test as part of a routine annual training exercise, using nuclear-capable but unarmed weapons, and not directed at any specific country or target. This official explanation has not reassured Pacific governments. For a region still shaped by the memory of nuclear testing and external strategic control, long-range missile testing cannot be treated as…
Concern is mounting for up to 27 people missing at sea in Papua New Guinea’s Islands region.Bad weather has hampered the search for the crew on at least two boats who were registered as missing on Saturday.The incident involved several staff of the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority and their families and friends – totalling 27 people including 11 children.They were reportedly voyaging on two boats from Pangpang Island in the Duke of York group to Kokopo, the capital of East New Britain, a journey of around 20 kilometres.The East New Britain Provincial Disaster Committee said that on Saturday…
[Photo: FIJI’S MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE/ FACEBOOK] Fiji is stepping up preparations to host the Third Climate Ministerial and the Pacific Pre-COP in October, with Environment Minister Lynda Tabuya holding high-level talks with Australia and Pacific climate envoys. Minister Lynda Tabuya first met with Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, to discuss preparations for the Pre-COP Agenda and logistical arrangements. The two Ministers also discussed the importance of ensuring that the event reflects Pacific priorities, culture and values as the region builds momentum towards an ambitious outcome at COP31. The meeting reviewed progress on the…
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has arrived in Washington for a series of high-level talks with US officials this week, his office says.Wale’s official overseas travel since taking office on 15 May this year now spans four separate diplomatic tours across six countries. These include Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and his current official visits to the United States and Japan official.As part of his official programme in the US, Wale is expected to meet with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.The prime minister will also hold meetings with senior officials from the Development Finance Corporation, the…
[Source: Reuters] In Peru, there is a wave of new baby Haalands. In Argentina, Lionel has raced up the rankings, and in Mexico a girl was reportedly named after three soccer players. Parents in Latin America are already christening a new generation of babies after the stars of the World Cup. Hundreds of newborns in Peru have been named for rising stars such as Norway’s Erling Haaland, while names inspired by legacy icons like Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Neymar and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo each count around 30,000 registrations, Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Peru’s civil registry RENIEC told Panamericana TV last…
[Source: Reuters] A 60-year-old man attacked two Greek-American tourists with a knife in the Acropolis area, near the archaeological site which hosts Greece’s famed ancient monuments, before being arrested by police. The two victims, a man and a woman aged 73 and 78 respectively, were offered medical aid and their injuries are not life-threatening, a police official said. The attacker has been hospitalised in the past on mental health grounds, the official said, adding that he also had a criminal record and had been arrested previously for possessing a knife. “We just heard people screaming and a crowd running away,…