Author: TMC Palau
The Labasa Taxi Association says ongoing joint operations between the Fiji Police Force and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces have made a noticeable difference to night-time safety in Labasa Town and surrounding areas. Association chair Mahen Prasad says the increased security presence has helped reduce late-night activity in town, with fewer groups seen roaming the streets and a calmer overall night-time environment. “We have seen the party scene and drugs going together, both increasing before, but now things have really slowed down. The town is now quiet at night and we are no longer seeing people roaming around.” Prasad…
Issued by: on Ensign Addison Bass, left, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Oliva, right, crewmembers assigned to the Legend-class U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752), demonstrate firefighting ensemble dress-out procedures during a tour for U.S. and Republic of Palau government officials including the president of the Republic of Palau, in Malakal Bay, Palau, June 26, 2025. Stratton is deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force and the U.S. Navy’s largest DESRON. Stratton is deployed to the Indo-Pacific to advance relationships with…
The renewed Compact of Free Association agreements were signed in 2023. Photo: AFP / Mandel Ngan A United States government report has revealed a slow breakdown in funding mechanisms for the Freely Associated States (FAS). The renewed Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreements signed in 2023 with Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) provide them with more than US$6 billion over 20 years. In exchange, the US has exclusive military access. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study this month, finding that the US has been notably late on…
In February, Papua New Guinea launched a national gun amnesty and buyback scheme. An estimated 100,000 illegal firearms are circulating across the country. Tribal violence has killed hundreds in Enga province alone in the last three years. Schools have been destroyed; children and families displaced into highlands with no access to services. National elections next year are only expected to make things worse. PNG is Australia’s nearest neighbour, a country with which we share a complex history and deep obligations. It is not an outlier when it comes to fragile peace, and violence. Across the world, armed conflicts are at…
The President of Palau, Surangel S. Whipps Jr., has been calling for a moratorium — an official pause — on deep-sea mining in international waters for more than two years now, and he continues to reiterate his position.Palau has banned deep-sea mining in its national waters, but Whipps says his country is calling for a moratorium, rather than an outright ban, on seabed mining in international waters since the ocean “belongs to all of us.”While plans are progressing to allow deep-sea mining to start in international waters — and in some countries’ national waters — Whipps says he believes…
A video widely circulated on social media shows military personnel patrolling a Public Rental Board property along Mead Road in Nabua early this morning. The footage shows armed and masked men moving through the area, with police vehicles also spotted at the scene. The property has previously come under scrutiny over allegations involving some tenants and illicit drug activity. Both the Fiji Police Force and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces have earlier confirmed joint operations targeting the country’s drug crisis.Article continues after advertisement The PRB had also recently stated that occupants at the Mead Road property are now considered…
The Return of Anna Fedorova After dazzling our audience with a memorable debut in 2024, the exceptional Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova is reunited with the Franz Schubert Filharmonia to perform the concerto that brought her fame, Rachmaninov’s majestic Piano Concerto No. 2. In the second half of the concert, under the baton of charismatic Norwegian conductor Rune Bergmann, the orchestra will reveal the full power and beauty of Sibelius’s monumental Fifth Symphony. An evening of pure musical genius. Romantic Pianism and Nordic Majesty Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova is one of the world’s finest performers of Rachmaninov and a digital sensation:…
Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula says pressure is something he has learned to embrace as his rugby career continues to develop with the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua. The young flyhalf says the expectations he sets for himself are higher than any outside criticism or opinion. Ravula admits that when he was younger, he did not fully understand pressure, but says that has changed as he has matured on and off the field. “Pressure makes diamonds. If you can handle the pressure, just stay calm, relax. At the end of the day it’s just a game.”Article continues after advertisement He says pressure is now…
Issued by: on AIRAI, Republic of Palau (July 23, 2025) – Palau Bureau of Aviation Director Peter Polloi, provides a brief to U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Josh Lasky, commander, Joint Task Force-Micronesia, and JTF-M director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy U.S. Army Col. David Santos at the Palau International Airport in Airai, July 23. Palau airport is currently serving as a support location for exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025. The REFORPAC exercise strengthens the U.S. Air Force’s adaptability to unforeseen challenges and reinforces mission readiness by proactively planning for contingencies ensuring…
The United Nations Development Program says Pacific Island countries are struggling to access enough funding to protect coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, despite these being key natural defences against climate change. UNDP says coral reefs and mangroves help protect communities from storm surges, support fisheries and sustain local economies. Officials say the Pacific already has workable climate solutions in place, but the biggest challenge is getting enough financial support to expand and maintain them. In Fiji, projects such as the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and the Fiji Shark Lab are being highlighted as successful examples of conservation supporting both the…