Author: TMC Palau

NFA Chief Executive Puamau Sowane. [Photo: FILE] The National Fire Authority is working to strengthen rules on fire safety equipment and construction materials to reduce fire risks and improve compliance standards across Fiji. Chief Executive Puamau Sowane says the authority is strengthening its regulatory framework to ensure all fire safety systems, equipment, and building materials meet minimum safety requirements before entering the market or being installed in buildings. He says the initiative is aimed at closing compliance gaps and preventing risks caused by substandard or improperly certified materials, which can significantly increase fire hazards in homes, workplaces, and public infrastructure.…

Moana Pasifika team in a huddle after the Super Rugby Pacific – Round 12 match between Moana Pasifika v Blues held at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland – New Zealand – on Saturday 02 May 2026. Photo credit: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz Photo: Photosport A consortium that has the backing of a number of former All Blacks is disappointed that the current Moana Pasifika owners are not willing to discuss their bailout offer. Kanaloa Consortium, which is trying to buy the licence for the Moana Pasifika rugby franchise, said Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) is not responsive to their requests for discussions…

THE Palau Senate has blocked a controversial agreement that would have allowed up to 75 third-country nationals deported from the United States to be resettled in the country, and called for a national referendum on the issue. The Senate passed major amendments to immigration laws in a rare three-day session, blocking the deal announced last month by President Surangel Whipps Jr. The legislation bars entry, residence, employment, or long-term stay of those expelled by foreign governments, and blocks resettlement for those unable to return elsewhere. Supporters of the bill said the changes were necessary to ensure adequate legal and humanitarian…

[Photo: FILE] The Fiji Police Force has completed a major corruption investigation involving eleven senior police officers, following explosive allegations linked to leaked Viber messages suggesting ties to the illicit drug trade. In a move aimed at reinforcing transparency and public trust, the full investigation file has now been handed to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for independent legal review before any further action is taken. The high-level probe, supported by the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police, involved extensive digital forensic analysis and financial investigations into claims that officers received money from individuals connected to…

A lone monkey, about the size of a toddler, leaps from branch to branch above the wreckage of a World War II plane.It looks harmless, but it is one of about 5,000 long-tailed macaque monkeys overrunning Angaur, a remote island just 4 square kilometres at the southern tip of Palau.”It’s probably a deposed old monkey,” says Marvin Ngirutang, the island’s former governor and our tour guide for the day. The monkeys are smart and elusive, making it difficult to control their numbers. (Flickr: Bernard Dupont)”They live by themselves for the rest of their lives.”Mr Ngirutang ensures we stick to the road…

[Photo: FILE] The Fiji Police Force has issued a fresh warning against the spread of rumours and unverified allegations on social media as investigations continue into claims linking a senior Government official to a person of interest. Police confirmed that the allegations, which surfaced publicly earlier this year, remain under active investigation by senior officers within the Criminal Investigations Department. According to the police, the senior Government member voluntarily reported the matter to authorities in late March 2026, requesting an official investigation to establish the truth behind the claims. The Fiji Police Force says that while freedom of expression must…

DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled Issued by: on KOROR, Palau (Sept. 29, 2025) Commodore Jonathan Lett, representing, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, speaks with Republic of Palau government and U.S. military leaders during the biannual, bilateral U.S.-Palau Joint Committee Meeting at the One Stop Shop Government Building in Koror, Sept. 29. JCMs are aligned with the Compact of Free Association Title III: Security and Defense Relations, enabling ongoing dialogue between nations to enhance security and defense in the region. This meeting underscores the mutual commitment to national security, international partnership, and…

[Source: BBC] At one point during the first UK date of Rosalía’s jaw-dropping Lux tour, the Spanish star recalled her childhood ambition of playing a show in London. “When I was studying music in Barcelona, I always dreamt of singing in one very specific place,” she told fans at the O2 Arena, before adding, with perfect comic timing: “And that place is the Royal Albert Hall. “I would say it constantly to myself,” she continued. “The Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Albert Hall… “And I never did it. But now I’ve sold out the O2 twice.…

Photo: Supplied/ Unsplash – Josh Olalde Pasifika people continue to have the highest unemployment rate out of any ethnic group in Aotearoa. Unemployment figures released Wednesday show an 11.9 percent unemployment rate for Pasifika in the first quarter of 2026, compared to a national rate of 5.3 percent. For Pasifika, it is a slight improvement from the December 2025 quarter, but it is one percent higher than this time last year. In Auckland, where nearly two-thirds of Pasifika people live, the unemployment rate fell slightly to 13 percent, compared to 6.6 percent nationally. At the same time 20.1 percent of…

The Albanese Government is extending support for the Palau Paradise Express to continue the non-stop Qantas flight that connects Australia and Palau. This investment will ensure flights continue for another 12 months till December 2026. What started out as a request from the Government of Palau, became a reality with Australian Government support in December 2024 when the first flight took off. In the last nine months, over 5000 passengers have travelled on the Paradise Express, and over the next year there will be thousands more. The Paradise Express is more than just a flight – it strengthens Palau’s economic…