Author: TMC Palau

Overview: With just 51 days until Palau hosts the Pacific Islands Forum, officials say preparations are accelerating — from hotel shortages to a growing regional security presence. Here’s what to know about the security plan, accommodation push, and where forum events will be held. By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang KOROR, Palau (July 8, 2026) — Palau is 51 days from hosting the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, with government officials laying out preparations for what could be one of the largest gatherings in the forum’s history. The forum, themed “BELAU: Building Economies. Life. Action. Unity.,” is expected to draw about…

Pro-France Virginie Ruffenach has been elected as the new New Caledonia Congress president under a “governance” coalition struck on Thursday between the pro-France bloc and “kingmakers” Eveil Océanien party.During a vote that followed New Caledonia’s provincial elections held on 28 June, Ruffenach secured 28 of the 54 votes in the French Pacific territory’s territorial assembly.Her opponent, Dominique Fochi, supported by the pro-independence bloc “Kanaky for All”, received 26 votes.The pro-France bloc, consisting of Rassemblement, Les Loyalistes and Génération NC, for a total of 24 seats in the House, announced a governance deal had been struck with Eveil Océanien – which…

Accuracy in the basics has become a major point of emphasis for the Fiji Water Flying Fijians ahead of Sunday’s Nations Championship clash against England. Head coach Senirusi Seruvakula says Fiji has spent the week addressing shortcomings from the loss to Wales, with a strong focus on execution in key areas of the game. “We need to be accurate in what we do, especially the little things like our catch and pass and our offloads and our timing in the scrum and our movement and speed on the lineout.” The coach believes improving those aspects will be crucial against an…

Palau, the remote Pacific archipelago long favoured by divers and in-the-know travellers, is fast becoming one of Australia’s hottest travel obsessions, with new figures showing a dramatic spike in Australian visitors to the island nation. Australian visitation to Palau grew 87 per cent year-on-year between January and May 2026, making Australia the fastest-growing source market for Palau globally. May alone saw visitor numbers more than double compared to the same month last year. While Australia remains a relatively small slice of Palau’s overall visitor mix, the market punches above its weight on visitor nights, reflecting the longer stays Australians tend…

[Supplied] A fire believed to have been caused by unattended cooking has destroyed an outdoor kitchen at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Naweicoba Agriculture Research Station in Nadi. The National Fire Authority received a report of the fire on Wednesday and immediately responded with two fire appliances and 12 firefighters. When firefighters arrived, they found the corrugated iron and timber kitchen fully engulfed in flames beside the staff quarters. Article continues after advertisement Initial information from the scene indicates that firewood cooking was carried out at about 7 pm the previous evening. The occupant was away at work when the fire…

The President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr, has accused Beijing of intimidating Pacific Island nations with this week’s test firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into the Pacific.China’s recent missile test in the Pacific has attracted international attention, however Kiribati’s Minister for Women says it has barely registered with the public back home.Jope Tarai, a Fijian political analyst, says despite the strained relations with Beijing, most Pacific nations would prefer to keep a balance in relations between China and Australia, as it gives them the advantage of diplomatic leverage.Vanuatu says it has exhausted all diplomatic avenues in its bid to…

[ Source: Fiji Met Office/ Facebook ] Navua has recorded its coldest July night since weather observations began at the weather station, with the temperature dropping to 13.8 degrees Celsius on July 5. According to the Fiji Meteorological Service, the reading is the lowest minimum temperature recorded in Navua since records began in 2010. Other stations also recorded new minimum temperature records. Matei Airfield recorded 14.5 degrees Celsius on July 10, the lowest since observations began in 1956, while Vanuabalavu recorded 14.6 degrees Celsius on July 3, and the lowest since records began in 1985. Nadarivatu recorded the country’s lowest…

Another big weekend of rugby is in store for the top three Pasifika rugby teams this weekend.Fiji take on England in round two of the Nations Championship, early on Sunday at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.Samoa will meet Georgia in their second pool game of the World Rugby Nations Cup, also on Sunday morning, in Chile.Tonga meet Spain in Edmonton, Canada, also in their second Nations Cup match.And to kick off the Matariki weekend here in New Zealand, the All Blacks host Italy in Wellington on Saturday afternoon in the second round of the Nations Championship.Fiji lost to Wales in…

Palau to add 19.8MWh BESS in Australian-backed augmentation – Energy-Storage.News Skip to content Source link

[Source: Fiji Rugby/ Facebook] The Flying Fijians have opted for a six-two bench split for Sunday’s Nations Championship clash against England as they look to maintain intensity in the forward battle. Head coach Senirusi Seruvakula says the decision was made with England’s physical pack in mind, with Fiji expecting a fierce contest up front. “It’s a 6-2 on the bench. As we know, it’s going to be a tough competition against the English players. And so we need to keep the momentum going. So that’s why we load the forwards with a 6-2.” The bench configuration gives Fiji extra forward…