Author: TMC Palau

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock said on Monday, July 27, that China, Paraguay and Palau had approved market access for Brazilian agricultural products. Palau is a Pacific island country in Micronesia comprising more than 500 islands. According to the ministry, the three approvals combine opportunities for higher-value exports, stronger regional trade and a broader Brazilian commercial presence in the Pacific. China authorizes direct imports of bovine gallstones A sanitary protocol signed with China authorizes Brazil, for the first time, to export bovine gallstones directly to mainland China. Until now, Argentina and Uruguay were the only South American countries authorized…

[Photo: FILE] Corrections officers will soon be paid based on their rank rather than their job descriptions, a move the Government says will fix long-standing salary disparities that left veteran officers earning less than recruits. Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says the new pay structure, set for implementation in the new financial year, aims to properly recognize officers’ experience and years of service following a recent job evaluation exercise. The Justice Minister notes that correctional officers missed out on salary regularizations previously granted to the military and police force, creating deep inequities within the Fiji Corrections…

Every few years, the global health community confronts a version of the same crisis. A major donor announces funding cuts, panic ripples through the organisations developing medicines for the world’s poorest people, pipelines freeze and diseases that have held back prosperity for centuries continue unchecked. The 2025 shock was particularly severe: the near-complete withdrawal of US government support was a significant blow to work in low- and middle-income countries. The non-profits that develop medicines for diseases of poverty, among them Medicines Development for Global Health (MDGH), the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it has airlifted several dozen generators to Rota as part of an emergency air bridge following Super Typhoon Bavi, with the power units helping restore critical public infrastructure while recovery efforts continue across the island.FEMA external affairs officer Keith Jones said the agency quickly established an air bridge after the storm knocked out power, water and communications on Rota.”We created what they call an air bridge,” Jones said.”We were taking generators from Saipan, loading them on the back of military and civilian C-130s or L-100s, and we were flying them down there to…

[Photo: SUPPLIED] Ba is set to become the focus of a major renewable energy project that could add 100 megawatts to Fiji’s power supply. Energy Fiji Limited has partnered with Neoteric Investments (Fiji) Pte Limited to develop the solar and battery storage facility. The Memorandum of Understanding signed in Suva sets the groundwork for the two companies to complete technical, financial and regulatory checks before signing a Power Purchase Agreement. EFL says the project will strengthen energy security by increasing renewable electricity generation and improving the reliability of the national grid.Article continues after advertisement The solar farm will be supported…

The installation of the new wastewater pipeline at Palau d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm and the replacement of the existing pumping station are progressing as planned. This project, which was visited this morning by the Councillor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, also includes the installation of a sewage network, which was previously nonexistent, for the homes in the Salt de l’Aigua area.The budget for this project amounts to €568,574.57, financed by the Renewal Funds of Veolia, the concessionaire for the Integrated Water Cycle, and carried out by the company Mediterránea de Obras y Asfaltos S.A. The reason…

Tuvalu has arrested a Chinese tuna longliner, borrowing a vessel from a wellknown conservation charity to do so.On the evening of 9 July, Tuvalu Police Force maritime trackers picked up something strange about a vessel they were watching. From there, they boarded the Allankay, a vessel owned by Sea Shepherd International, and went to investigate.According to Sea Shepherd, police found the crew of the Lu Rong Yuan Yu throwing illegally caught shark fins overboard while stockpiling tuna and keeping essentially no records.Experts say it is a “quite exceptional” kind of arrangement, where developing countries, particularly in Africa, lean on an…

[Photo: FILE] Consumer protection laws must continue to evolve as the marketplace changes, with growing digital transactions and new forms of consumer risks. Consumer Council of Fiji Chief Executive Seema Shandil says the rise of online commerce has created a need to strengthen the consumer protection framework and ensure people are better protected. She adds the council continues to work with government agencies, regulators, and stakeholders on measures to improve consumer protection and promote fair business practices. Shandil highlighted that work is underway on reviewing scam legislation, while the Council will soon engage consultants to review the Consumer Credit Act.Article…

The Papua New Guinea Chiefs have signed Zac Lomax on a three-year deal from 2028 until the end of the 2030 National Rugby League (NRL) season.The Chiefs and the former Dragons and Eels player made the announcement during a local rugby league game in Port Moresby over the weekend.Lomax was in PNG as guest of the Chiefs, arriving in Port Moresby on Friday.The player is currently with Western Force in the Super Rugby competition, with his contract finishing at the end of the 2027 season.He joins Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston, Matty Lees and Connor Watson, who have all signed with…

McDonald’s Nadi Rugby Partnership Signed McDonald’s Fiji has strengthened its partnership with the Nadi Rugby Union, moving from a supporting partner to becoming the Union’s official naming rights sponsor. The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signing, marking a new chapter in the company’s support for rugby development in Nadi. The Union will now operate as McDonald’s Nadi Rugby Union. The agreement will support the Union’s rugby development programmes, administration, and player welfare initiatives ahead of the 2026 Fiji Rugby Skipper Cup Competition.Article continues after advertisement The sponsorship will also support the Union’s men’s, women’s, and Under-20 teams.…