Author: TMC Palau
Three more Pacific governments have condemned China’s recent ballistic missile test over the Pacific, adding to growing regional pressure for major powers to respect the Blue Continent’s commitment to peace.Leaders in Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Palau have all issued strong statements over the launch, joining Fiji’s Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua and other Pacific leaders in warning against growing militarisation in the region.The latest responses come as Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders prepare to release a joint statement on the missile test following meetings in Brisbane on Wednesday.Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Penitala Teo said the launch was “contrary” to the Pacific’s long-standing…
Four major Pacific rugby league playing countries have hailed the Pacific Rugby League Partnership announced in Brisbane on Wednesday night.The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) signed a landmark Statement of Partnership with Pacific rugby league federations in the presence of the prime ministers of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.ARLC chairman Peter V’landys AM signed the historic document alongside counterparts from the PNG Rugby Football League, Tonga Rugby League XIII and Rugby League Samoa.There to witness the signing were PNG Prime Minister James Marape, Samoan Prime Minister Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt and Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua,…
[Photo: NIKHIL AIYUSH KUMAR] The Suva High Court has refused the notice of motion to vacate the guilty plea by Imran Khan in a case of contravening a restraining order. Khan appeared before Justice Thusara Rajasinghe this morning. He pleaded guilty on the 11th of last month. The Judge noted that Khan’s claims of being unable to fully understand the consequences of his guilty plea were not reasonable because he was asked by the court whether he was threatened or was under pressure to plead guilty, which he refuted.Article continues after advertisement Khan told the court that he pleaded guilty…
[Source: Reuters] Sudan’s RSF forces carried out mass killings, abductions of women and girls, mass gang rapes and forced starvation in a city they besieged and captured last year, as part of an intentional policy amounting to genocide, a U.N. probe said on Wednesday. The Rapid Support Forces, which are battling the Sudanese army in a civil war, committed the crimes in al-Fashir in north Darfur, which they captured last year after a long siege, the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan found. Survivors described to the mission being raped in rooms where bodies of recently killed civilians, including their own…
[Source: Reuters] The U.S. military said on Wednesday that it was launching fresh strikes on Iran aimed at keeping the critical Strait of Hormuz open to traffic, hours after President Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was “over.” In a flare-up that sent oil prices up about 7%, Iran said on Wednesday it had struck U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, triggering U.S. retaliatory strikes. The escalation had been triggered by Iran’s attacks on Tuesday on three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. “At the direction of the Commander in Chief,…
“Biology does not pause for a cyclone warning.”That was one of the key messages from this year’s Let’s Talk Periods! Festival in Fiji, where around 200 people gathered to discuss a growing concern across the Pacific – ensuring menstrual health is recognised as an essential part of disaster preparedness.While Pacific Island countries contribute the least to an ongoing climate crisis, they continue to bear some of its most severe consequences, with severe cyclones, floods and rising sea levels becoming an increasingly common reality across the region.Homes can be destroyed, communities cut off, water and infrastructure becoming unsanitary, with people forced…
[Photo: FIJI RUGBY/ FACEBOOK] FIJI Water Flying Fijians captain Tevita Ikanivere believes Fiji will deliver a much-improved performance following last week’s defeat to Wales in the Nations Championship. Despite the disappointing result, Ikanivere remains confident the side can bounce back and better execute the style of rugby Fiji is renowned for. The skipper acknowledged that while the team was eager to play its natural attacking game against Wales, patience would be key moving forward. “We’ll be better, I know that for sure. We wanted to play the brand of rugby that we’re known for, but it’s all about being patient.”Article…
A decade ago, the Government of Tuvalu, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), released the country’s first National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP). Its long-term vision was not large-scale migration, but to provide Tuvaluan citizens with increased opportunities for safe, managed temporary work and residence overseas. The small central Pacific archipelagic state — with an estimated population of 9,420 in 2026 — is at the forefront of the climate change crisis. The country, which has a long history of labour migration, notably in phosphate mining (Nauru and Ocean Island) and seafaring in the decades before and after British Independence…
[Photo: FILE] The Tourism Ministry is calling on farmers to diversify their crop offerings to help reduce Fiji’s reliance on imports. Minister Viliame Gavoka noted that Fiji spends about $200 million on imports, with a 2017 report confirming that $100 million worth of crops annually are brought in to meet local demand. Gavoka says Fiji needs to minimise importation by encouraging farmers to grow a wider variety of crops locally. “As you know, tourism is doing very well, but we’re buying a lot of vegetables from overseas.”Article continues after advertisement However, businessman George Shiu Raj says while diversifying crops may…
PACIFIC Islands Forum (PIF) Troika leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional governance and Pacific unity as they prepare for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau later this year. The leaders convened to hold strategic discussions on the future governance of the Pacific regional system and to identify key regional priorities in preparation for the annual leaders’ summit, scheduled in Palau from August 31 to September 4. The Forum Troika comprises the Forum Chair, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, Tonga Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. The meeting formed part of…