Author: TMC Palau
Tonga has become the 179th state to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).The ratification was formalised on Tuesday at a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York.Tonga’s permanent representative to the UN Viliami Va’inga Tōnē said this is just a legal formality but a statement of who they are and what they stand for.”The Pacific has felt the pain of nuclear testing. Ratifying the CTBT is our contribution to ensuring that no one, anywhere, has to go through that again,” he said.The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said the ratification reflects Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa…
[Photo Credit: Reuters] Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), opens new tab on Tuesday flagged a 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit, surpassing its combined earnings over the past three years, but investors wiped more than $80 billion off its market value on concerns over how long the AI bonanza will last. While Samsung has benefited massively from the AI data centre boom that has propelled memory chip prices to record highs, the outlook for chipmakers has been clouded by worries U.S. tech giants may slow their infrastructure plans and curb chip demand. Samsung estimated April-June operating profit at 89.4 trillion won ($58.44…
[Photo Credit: Reuters] Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab said in a court filing on Monday that four states were seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over accusations the company designed its Facebook and Instagram platforms to addict young users and misled the public about their safety. Meta put forward the figure in its response to the attorneys general’s filings on how penalties should be calculated if the states prevailed at trial. The number, which has not previously been disclosed and is close to Meta’s market capitalization of around $1.5 trillion, comes ahead of an August trial in Oakland, California, over…
More than half of the structures on Rota, one of the Commonweswlth of the Northern Mariana Islands, have sustained some form of damage after Super Typhoon Bavi tore across the island, according to mayor Aubry Hocog.Officials are racing to restore water services while warning that electricity may not return for months.Following an initial drive around the island on 7 July, Hocog said the devastation extended beyond homes to government buildings and public facilities.”I would even say more than like 50 percent of our island has undergone damages and it could be more.”She said many residents living in concrete homes still…
Mourners attend a prayer for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes. [Photo Credit: Reuters] The United States is revoking a general license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, according to a U.S. official, who also warned of consequences over Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz after three tankers were hit on Tuesday in the strategic waterway. After a day in which huge crowds mourned Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom, oil prices rose more than 3% on news of the…
[Photo: FILE] Nathan Cleary will become NSW’s most-capped State of Origin halfback when he plays his 20th game in Wednesday night’s decider at Suncorp Stadium. But despite the milestone, the Panthers star is under pressure to deliver after questions were raised about his ability to dominate at the Origin level. Fox Sports columnist Paul Crawley says NSW should consider moving on from Cleary if the Blues lose the series, arguing the 28-year-old has had enough opportunities to cement his place. Former Queensland great Cooper Cronk believes Cleary needs to back himself more, saying the halfback has been trying to do…
[Photo Credit: AAP News] The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais will revisit his favourite moments from the award-winning sitcom to commemorate 25 years since it launched in the UK. The hit BBC show was created by comedians Gervais and Stephen Merchant and debuted in 2001. It followed the lives of office workers at Slough paper merchant Wernham Hogg. It ran until 2003, with Gervais at the helm as office manager David Brent alongside stars such as The Hobbit actor Martin Freeman, who played bored salesman Tim Canterbury. To mark its quarter-century anniversary, Gervais will host a YouTube special which will share…
The Marshall Islands government is gearing to spend US$160 million for new hospitals at Majuro and Ebeye, the two cities in this western Pacific nation.Marshall Islands Finance Minister David Paul said funding is now secured, with the plan to spend $100m for Majuro hospital and $60m for Ebeye’s new facilities. Majuro has a population of about 20,000 and Ebeye about 9000.Although some earlier estimates suggested the cost could run as high as $200m or more for both facilities, Paul said the $160m has been endorsed by government as the cap for the two projects combined.”For $100 million we’re not going…
[Photo: FILE] The iTaukei Land Trust Board is calling for the repeal of Section 29 (5), which states that all land that existed before the commencement of the 2013 constitution shall remain freehold land even if it is sold or purchased, unless it is acquired by the state for a public purpose. In the board’s submissions to the Constitution Review Commission, TLTB Chief Executive Solomone Nata said the provision prevents iTaukei land from being restored to its original status “This provision frustrates legitimate land reversal efforts and prevents some iTaukei land from being restored to their original status.” Nata says…
Emeritus Professor Ronald (Ron) Charles Duncan AO was my former boss and mentor, and over time became a close family friend. With Ron, Premila and I always said we got “two friends for the price of one”, because Rita was just as much a part of our lives. A few years ago, while driving through the highlands of Fiji, Premila even made me stop the car to pick wild red-fleshed guavas especially for the Duncans — a small gesture that captured the affection she has for them both. Ron’s career was distinguished, wide-ranging and deeply influential. After completing his PhD…