Author: TMC Palau

[Photo: FILE] Unity Fiji is calling for changes be made to the membership of key institutions such as the Constitutional Officers Commission and the Judicial Services Commission. While presenting their proposals to the Constitution Review Commission, Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube proposed the membership of the COC be reverted to the independent private sector representatives. “Under the 1997 constitution, COC members were all from the private sector. I know, because the COC appointed me, Governor. The 2013 constitution instead made the Prime Minister its chairman, and the Attorney General a member, politicizing the commission, with consequences that we have seen…

A foreigner has been appointed as Papua New Guinea’s electoral commissioner for the first time.Nicole Hayley is a professor of anthropology and Pacific politics at the Australian National University.She has spent more than 30 years researching PNG’s political landscape and governance systems with particular focus on women’s representation.Her appointment was announced by Prime Minister James Marape.He said Professor Hayley’s deep understanding of PNG’s electoral history will be essential in strengthening preparations for next year’s general election.Hayley replaced Margaret Vagi, who had been acting commissioner since November.Lucielle Paru, a women’s and social justice advocate, said there is no doubting Hayley’s knowledge…

Overview: President Surangel Whipps Jr. has signed Palau’s fiscal year 2026 supplemental budget into law, funding the upcoming Belau Games and government loan payments while cutting proposed increases to congressional funding and rejecting new money for PPUC subsidy programs — the second such reduction under his line-item authority. By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang KOROR, Palau — President Surangel Whipps Jr. signed RPPL 12-7, the fiscal year 2026 supplemental budget, into law Friday, July 3, approving funding for the upcoming Belau Games, several government loan payments and additional money for essential government agencies, while trimming other requested funds. Whipps used his line-item…

The Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry during their submissions to the Constitution Review Commission [Photo: FILE] The Fiji Labour Party has questioned the legitimacy of the current Constitutional Review Commission process. It says any review of Fiji’s supreme law must be backed by Parliament. In its submission to the Commission, the party says the review was established without prior parliamentary debate, endorsement or a legislative framework, which it believes weakens the democratic foundation of the process. Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says while public consultation is important, constitutional reform must ultimately be guided through Parliament as the institution…

Overview: The Asian Development Bank has approved $12.5 million in concessional financing to help Palau strengthen fiscal resilience, improve public financial management, and prepare for economic and environmental shocks — building on reforms already underway across the region’s smallest island economies. MANILA, PHILIPPINES (6 July 2026) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $12.5 million in concessional financing for the Republic of Palau to support reforms that strengthen public financial management, enhance resilience to extreme weather events, and promote sustainable economic development. The financing supports subprogram 2 of the Strengthening Fiscal Resilience for Sustainable Development Program, which is helping…

[Photo: FILE] More than 60,000 Girmitiya records will be digitised to make it easier for descendants and researchers to access Fiji’s indenture history online. Assistant Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Shalen Kumar says the project will convert immigrant passes and other plantation records held at the National Archives into a digital database. “Girmitiyas who came to Fiji in those days, their immigrant pass, which is currently in the National Archives, if anyone wants to know about it, they have to go to the National Archives, and the book in which it is kept, you have to see the photocopy and you…

The Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service and the Higher Education Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve monitoring of higher education institutions. The agreement will allow both agencies to share information and strengthen accountability across the sector. TSLS Board Chair Ro Teimumu Kepa says the partnership will help ensure scholarship funding supports accredited […] Source link

China’s test firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into the South Pacific on Monday has added to unease in the Pacific over military posturing and strategic alliances.Regional governments were notified by China shortly before it launched the test, on the same day that Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese went to Fiji to sign new treaties related to security and defence.If the test launch was a clear message from China, the reaction from Australia and New Zealand has been swift.Both governments accused China of undermining the peace and stability of the region, and of going against the values of Pacific Island…

[Photo: Lusiana Divokitira] Social protection beneficiaries can now access support more easily through a new toll-free helpline launched by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection. The new hotline, 1561, allows beneficiaries to raise concerns, seek information and provide feedback on the assistance they receive. Minister for Women Sashi Kiran said the service would help remove barriers such as distance, travel costs and concerns about being heard. She explained that every complaint will be handled with confidentiality, dignity and accountability.Article continues after advertisement “Today, we close that gap. From this day forward, any social protection beneficiary, no matter where…

[Source: Reuters] In a coup for Parisian fashion house Christian Dior, both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wore Haute Couture ‌designs by creative director Jonathan Anderson for their wedding in New York, handing the label an edge in its intensifying rivalry with Chanel for fashion’s most coveted celebrity endorsements. While no photographs have yet emerged from the tightly controlled Madison Square Garden celebration, designing Swift’s gown — no doubt the biggest bridal commission of the decade — is a big win for ​41-year-old Anderson, eager to prove himself just a year into his role leading the French luxury house. Chanel…