Author: TMC Palau

FICAC will be calling 15 witnesses in this matter. [Photo: FILE] The Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption has assured the Suva Magistrates Court that they are ready to proceed with the trial involving the former Fijian Broadcasting Corporation Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer. Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Vimlesh Sagar appeared before Magistrate Charles Ratakele. Sayed-Khaiyum is charged with abuse of office for gain and general dishonesty causing a loss. It is alleged that between 2017 and 2024, he pursued five legal cases without board approval, resulting in a loss of $138,813.37.Article continues after advertisement Sagar faces one count of…

[Photo: FILE] The Land Transport Authority is calling for stronger laws to address transport-related issues affecting public health. Chief Executive Irimaia Rokosawa says while they support the overall direction of the proposed Public Health Amendment Bill, several transport-related issues are not adequately covered. Rokosawa says ¤stronger laws are needed to address transport-related public health issues. “There is limited guidance on the regulations and enforcement of noise from vehicles, road traffic or the use of horns. Currently, this is only addressed in the LTA regulations. But we would love to have it incorporated in other acts. So that it carries a…

Palau, US partner to modernize Malakal Port, Harbor Palau, US partner to modernize Malakal Port, Harbor Joint Task Force – Micronesia Date: 10.29.2025 Posted: 10.30.2025 00:06 News ID: 550539 U.S. military and Republic of Palau government representatives hosted a public meeting at Koror State Constitution Hall, Oct. 29, to share information about the Malakal Port and Harbor Improvement Project Environmental Impact Statement. The meeting aimed to inform the public that an EIS is being prepared for the proposed military construction project in Koror State and to solicit…

[Photo: FILE] Economist and academic Professor Wadan Narsey has called for broad electoral and constitutional reform in Fiji. He said the current system does not properly reflect voter choice and weakens accountability in Parliament. In a submission to the Constitution Review Commission, he said the electoral system was the main area needing urgent change. He argued it weakens the link between MPs and their communities while concentrating too much power in party leadership. “I am suggesting in the submission that I have made are just a few areas where the government of the day, through Parliament and a referendum, right,…

No injuries or fatalities have been reported across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) after Super Typhoon Bavi tore through the territory, with authorities preparing to begin comprehensive damage assessments once the all-clear is issued.The CNMI Joint Information Center said late Monday that Saipan, Tinian, and Rota remained under Typhoon Condition 1, with a shelter-in-place order still in effect as hazardous conditions persisted despite the storm moving away from the Marianas.Rota, which took the direct hit from the Category 5 storm, was beginning its recovery effort after enduring what officials described as one of the strongest typhoons to…

For the first time since COVID, the Pacific Islands Forum has activated its emergency response mechanism. The immediate trigger was not climate, but a regional fuel and transport cost shock linked to the war in Iran, which has pushed Tuvalu and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to declare states of emergency and led Fijian ministers to accept a 20% pay cut to offset, at least symbolically, rising fuel costs. Forecasters now warn that a developing El Niño, with a roughly 63% chance of reaching “very strong” intensity by later this year — leading some to call it a “Super…

GironaJordi Savall (Igualada, 1941) has spent decades exploring the history of music from a deeply humanistic, rigorous, and open perspective, building bridges between peoples and traditions through centuries of shared musical heritage. On July 10th, he will present at the Occident Porta Ferrada FestivalThe Silk Road, a proposal that, coinciding with the seventh centenary of Marco Polo’s death, musically retraces the Venetian merchant’s journey between 1271 and 1295. Led by the historicist ensemble Hespèrion XXI and a cast of soloists from around the world, Savall proposes a musical itinerary that crosses the Eastern Mediterranean, Armenia, Persia, China, Sri Lanka, and…

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia. [Photo: REUTERS] Belgium coach Rudi Garcia has come under fire after saying Senegal were one of “those teams” that “tend to lose their tactical structure towards the end of the match” following Belgium’s dramatic comeback win at the World Cup. Garcia later clarified that he was referring to teams inexperienced in protecting a lead at the highest level and said his comments were not aimed at African teams. However, academics and anti-racism advocates say the remarks reinforce long-standing racial stereotypes that portray Black players and African teams as physically gifted but tactically inferior or mentally fragile…

The mayor of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) says the island has prepared “as best they can” for Super Typhoon Bavi.The National Weather Service in Guam says the category 5 storm is forecast to remain near this intensity through Tuesday, as it passes through the Marianas.Rota mayor Aubry Hocog said officials have been canvassing remote communities, opening two emergency shelters, and urging residents to stay indoors until authorities issue the all-clear.A typhoon warning is in effect for Rota, Tinian, Saipan and Guam, and surrounding coastal waters.The Weather Service says widespread destructive winds in excess of…

[Supplied] The National Fire Authority is urging Fijians to prioritize fire safety after responding to two separate residential fires in the Nadroga province within days of each other. In separate occasions, the first house fire was caused by unattended cooking; however, no investigations are underway to determine the cause of the second. While no injuries were reported, both houses sustained severe damage. A property in Semo village sustained 30 percent damage. In Sanasana, a five-bedroom concrete house sustained 80 percent damage with estimated losses, including household contents, valued at $30,000.Article continues after advertisement National Fire Authority Chief Executive Puamau Sowane…