Author: TMC Palau

Effects of Climate Change The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says the proposed Public Health Bill fails to adequately address the health risks posed by climate change. Submitting to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Policy Manager Genevieve Jiva says the Bill must require authorities to consider the health impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Jiva says the current draft overlooks public health risks from flooding, cyclones, storm surges, heatwaves and sea-level rise, despite their increasing frequency and severity. The Ministry also wants the Bill to require health officers to consider climate change when monitoring mosquito-borne diseases.Article continues…

Tonga Police has confirmed it has captured one of the two men on the run after escaping from its headquarters earlier this week.On Wednesday, police put up a TP$5000 (approx. NZ$3400) reward for information leading to the capture of foreign escapees Liuaki Kokohu VI, a 35-year-old New Zealand citizen of Tongan descent, and Adam Hussein, a 35-year-old Fijian national.A third escapee, 16-year-old male, who also escaped from custody at the Central Police Station in Nuku’alofa on Sunday was captured in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Mataika.In a statement on Friday, Tonga Police confirmed the Fijian national Hussein was…

Barcelona”I try to write every day, never to fail”, said Josep Vallverdú in 2022, months before turning 99, when he presented one of his latest youth novels, The Eighth Dwarf (La Galera), in which he imagined an alternative version of the popular Snow White. For more than six decades – the ones separating The Fish Seller (Arimany, 1960) and Treasured Silence (Pagès, 2023)– Vallverdú dedicated himself to building, with admirable constancy, rigor, and heterogeneity, one of the most prolific works – exceeding 200 books – in contemporary Catalan literature, which this Tuesday closes with his death at 103 years old,…

Group of Farmers Proposed fines under the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2026 could hurt farmers if they are set too high, the Ministry of Agriculture has warned. Presenting its submission to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs during live public consultations on the Bill, Permanent Secretary Andrew Tukana said the Ministry supports the proposed law but wants safeguards to ensure farmers and rural communities are not unfairly affected by tougher enforcement. Tukana said the Bill aligns with the Ministry’s long-term agricultural and sugar industry plans by strengthening water source protection, environmental health, pollution control, livestock management and disease surveillance. He…

The mid-winter chill has settled in, but it doesn’t have to be this way when a huge part of the world is basked in glorious sun. Yet rather than travelling all the way to Europe for some much-needed warmth — unprecedented heatwaves notwithstanding — a selection of close-to-home island destinations are on the rise with Australian travellers. So, instead of spending the better part of a day on a plane just to get some sun, Expedia’s 2026 Island Hot List highlights ten picture-perfect island getaways that also keep your travel costs to reasonable levels. And with searches for islands up…

Overview: A new retirement savings option is now available in Palau. Guam-based ASC Trust has opened its first office in Koror, offering employer-sponsored 401(k)-style retirement plans as organizations look for additional ways to help employees prepare for retirement. By: L.N. Reklai KOROR, Palau (July 23, 2026) — ASC Trust, a Guam-based retirement plan management company, officially opened its Palau office on Thursday, expanding access to employer-sponsored retirement savings plans for businesses and organizations in the country. The new office is located on the second floor of the Roman Tmetuchl Building, above Bank of Guam. ASC Trust specializes in retirement plan…

The Colonial War Memorial Hospital is receiving major upgrades as the government admits its biggest health facility cannot be fixed overnight. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stepped in to support key improvements, funding the renovation of three wards and the construction of a minor surgical theatre. The biggest upgrade is Fiji’s […] Source link

Overview: A cybersecurity bill headed to President Surangel Whipps Jr.’s desk would create a new Bureau of Cybersecurity with duties that closely mirror those already assigned to a technology office he established by executive order months earlier — raising questions about how the two would work together. By: L.N. Reklai KOROR — The Senate gave final approval July 20 to legislation establishing Palau’s first comprehensive cybersecurity system, voting 13-0 to pass Senate Bill No. 12-9, SD1, HD2 on third reading — even as a separate executive order signed months earlier already created a new technology office within the Office of…

Peceli Rokoravolo after court hearing The brother of murder accused Peceli Rokoravolo has told the Lautoka High Court that Rokoravolo admitted he was in a romantic relationship with Nadi doctor Dr Isireli Biumaitotoya. Ratu Seru Vuibau gave evidence today as a defence witness in the trial where Rokoravolo is charged with the murder of Dr Biumaitotoya. Dr Biumaitotoya was allegedly killed at his Namaka home between August 30 and September 1 last year. While responding to a question from presiding Judge Justice Aruna Aluthge, Vuibau said Rokoravolo admitted to the relationship after he questioned him twice.However, throughout the trial, Rokoravolo…

There were mix results for the Pacific contingents of the first day of competition as the 2026 Commonwealth Games got underway in Glasgow, Scotland, early on Friday morning.Bowling rolled off hours before His Majesty King Charles III officially declared the 23rd Games open inside the OVO Hydro, the first time in the history of the Commonwealth Games that an opening ceremony was staged entirely within an indoor arena.The opening matches saw the Pacific Island bowlers losing their first round games, but there victories also.Tonga’s Liam Hill lost 2-0 to New Zealand’s Shannon McIlroy, losing 10-2 in the first set and…