Author: TMC Palau

Fiji’s constitutional reform process has brought the question of who is or can be a ‘Fijian’ back to the fore.Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s coalition government has begun the public consultation process on the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2026 in its efforts to replace the 2013 Constitution – a document widely criticised as being imposed on the country by the previous Bainimarama administration.Public consultations on Rabuka’s bill started last week, two days after the country marked its 56th independence anniversary. It was tabled by the government earlier this month and passed its second reading for the Fijian people to give their feedback.However,…

Small island villagers in Papua New Guinea are appealing for international help to fight wildfires, which they say have burned through one-third of their land.As winter turns to spring under El Niño drought conditions, bushfires are battering communities all over PNG, with local fire and response teams often powerless to fight it.In Manus Province, Lou Island has battled wildfires for the past week, in what locals call an “unprecedented” disaster.Ngenge Sasa, from Rei village in the island’s north, told RNZ Pacific that the impact has been devastating.Speaking from a high vantage point, he said at least one third of the…

Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s government could be staring down a potential leadership challenge in a fortnight’s time when the Vanuatu parliament session resumes on 5 November, local media is reporting.According to the Vanuatu Daily Post, the country’s politicians are lobbying behind the scenes to secure the numbers and launch another leadership challenge to oust Napat’s administration.”In the current 52-member parliament, at least nine MPs must sign the [motion of no confidence] notice,” the newspaper reported on Friday.”For the motion to pass, it must receive the support of an absolute majority of MPs, meaning at least 27 votes. If passed, the…

Taiwanese President William Lai said during the opening ceremony of a new wing at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei that Palau continues to support Taiwan despite significant pressure from Beijing. According to him, China sought to influence presidential elections in the Pacific island state through infiltration and “united front” tactics, Taipei Times reports.Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. attended the event. Lai noted that Whipps has consistently supported Taiwan for many years in international forums, including the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum. Taiwan’s president added that Palau’s position had come at a cost because of pressure from…

Tourism authorities in Palau have launched an investigation after a Taiwanese musician alleged that he and a dive professional had been assaulted under water by a South Korean dive-guide – who in turn claims that he was acting in self-defence. The underwater altercation involving Song Jianzhang, a member of a Taiwanese ‘mandpop’ group called Nan Quan Mama, occurred at a depth of around 30m at popular dive-site Siaes Corner, west of Koror, on 9 October. Song, a singer and drummer also known professionally as Devon Song or Dan Tou, alleged that he had been struck and that the diver responsible,…

US President Donald Trump has approved emergency declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands after Super Typhoon Champi narrowly missed Guam, bringing destructive winds and dangerous seas to the Marianas.Guam’s Governor Lou Leon Guerrero confirmed the presidential declaration on Sunday, authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate emergency assistance.Champi passed about 10 miles south of Guam early Sunday, prompting authorities to warn residents of damaging winds and life-threatening conditions.”We are grateful for the president’s quick response,” Leon Guerrero said.Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio assured residents that all available resources would be deployed for response and recovery.Meanwhile, Trump approved…

To use this website, cookies must be enabled in your browser. To enable cookies, follow the instructions for your browser below. Facebook App: Open links in External Browser There is a specific issue with the Facebook in-app browser intermittently making requests to websites without cookies that had previously been set. This appears to be a defect in the browser which should be addressed soon. The simplest approach to avoid this problem is to continue to use the Facebook app but not use the in-app browser. This can be done through the following steps: 1. Open the settings menu by clicking…

Papua New Guinea has elected only ten women to its Parliament since it became independent in 1975. Of those, only three have served more than one term. Dame Carol Kidu served three terms. Dame Josephine Abaijah, the first woman to be elected in 1972, served from 1972 to 1982 and from 1997 to 2002, and Dame Nahau Rooney served two terms from 1977 to 1987. There are currently three women in the PNG parliament. The Hon. Rufina Peter was elected in the 2022 elections for the Central Provincial seat as a member for the People’s National Congress Party. The declaration…

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP: Shin Kong Hospital has sent more than 450 medical professionals to Palau, providing more than 15,000 instances of medical care By Lin Chih-yi and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer Palau stands with Taiwan despite severe pressure from Beijing, including Chinese infiltration and the “united front” tactics used to influence the Pacific island nation’s presidential election, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr has for years shown strong support for Taiwan, even amid Chinese pressure, Lai said at the opening ceremony for a new Shin Kong Wu Ho-su Memorial Hospital building in Taipei…

MANILA, 12 OCTOBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) —Nearly 1.7 million babies or about one in every 11 born in the Western Pacific missed the first routine vaccine dose in 2025, the World Health Organisation said, warning of the risks of otherwise eliminated diseases resurging in the region.  WHO noted that coverage with three doses of […]The post WHO warns of outbreaks in Western Pacific due to gaps in vaccine programmes appeared first on Island Times News. Source link