Author: TMC Palau
Ulong Island beaches – credit, Matt Kieffer CC 2.0. Wikimedia Native species like the Endangered Palau ground dove have significantly increased in number thanks to a successful restoration campaign on Ulong Island in Palau. Working together in 2023-24, government agencies advised and assisted by the NGO Island Conservation, removed damaging invasive rats which devoured native bird eggs and young, decimated native plant populations through seed predation, preyed on native crabs, and disrupted food webs—ultimately threatening ecosystem collapse. Endangered Ground doves safely exploring the forest floor – Credit, Island Conservation Now, after one full year of rigorous monitoring—including trail cameras, eDNA…
[File Photo] The Government says delays in payments under the General Practitioner Partnership Program and Laboratory Partnership Program are largely due to anomalies and irregularities identified in claims submitted by some service providers. Responding to a question from Faiyaz Koya in Parliament, Esrom Immanuel acknowledged that payments to providers under the schemes have been delayed. Immanuel says the delays are not due to a lack of commitment by the government to meet its financial obligations. He says they are instead linked to discrepancies in documentation and issues uncovered during the verification process.Article continues after advertisement The Minister says 52 approved…
TAIWAN has started to strengthen Pacific alliances ahead of the regional leaders’ meeting scheduled for 2026. After a visit early this month, Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-lung, said he saw impressive advancement the bilateral partnership with Palau. And Taiwan said the visit underscored its commitment to enhancing economic and trade ties with one of its three Pacific allies. With Palau set to host the 55th Pacific Islands Forum, Taiwan has a unique opportunity to showcase its ability in agriculture, aviation, electronics, health, technology, and trade without interference from China. At the 2025 Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara, Solomon…
[Source: File] Just a year ago, Vilisi Tivalele had never played rugby. Today, the former netball player is part of the McDonald’s Fijian Drua Women squad after a rapid rise through the local rugby ranks. Tivalele’s sporting journey took a dramatic turn after returning from a netball tour in Samoa last year, when she decided to give rugby a try with the Nadroga women’s side. What started as a new challenge quickly turned into a life-changing opportunity. “I just started rugby last year as soon as I came back from the netball tour in Samoa.”Article continues after advertisement Before switching…
Editor’s note (June 2024): In 2021, the world’s leaders agreed to protect at least 30% of land and ocean by 2030. It is now up to individual countries to decide how and when they contribute to this global goal. At Pristine Seas, we collaborate with national governments and local communities to help them realize their national visions for ocean conservation. We are invited by governments to carry out scientific expeditions of specific areas that give them the information they need to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in their waters. In Palau, National Geographic Pristine Seas identified areas of the ocean…
[Photo: FILE] The General Election will be funded through the upcoming national budget. The government is also considering a mini-budget amid ongoing fiscal pressure. Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel confirmed to FBC News that election funding will be included in the next budget cycle. He states this will ensure the General Election is properly resourced within normal fiscal planning. He also said a mini-budget remains a possibility, depending on economic conditions and spending requirements as the financial year progresses.Article continues after advertisement The announcement comes as Parliament continues to debate rising costs driven by global fuel prices and inflation, which have…
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr has defended an agreement to relocate 75 deportees from the United States.President Whipps said the decision had backing from a working group that included chiefs, parliament, and women leaders.He admits there is opposition but insists Palau will benefit from hosting the third-country nationals.”The idea that we’re getting a band of criminals that will come here and destroy Palau is really unfair,” he told the ABC. “These are good people, they have been working, they want a good life and a safe life. And i think that’s what Palau can offer these people,” Source link
source: reuters Cannes may be best known for its A-list stars, but Yuri the rescue dog stole the spotlight on Friday, winning the most anticipated unofficial award of the festival, the Palm Dog, for her performance in Chilean drama “La Perra.” Judges praised Yuri’s naturalistic performance and her central contribution to the plot when picking the pooch, whose prize was a red collar emblazoned with “Palm Dog” on it. Director Dominga Sotomayor Castillo took to the stage overlooking the clear blue waters of the French Riviera with another rescue dog named Apocalypse, who humbly accepted the prize on Yuri’s behalf,…
source: reuters Russia pounded Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles on Sunday in one of the heaviest bombardments of the city since the start of the four-year war, firing an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near the capital. Russia’s hours-long overnight barrage killed two people in Kyiv and two more in the surrounding area, and it wounded nearly 100, according to Ukrainian officials. Authorities said dozens of residential buildings and several schools had been damaged, many in the centre of Kyiv. “It’s important that this does not remain without consequences for Russia,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on the…
The Ministry says Fiji’s risk from the outbreak remains low, but preparedness measures are being strengthened. [Photo: FILE] The Health Ministry is urging Fijians to avoid non-essential travel to several Central African countries following the recent Ebola outbreak in the region. These countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and neighboring countries sharing land borders, including South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Health officials are currently working with partner agencies at international points of entry, including Nadi International Airport, to implement targeted screening and follow-up measures…