Author: TMC Palau
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…
[Source: Reuters] The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 3,535, authorities said on Monday, while nearly 18,000 people remain homeless more than a week after the disaster struck the capital and nearby coastal areas. Top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said the latest official tally showed 16,740 people injured and 17,854 left without housing after the June 24 quakes, which measured magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 and struck within seconds of each other. The new figures underscore the scale of the disaster in and around Caracas and La Guaira, the coastal area hit hardest, as criticism mounts over the government’s…
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) government has declared an all-clear following the passage of Super Typhoon Bavi, allowing recovery efforts to begin across the Commonwealth while warning residents to remain cautious of lingering hazards.Governor David Apatang, in consultation with the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office and the National Weather Service Guam, lifted the emergency status for Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Alamagan, Agrihan and Pagan effective 12pm Tuesday.However, officials warned that localized flooding, debris, damaged infrastructure, downed power lines and hazardous road conditions remain, particularly on Rota, which bore the brunt of the Category 5 storm.CNMI Homeland…
[Source:Fiji Football Association/Facebook] The Fiji Junior Bula Boys, who are now in Papua New Guinea, will complete their final preparations before beginning their OFC U-16 Men’s Championship campaign this weekend. It will also mark the start of their road to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2027. Fiji is in Group A with New Caledonia, Samoa, and host nation PNG. They’ll meet New Caledonia on Sunday, then Samoa next Wednesday before wrapping up the group games with PNG three days later.Article continues after advertisement Defending champions New Zealand have been drawn alongside the Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and the qualifying winner, Vanuatu,…
Pacific Energy fuel tankers aboard an RPA barge bound for Taveuni departed Buca Bay in Vanua Levu this morning. [Picture: Peceli Naviticoko} The government has assured residents of Taveuni that fuel supplies to the island will continue, with additional shipments scheduled this week to maintain stock levels. Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau says the government has been working closely with shipping operators and fuel suppliers to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of fuel and other essential goods. Ro Filipe says the government understands the importance of maintaining reliable fuel supplies to support households, businesses and essential services, and has been…