Author: TMC Palau

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Tuesday thanked Palau for enabling him to make a rare appearance at a major annual political gathering of Pacific nations on Monday, despite Taiwan not being an official member of the bloc.”I am very happy to be able to participate in this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and I have to give special thanks to the host country Palau for the arrangement,” Lin was quoted as saying in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) statement given to CNA on Tuesday.Lin did not elaborate on the nature of the arrangement, saying…

Upgrade and listen to live audio transcription Already a premium subscriber? Login below Beijing warned of “consequences” after Taiwanese officials attended the opening ceremony of a Pacific leaders summit in Palau on Monday, deepening tensions over Taiwan’s role in regional diplomacy. On Monday, China’s Pacific envoy Qian Bo called the presence of Taiwanese officials “very inappropriate”, adding that “this should not have happened.” He did not specify what actions Beijing might take. Taiwan, a self-governing territory since 1949, has faced increasing pressure from China as the latter claims political authority over the small island. Beijing has routinely opposed its…

Authorities in Fiji are offering contradictory accounts of a nationwide effort to remove beggars and street dwellers from public spaces, with questions over warning notices and what support is available for those affected.The agencies involved have been unable to clearly identify what those services are and who is responsible for providing them, or what happens to people after they are moved from their public places.The ongoing lack of clarity has raised concerns among civil society organisations that the enforcement effort may be getting ahead of the support systems needed to make it work.In August, The Fiji Times reported that city…

Australia’s climate minister has launched a spirited defence of the Pacific pre-COP meeting after hosts Fiji revealed just eight leaders or senior ministers from outside the region planned to attend.Tuvalu and Fiji are hosting the event in October as part of an Australian-negotiated compromise after its failed bid to host COP31, the latest edition of the world’s biggest annual climate change talks.In trilateral talks with Australia at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau, Fiji Foreign Minister Sakiasi Ditoka gave a roll call of attendees secured to date.Mr Dikota said an unspecified number of Pacific leaders would travel, as well…

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has said the collective absence was “highly suspicious” — but hasn’t made any accusations.University of Waikato international law professor Alexander Gillespie told The Front Page that the absences could be a coincidence, or something to be very concerned about.“Because when you have a major event, and it happens once a year, and 18 countries come together to discuss issues of utmost importance, and five of the leaders can’t turn up, it’s not great.“For the reasons they’re not coming, you’d have to ask them, and it’s either a coincidence in timing or there’s something significant going…

Updated September 2, 2026 — 12:04pm,first published 11:06amSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.AAAKoror City, Palau: Just five leaders from outside the Pacific have confirmed their attendance at an Australia-organised United Nations climate event in Fiji and Tuvalu next month, despite energetic efforts by the Albanese government to secure attendees.The pre-COP event was organised as part of a compromise deal between Australia and Turkey that will see the main event held in Antalya, Turkey, rather than Adelaide.Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, left, standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Pacific…

Vanuatu women’s beach volleyball team is hoping a 10-day high-performance camp in Australia will help them win a continental tournament in China and secure them direct qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.The Vanuatu pair of Sherysyn Toko and Majabelle Lawac are set to compete at the 2026 AVC BV Continental Championships in Shangluo city this week.The tournament features a strong field of 13 women’s teams from Asia and Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand. The winners of both the men’s and women’s competitions will each earn a place for the LA Olympics Games.Vanuatu, which is the only Pacific Island…

Australians stay at home and splurge on EVsPatrick ComminsHigh fuel prices dragged on household spending in the three months to June, with Australians filling up their car less and putting off overseas travel as airlines pushed up their fares to compensate for more expensive jet fuel.National accounts figures showed consumption lifted by a weak 0.4% in the quarter – but even that was double the previous quarter’s pace.The Middle East conflict disrupted overseas travel, slashing the usual pilgrimage north of the equator.Grace Kim, Australian Bureau of Statistics’ head of national accounts, said “the number of Australians travelling overseas for the…

Palau’s popularity among Australian travellers is surging, prompting Qantas to add a second weekly Brisbane–Koror flight and unlock four-day escapes for the first time. From December 2026, the airline’s Palau Paradise Express will operate twice weekly between Brisbane and Koror for the first time, following a new agreement with the Federal Government to continue the service. The additional frequency will run until the end of March 2027, with flights departing Brisbane on Wednesdays and Saturdays and returning from Koror on Thursdays and Sundays. It creates something the once-weekly schedule could not: the option of a four-day Palau trip, departing Brisbane…

RNZ’s Teuila Fuatai in Koror, PalauThe United States is set to announce a fuel security deal worth US$60 million for the Pacific region, RNZ Pacific understands.Details are yet to be finalised, but RNZ Pacific understands it was discussed at a closed dialogue partners meeting at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ summit in Palau on Tuesday.US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is in Koror for the annual meeting. His trip to Palau comes after a raft of engagements in the region this year as the Trump administration’s point-person for the Pacific.The US is one of PIF’s founding Dialogue Partners,…