Author: TMC Palau
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps. File | Photo Credit: AFP The United States has started deporting migrants to a sparsely populated archipelago in the tropical Pacific, the island nation of Palau told AFP on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).President Donald Trump has led a push to expel asylum seekers and undocumented migrants from the United States, dispatching them to places like El Salvador and Uganda.U.S. Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limitsTiny Pacific nation Palau, by population one of the smallest countries in the world, agreed in December to resettle up to 75 deportees in exchange for $7.5 million.The office…
Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel has defended Fiji’s projected fiscal deficit of around 7 per cent of GDP, insisting the level of borrowing is responsible given extraordinary global and domestic economic pressures. He adds that the National Budget has laid bare the country’s fiscal position, revealing a projected $4.8 billion in government spending, a $1 billion deficit, and rising public debt expected to reach around 84.8 per cent of GDP. Immanuel says the 2026–2027 National Budget has been prepared under what he described as a “highly volatile and uncertain” global environment, with fuel price shocks and ongoing international instability continuing to…
Overview: Global media leaders gathering at the Global Media Forum in Bonn have delivered a clear message: journalism must adapt to a rapidly changing digital landscape, and Pacific media can play a vital role in shaping its future. Discussions focused on artificial intelligence, social media’s influence on news consumption, and rebuilding public trust, with Pacific voices highlighting the importance of community relationships, Indigenous knowledge, and credible reporting. BONN, 29 JUNE 2026 (PMN)—-Journalism is at a turning point and Pacific media could be part of the answer. That was one of the strongest messages to emerge from last week’s Global Media…
The United States has started sending unwanted migrants to a sparsely populated archipelago in the tropical Pacific, the island nation of Palau said yesterday.Washington has accelerated efforts to expel undocumented migrants and asylum seekers under US President Donald Trump, proposing to resettle them in nations such as Uganda, El Salvador and Rwanda.The tropical nation of Palau — one of the smallest countries in the world by population — has agreed to take up to 75 deportees under a contentious deal it struck in December.“We welcomed our first individual at the airport in late May, brought him to his temporary residence…
[Source: Fiji Football Association/Facebook] >The amended laws of the International Football Association Board will be implemented by the Fiji Football Association from this weekend’s Extra Premier League fixtures. This is in line with the decisions approved at the 140th Annual General Meeting of IFAB. Among the key changes are stricter measures on time-wasting during throw-ins, goal kicks and substitutions, mandatory off-field treatment for certain injuries. Fiji FA Referees Director Avinesh Narayan says referees across the country had been fully briefed on the amendments and are ready to apply the updated laws consistently. “The latest IFAB amendments are designed to improve…
The United States has begun deporting migrants to Palau, a remote archipelago nation in the tropical Pacific, according to information the island country shared with AFP on Wednesday (1 July), The Hindu reported.President Donald Trump has been driving efforts to remove asylum seekers and undocumented migrants from American soil, relocating them to countries including El Salvador and Uganda.Palau, one of the world’s smallest nations by population, had agreed in December to take in as many as 75 deportees in return for $7.5 million.President Surangel Whipps’ office confirmed that the first such individual had reached the country, made up of coral…
[File Photo] The 2026-27 National Budget has a clear philosophy behind it to pare back operating expenditures over time to reduce the deficit. However, there is a pivot towards more public investment, with a new $200m public infrastructure pipeline of projects in renewable energy, ports and airports announced. ANZ Senior Pacific Economist Dr Kishti Sen says changes to government subsidies, tax concessions, tax rates and superannuation settings are modest, allowing for continuity of policy and certainty around the legislative agenda. Sen says this will help build confidence in the country amongst private capital investors.Article continues after advertisement He adds that…
An aviation expert says smaller Pacific Island carriers need to be flexible in how they operate, as the instability of national airlines has become a regional issue across the Pacific.Last week, the Solomon Islands prime minister and finance minister called out national carrier Solomon Airlines for being overly reliant on government funding.Prime Minister Matthew Wale said the airline’s problems were no longer hidden in the balance sheet alone.They are visible to passengers and businesses every day: too few aircraft on domestic routes, unreliable flight schedules, high fares, expensive freight, and services that falls short of public expectations.”Domestic airfares are too…
Source: Reuters Some 400,000 Lebanese uprooted by war have returned to southern Lebanon, with more expected to follow in the coming week, the social affairs minister said on Tuesday, encouraged by a lull in the four-month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Yet many remain unable to go back. Since March, around 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and large numbers are still in shelters or temporary housing because their homes are destroyed or uninhabitable, said Hanine El Sayed. Roughly 40% of those displaced have now returned to their towns and villages. The number of people staying…
Niue lawn bowler Lynsey Talagi claims reasons given by the Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association (NISCGA) for her axing from the Commonwealth Games squad are not factual.Talagi, who has been training in Wellington over the last three weeks, told RNZ Pacific she has lost faith in Team Niue management and the overall leadership within NISCGA.She was originally named in the Niue squad of about 20 althetes for the Glasgow Games but two weeks ago learned that she is no longer needed. It comes exactly four years after she and other members of Niue Bowls were also left out…