Author: TMC Palau

The Marianas Visitors Authority reported just 3277 visitor arrivals in April 2026. Photo: MVA Super Typhoon Sinlaku dealt a devastating blow to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ (CNMI) tourism industry, with visitor arrivals plunging 72 percent in April as flight disruptions and storm damage compounded the destination’s ongoing struggle to recover from the pandemic. The Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) reported just 3277 visitor arrivals in April 2026, down sharply from 11,880 arrivals during the same month a year earlier. The storm, which struck the CNMI in mid-April, forced the temporary suspension of international nighttime flight operations at Francisco…

The Lautoka football side will be chasing its fifth BiC Fiji FACT title in Labasa. Lautoka have won four FACT titl4es and three runner-up finishes, cementing its place among Fiji football’s most successful clubs. Known as the Baby Blues, Lautoka has built a proud tradition in the Fiji FA Cup Tournament known as Fiji FACT The western giants claimed their first Fiji FACT title in 2000 after defeating Nadroga 2-0 in the final at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. They secured their second crown in 2002, edging Nasinu 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout on home soil.Article continues after advertisement…

[Source: Supplied] McDonald’s Fijian Drua Women head coach Mike Legge has highlighted discipline and skill execution as key focus areas ahead of their Super Rugby Women’s season opener against the Waratahs this Saturday. The side heads into the clash in Sydney looking to build on encouraging pre-season performances, with confidence growing within the squad. Legge says translating preparation on the training field into match-day performance will be crucial. “Discipline is a big work-on for us from both games, and also our skill execution.”Article continues after advertisement He added that the team has placed strong emphasis on these areas throughout the…

[Source:World Rugby] The HSBC SVNS World Championship returns for one last dramatic tournament with three days of wall-to-wall action in the western French city of Bordeaux, bringing the curtain down on an entertaining season of sevens rugby – with World Championship glory and a place among next season’s HSBC SVNS elite on the line. The 24 captains in the presence of Mayor of Bordeaux Thomas Cazenave and French Rugby Federation CEO Christophe Pierrel gathered at the historic and beautiful Opera national de Bordeaux for the final captains’ photocall of the season, less than a week after reigning men’s and women’s…

Super Typhoon Sinlaku left a trail of destruction in the North Pacific US territory. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Mark Rabago Large-scale US military generators have been connected to the power grid on Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), after Super Typhoon Sinlaku badly damaged the island’s power plant. The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Army’s 249th Engineer Battalion delivered temporary grid power on 28 May at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), giving the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) time to repair permanent infrastructure. Unlike standard emergency generators used for individual buildings,…

[Photo: Fiji Corrections Service/FACEBOOK PAGE] The Fiji Corrections Service has refuted claims that three inmates suffered injuries during a snap search operation and were confined in segregation without clothing. In a statement, the FCS clarified that the planned operation was conducted in C Wing of the Maximum Correctional Centre on Monday and Tuesday as part of ongoing efforts to maintain security and prevent contraband possession. During the operation, inmate MX Vilikesa Delana was found with a mobile phone, batteries, and a charger, while inmate MX Isaia Bobo possessed suspected contraband concealed inside a bar of washing soap. These matters are…

Madigibuli outside the Suva High Court after being found guilty of murder. A man accused of murdering his 25-year-old pregnant wife at the Waimanu Apartments in Suva in 2024 has been found guilty by the Suva High Court. Apisai Madigibuli appeared before Justice Dane Tuiqereqere this morning as the court delivered its verdict. In his ruling, Justice Tuiqereqere said the State had presented sufficient and overwhelming evidence that proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt. Madigibuli was convicted of the murder of his wife following the court’s assessment of the evidence presented during the trial.Article continues after advertisement He will return…

Lorenzo Lemalu, who was shot dead in Vietnam last week. (Supplied) Photo: ABC / Supplied Samoa The bank acounts of three more people in Samoa have been frozen as police investigate a gang-related murder in Vietnam. The Samoa Observer reports that the Central Bank immobilised accounts belonging to a New Zealander, an Australian and an American citizen. Samoan national Joseph Vaa has confessed to gunning down suspected “Coconut Cartel” leader Lorenzo Lemalu Tovia in Ho Chi Minh City two weeks ago. Another Samoan, Steve Tofa, has admitted being his accomplice. Police froze accounts belonging to the accused and four others…

[Photo: PECELI NAVITICOKO] Fijians are being warned to expect a tough national budget later this month as the government grapples with rising global fuel prices and ongoing economic pressures. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the 2026-2027 National Budget will focus on economic realities rather than popular spending measures, as the country navigates an increasingly challenging financial environment. He says the government is preparing a responsible budget aimed at ensuring long-term economic stability, even if it means making difficult decisions. “We are not going to make any pleasant promises because you cannot make pleasant promises at times like this. It’s going…

US authorities alleged that the ship was involved in transporting Iranian petrochemical products in July 2024. TBS Report 03 June, 2026, 09:20 pm Last modified: 03 June, 2026, 09:25 pm Chattogram Port. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS”> Chattogram Port. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS A Palau-flagged chemical tanker imported for recycling in Bangladesh has become stranded at Chattogram Port’s outer anchorage after the United States imposed sanctions on the vessel as part of its latest measures targeting Iran’s petrochemical trade. The vessel, MAYMEI, a 44,800-tonne-capacity chemical tanker with a light displacement tonnage (LDT) of 9,877.1 tonnes, arrived at Chattogram’s outer anchorage on…