Author: TMC Palau
Overview: United Airlines is expanding travel options between the United States and the Pacific with new nonstop flights to Japan, creating easier one-stop connections to Guam, Saipan and Palau. The new services to Tokyo-Narita and Sapporo are expected to enhance tourism, business travel and regional connectivity across the Asia-Pacific. LOS ANGELES/HAGATNA, 17 JUNE 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — United Airlines will launch new nonstop service from the U.S mainland to Japan, with flights to Sapporo and Tokyo-Narita. Taking off on 24 October, the new daily service, operating Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita, will unlock easy, one-stop connections for…
This year, a group of Pacific young people published a guide to talking about pleasure. They called it Pleasurenesia — a play on the colonial labels Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, terms outsiders coined to organise a region that had never asked to be organised. By folding “pleasure” into that geography, Youth OCEANS, the regional youth-led network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, made a pointed claim: conversations about pleasure, sexuality and wellbeing in the Pacific should be shaped by Pacific people, for Pacific people. Pleasurenesia is a facilitation resource that deserves attention from development practitioners, donors and policymakers working on…
The Suva Harbour [Photo: File] Suvavou representatives are calling for stronger recognition of indigenous marine resource rights under the proposed Commercial Use of Marine Areas Bill. Speaking before the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Sakiusa Tubuna Senior stated that the people of Suvavou have been deprived of their land and rights for generations. Tubuna Senior stresses that customary resource owners must benefit from commercial activities within their traditional fishing grounds, particularly in Suva Harbour. He says while millions of dollars are generated annually through shipping and port operations, traditional owners do not receive direct compensation.Article continues after…
Overview: Energy experts from across the Pacific are sounding the alarm: the region’s latest fuel crisis was predictable, preventable — and must not be wasted. Speaking at the Pacific Peace and Security Dialogue, specialists from Samoa, Vanuatu, and Micronesia urged island nations to move urgently toward renewable energy, overhaul regional shipping, and put communities at the center of the transition. For Palau, one of the most import-dependent nations in the world, the message could not be more timely. KOROR, Palau — Energy experts from across the Pacific sounded an urgent call June 17 for island nations, including Palau, to accelerate…
Vodafone Fiji Chief Executive Officer Elenoa Biukoto appointed to FHL Board of Directors. Fijian Holdings Limited (FHL) has appointed Vodafone Fiji Chief Executive Officer Elenoa Biukoto to its Board of Directors. Biukoto was nominated by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, one of FHL’s major shareholders, following the departure of former director Jone Navakamoce. His board position became vacant after the expiry of his appointment as Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs. A seasoned corporate leader, Biukoto brings more than two decades of experience in executive leadership, financial management and corporate governance across the telecommunications and professional services sectors.…
Pacific – decolonisationThe UN Special Committee on Decolonisation has heard renewed calls for action on New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Guam and Tokelau.PINA reports that the committee has heard from Pacific representatives, petitioners and administering powers debating the pace of self-determination and decolonisation in the territories.The committee approved three draft resolutions aimed at strengthening UN support for the world’s remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.These include measures promoting information-sharing, reporting obligations and visiting missions.New Caledonia dominated much of the debate, with petitioners urging the UN to take a more active role in addressing the French territory’s political crisis and advancing its self-determination process.New Zealand/Pacific…
Source: Entertainment Weekly Thirty years after Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder, her ex-boyfriend’s own near-death experience inspired him to break his silence on their lost romance. Joseph Perrulli has published The Forgotten Briefcase, a memoir reflecting on his relationship with Nicole, whom he dated for several months in 1992, immediately following her separation from O.J. Simpson. The NFL legend was still a presence in his estranged wife’s life, however, and was often “lurking” around the new couple, recalled Perrulli. Ultimately, he was so unsettled by Simpson, he broke things off with Nicole. “I didn’t admit to being afraid for not only…
Overview: For the first time, infrastructure officials from four Pacific Island nations came together in Palau this week to confront a challenge that threatens the very ground beneath their feet. With roads buckling from rising heat, coastlines eroding, and sea levels creeping toward inhabited land, the Joint Regional Seminar on Asset Management — hosted by JICA June 15–19 — marked a turning point in how Micronesia plans to fight back. Here’s what brought them together, and what’s at stake. Koror, Palau – Representatives from four Pacific island nations gathered in Koror this week for the inaugural Joint Regional Seminar of…
Source: Reuters Australia has detected its first suspected mainland case of H5N1 bird flu in a remote part of the country’s southwest, authorities said on Friday. A migratory sea bird known as a brown skua found in Western Australia’s Cape Le Grand National Park tested positive for avian influenza, and further testing is being conducted to confirm the strain, said state Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis. “We are taking the suspected case of H5 bird flu seriously,” Jarvis said. “If this is confirmed H5 bird incursion, there will be a rapid and coordinated national response.” The virulent strain of H5 bird…
Overview: Palau’s borders just got stronger. The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has taken delivery of three new handheld drug detection devices — funded through a Japan International Cooperation System grant — marking a significant step forward in the nation’s fight against illegal drugs. The new technology expands Customs’ screening capabilities at the airport, seaport, post office and in the field, building on a partnership with Japan that already helped intercept suspected methamphetamine shipments earlier this year. KOROR, Palau (June 18, 2026) — The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has received three new handheld drug detection devices funded…