Author: TMC Palau
Donald Trump signed the ‘Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific’ executive order on 11 June. Photo: 123RF Top Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) officials have welcomed US President Donald Trump’s executive order, which will open up nearly half a million square kilometres of protected Pacific waters for commercial fishing, despite warnings from conservation advocates the move could weaken protections for culturally and environmentally significant waters. Trump’s ‘Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific’ executive order, signed on 11 June, applies to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument around Hawai’i, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National…
[Source: Reuters] South Korea will shift a line running parallel to the military border with North Korea to narrow the area that restricts civilian access to reflect an evolving security environment and for the convenience of local residents, the defence minister said on Wednesday. The so-called Civilian Control Line is currently as much as 10 km (6.2 miles) to the south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) drawn up at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Authorisation by the military is required to enter the area. Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the change that will shift the civilian access…
The Palau-flagged vessel disabled by the US military in the Gulf of Oman dismissed nearly 60 verbal warnings and other shows of force before its engine room was fired upon, killing three Indian sailors, a report on Sunday stated. According to an Associated Press report, which cited a US official, the tanker M/T Settebello’s crew ignored at least eight shows of force by US military aircraft that included fired flares and flyovers. Final directives and blockade violations Two additional final warnings were also issued to the vessel that had 24 Indian crew members, before the American forces fired at the…
Atelaite Buna and Verenaisi Ditavutu. The Fijian Drua Women will welcome back exciting winger Atelaite Buna for their Round 3 Super Rugby Women’s clash against the Brumbies in Ba this Saturday. Head coach Mike Legge has named the former Jasper Williams High School student on the right wing for the side’s first outing at Four R Stadium in Govind Park. Buna, who returns from Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s duties, will be looking to build on an impressive record of six tries for the club. The match could also mark a milestone moment for Fijiana 7s captain Verenaisi Ditavutu, who has…
[Source: Reuters] As guests milled around a cavernous sound-stage that houses one of the sets from the Amazon Prime Video series “Fallout,” writer and producer Jonathan Nolan hailed the role tax incentives played in bringing the production to California. The first season of the series, which is a big-budget adaptation of a videogame set in a post-nuclear wasteland, was shot in New York. California was able to lure the production west in its second season, with $25 million in tax rebates. “If the tax credit wasn’t here, it would be a non-starter and we wouldn’t be able to be here,”…
Waisake and Iliana Sabutu, long time residents of the Wairarapa. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Johnny Blades Pacific Communities in New Zealand’s regions are feeling the pinch from cost of living pressures and government cuts to social support services in the past couple of years. That’s the message from people working in the area of social services – who are themselves often Pacific people, feeling their own strains too. RNZ Pacific visited Masterton to talk to workers from two Pacific households in the Wairarapa. The last census shows Pacific peoples make up just 3.7 percent of the Wairarapa population, or almost…
Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube. [Photo: FILE] Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube has cautioned the government against what he describes as irresponsible spending and politically motivated handouts in the upcoming national budget. Narube says the government must avoid using budget announcements as a tool to win public support, stressing that funds should be directed towards priority sectors. He argues that providing handouts without proper justification amounts to politics rather than sound economic management. The former Reserve Bank Governor is calling on the line minister to take a closer look at spending priorities and ensure allocations deliver long-term benefits…
[Photo: FILE] Passenger risk checks are still being carried out manually, with no automated system in place to process incoming traveller data. This was raised during the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence review of immigration annual reports from 2019 to 2023. Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma raised concerns over delays in passenger clearance at arrival points. He asked how long travellers are taking to be processed on arrival. He also questioned whether current systems are able to manage rising risks linked to transnational crime.Article continues after advertisement Sharma further sought clarity on officer training. He asked how often officers…
[Photo: NIKHIL AIYUSH KUMAR] The Suva Magistrate’s Court has found Imran Khan, also known as King Khan, guilty of possession of illicit drugs. He appeared before Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad this morning. Khan is charged with one count of possession of illicit drugs with 4.1 grams of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment at the base of a water bottle. The Magistrate told the court that the state has proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.Article continues after advertisement Magistrate Prasad also rejected the claims that police planted the drugs in his car, stating that he found all eight witnesses’ evidence…
The Breast Cancer Foundation wants women with symptoms to be referred directly for diagnostic imaging. Photo: BSIP via AFP A New Zealand oncologist and researcher says the country’s health system needs to be easily accessible and culturally safe to help narrow inequities in breast cancer care. Dr Olivia Perelini is leading a study looking at timely detection and treatment and closing the breast cancer gap for Pasifika women in Aotearoa. She told Pacific Waves many Pacific women are affected by breast cancer, and despite advances being made, the gap is not closing as fast as they would like. “Pacific women…