Author: TMC Palau

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele delivers his statement at the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. 22 September 2025 Photo: Screengrab / UN Web TV The Solomon Islands parliament will convene Thursday, 7 May, to consider a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele. Parliament House has confirmed to RNZ Pacific that the clerk to parliament Jefferson Hallu has issued advisory letters to all MPs that the sitting will begin at 9:30am local time to deal with the motion. It follows a political saga that…

Since the late 2000s, Australia (through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme — PALM) and New Zealand (through the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme — RSE) have been offering seasonal employment opportunities for the Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. These two schemes have contributed to a remittance boom in the Pacific. Unfortunately, PNG is missing out. The schemes allow temporary migrants to work in agriculture for seven to eleven months under the RSE, and in agriculture for up to nine months or in other sectors such as meat processing for up to four years under PALM. The labour mobility schemes are mutually…

HONOLULU—China is deliberately attempting to “erode leadership, disrupt vital services, and weaken confidence in government” in Palau, and has sent drugs to wash ashore on the Pacific nation to “weaken our community,” the country’s president said Monday. Speaking at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s International Military Law and Operations conference, Surangel Whipps said his country—one of just a dozen in the world with official diplomatic relations with Taiwan—has also seen economic coercion from China. Whipps described Chinese investors buying up or securing 99-year leases on land and then leaving it empty, as well as a radical dropoff in tourism from China in the…

Fiji Swimming head coach and team manager Sharon Smith says preparations are in full swing as the country readies itself to host the Oceania Swimming Championships for the first time in a decade. With 18 nations set to converge in Suva, Smith acknowledged the scale of the task behind the scenes, crediting the collective effort driving the event’s organisation. While much of the heavy lifting falls on Fiji Aquatics executives, Smith said her role has been focused on supporting logistical preparations alongside key stakeholders, including the Fiji Sports Commission and Fiji Sports Council. “It’s not easy, but they’ve done an…

The Capitol of Palau, the palace of the Palau National Congress, in Ngerulmud. File photoKOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — Palau Sen. Rukebai Kikuo Inabo is challenging how the Senate has handled two of President Surangel Whipps J.’s key nominees, saying her colleagues have sidestepped the Constitution’s “advice and consent” duty by blocking full Senate votes and mischaracterizing the record in committee reports.Inabo questioned the Senate leadership decisions on the reappointments of Kaleb Udui Jr. for the Ministry of Finance and Dr. Dale Jenkins to the Ministry of Education.Her objections focused on the repeated reappointments of Udui and Jenkins, both of whom…

Overview: The Asian Development Bank has unveiled an ambitious $70 billion plan to transform energy and digital connectivity across Asia and the Pacific, aiming to link power grids, expand renewable energy trade, and deliver faster, more affordable internet access to millions by 2035. SAMARKAND, 04 MAY 2026 (ADB)—The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will back US$70 billion in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives by 2035, aiming to connect power grids, expand cross-border electricity trade, and improve broadband access across Asia and the Pacific.  “Energy and digital access will define the region’s future,” said ADB President Masato Kanda.   “These two initiatives…

Barcelona Full Council has given the go ahead for the urban planning procedure that will make the Museu Carmen Thyssen possible, with votes from the municipal government and the municipal groups of Junts per Barcelona, PP and Vox. The amendment to the general metropolitan plan will now have to get final approval from the Government of Catalonia. The project includes heritage work that will enable the Palau Marcet to be renovated and the original architectural elements of its façade to be preserved, strengthening the heritage value of this historical building at Passeig de Gràcia, 13, listed as an asset of…

Representatives of the Palau Government, including Peleliu State officials, along with the U.S. Department of Defense hosted two public meetings in Peleliu and Koror states, Aug. 12 and 14 respectively, to share information about proposed Peleliu South Dock rehabilitation and improvements.The rehabilitation and modernization of Peleliu South Dock is one of several U.S. Pacific Fleet-led infrastructure improvement projects in Palau that support U.S. Indo-Pacific Command posture initiatives to ensure operational readiness in the region.The public meetings provided residents the proposed project scope, construction timeline, and environmental baseline survey results. The meetings also provided opportunities for residents to ask questions and…

Palau is sending a clear message of inclusion as it readies to host one of the Pacific’s most important diplomatic gatherings this August.This comes as President Surangel Whipps Jr confirms all dialogue partners are welcomed back to this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting.“We want to make sure that everybody is welcome, that’s what partnership is all about in the Pacific,” Whipps tells PMN News.The 2026 meeting marks a return to full engagement with dialogue partners after last year’s forum in the Solomon Islands excluded them.Whipps says international partners have already expressed strong interest.Scheduling is being coordinated around ministerial…

Two of the victims injured in the Zam Zam Restaurant explosion in Samabula are now on life support at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. The Ministry of Health confirms that nine people are currently admitted at CWM Hospital after suffering burns in the incident earlier this afternoon. As of 2:00pm, the remaining victims are being treated for inhalation burns and facial injuries. Doctors at the hospital’s Emergency Department are continuing to provide urgent care, with efforts focused on stabilising all patients.Article continues after advertisement The Ministry says it will provide further updates as more information becomes available. Source link