Author: TMC Palau

WASHINGTON – The United States on Feb 10 barred Palau Senate president Hokkons Baules and his family from entering the US, accusing him of corruption linked to China, as Washington pushes back on Beijing’s effort to boost its influence in the Pacific.“Baules abused his public position by accepting bribes in exchange for providing advocacy and support for government, business, and criminal interests from China,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.“His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected US interests in Palau,” Mr Pigott said.The department also designated Mr Anderson Jibas, a former mayor from the Marshall Islands,…

After finishing third in the girls’ 3000m open grade last year, Luciana Neneyawa set herself a clear goal to return to the Coca-Cola Games and claim gold. The Year 13 student of Thomas Baker Memorial School delivered on that ambition, clocking an impressive 13 minutes 15.49 seconds to take first place. This marks her second gold after a top podium finish in the 1,500m race on Thursday. Neneyawa says she had targeted gold last year but fell short, a result that motivated her to come back stronger this season.Article continues after advertisement She credited her victory to months of disciplined…

Palau, an archipelago of about 350 small islands in the Pacific Ocean, has signed a “memo of understanding” with the Trump administration to take up to 75 “third country nationals” who cannot be returned to their home nations, the office of Palau’s president said on Wednesday. In return, Palau will receive $7.5 million and other aid.The arrangement will allow for people who have never been charged with a crime to live and work in Palau, “helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations,” according to the statement from the office of Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps Jr.The Trump administration has been…

Serious allegations of police corruption have triggered a formal investigation, after claims surfaced that officers shared $150,000 seized during a drug raid. The Fiji Police Force confirms that a media representative was questioned by Criminal Investigations Department officers on April 30 as part of efforts to verify the claims, which were initially posted on social media and later deleted. Police say the accusations were significant enough to warrant a full investigation, with the individual voluntarily assisting investigators and providing her phone for examination. While the post has since been removed and an apology issued, authorities stress that the matter remains…

This article draws on perspectives the author gathered during field visits in Jiwaka Province, Papua New Guinea, including via direct observation, interviews and discussions with MSF staff, trained village health volunteers and survivors of sorcery accusation-related violence and gender-based violence. “My whole village turned against me after a single accusation. I ran for my life. I cannot go home. I cannot reclaim my land. If I go back, they will kill me.” In PNG’s Highlands, that is not a rare horror. It is a lived reality for women caught in the grip of sorcery accusation-related violence, where the attack itself…

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Soaring oil prices sparked by war in the Middle East are having a “big impact” on the citizens of the small Pacific island nation of Palau, the country’s leader told AFP in an exclusive interview on Monday. Pacific island nations have been hard hit by the soaring price of oil due to the conflict between the United States, Iran and Israel, as many rely on imported diesel fuel just to keep the lights on.Speaking to AFP during a visit to Auckland, New Zealand, President Surangel Whipps Jr. said 70 percent of his country’s power comes from…

[Source: Fijian Drua/Facebook] The Highlanders remain one of only two sides the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua have yet to conquer in the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown at 4R Govind Park in Ba this afternoon. The clash will also mark just the second time the Drua host a match at the western venue, adding another layer of significance for the home side as they continue to build their footprint across the country. Their last outing in Ba remains a memorable one, where the Drua secured a breakthrough victory over the Brumbies…

(L to R) Dr Sione Faletau, Pā’utu-‘O-Vava’u-Lahi Dr Adriana Māhanga Lear, Professor Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina and Dr Rachael Hall. Photo: Mark Tantrum and Pātaka Art+Museum Fangufangu, the art and practice of the traditional Tongan bamboo nose flute, is the subject of an exhibition at Porirua’s Pātaka Museum of Arts and Cultures. In the past, the fangufangu was used to awaken Tongan aristocracy from their sleep. As a mark of great respect, it was used during the 1953 visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Fangufangu musicians played beneath the bedroom window of the visiting Queen. The Pātaka exhibition brings together the…

Domeier, M. L. Revisiting spawning aggregations: definitions and challenges. In Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations: Biology, Research and Management (eds Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson & Patrick L. Colin) 1–20 (2012).Sadovy de Mitcheson, Y. Mainstreaming fish spawning aggregations into fishery management calls for a precautionary approach. BioScience 66, biw013. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw013 (2016).Article  Google Scholar  Sadovy, Y. & Domeier, M. Are aggregation-fisheries sustainable? Reef fish fisheries as a case study. Coral Reefs. 24, 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-005-0474-6 (2005).Article  Google Scholar  Domeier, M. L. & Colin, P. L. Tropical reef fish spawning aggregations: defined and reviewed. Bull. Mar. Sci. 60, 698–726 (1997). Google Scholar  Claydon, J. Spawning…

Palau will take up to 75 migrants from the US in return for additional aid, after the tiny Pacific Island nation signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington on transfer of third-country nationals.US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau spoke to Palau president Surangel Whipps in a call on Tuesday about transferring third-country nationals to Palau, the two sides said in separate statements, after Palau’s lawmakers rejected a previous request from Washington on the matter earlier this year.President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including his administration’s deportation drive, have been broadly condemned by human rights advocates over concerns about due process.…