Author: TMC Palau
The government will receive an additional $24 million in grant funding from Australia to support the continued development of schools and health facilities across Fiji. Cabinet has endorsed Amendment No. 3 to the Direct Funding Arrangement between Fiji and Australia, allowing the new funding to be channelled through the Fiji Social Infrastructure Programme. The funding will support the construction and upgrading of education and healthcare facilities, with a focus on ensuring they are safe, inclusive and resilient to climate change impacts. It will also help advance priority infrastructure projects already underway in communities around the country.Article continues after advertisement As…
The south coastline of Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island has been buffeted by huge rafts of pumice created by an erupting undersea volcano in the Bismarck Sea. Located around 125 kilometres southeast of Manus, the volcano has emitted a large steam plume since early May, while built-up lava has produced masses of pumice floating to the surface. The rafts are being pushed by tides and currents into south coastal parts of Manus, complicating boat access and impacting the shoreline. A former Manus MP and crocodile hunter, Ron Knight, said there was one large raft up to 3 kilometres wide and…
The offshore quake hit at a depth of 35km off the island of Mindanao. (MetMalaysia pic) MANILA: A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, prompting a regional warning centre to issue a tsunami alert. The offshore quake hit at a depth of 35km about 24km west of Mindanao’s Sarangani province, USGS said. Videos posted to Facebook showed a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant collapsing into rubble in the province’s General Santos City, while a building on a local school campus crumpled in another. The Pacific Tsunami…
[Source: Reuters] Donald Trump is facing widening opposition within his own party as Republican lawmakers in Congress, long reluctant to defy him, are showing a greater willingness to break ranks with the U.S. president. Just over the past week, multiple factions of Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives have stepped forward to rebuke his war against Iran, reject $1 billion in funding tied to his White House ballroom, force a retreat on his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and block his legislation on domestic spying. The House also defied Trump by passing a bill on Thursday to provide aid…
Koror, Palau, June 8 (CNA) Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. expressed strong support for Taiwan during Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) visit to the Pacific ally, saying Sunday that failure to recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty would call into question the sovereignty of small countries.”If Taiwan’s sovereignty is not recognized, then who are we to say that we’re sovereign? Might as well eliminate all small countries,” Whipps said at a welcome dinner for Hsiao in Koror, Palau’s largest city.”We have to stand up for freedom. We have to stand up for democracy and we have to stand up for the rule…
[Photo: File] The Water Authority of Fiji has warned that shutting down water supplies without consultation could leave communities without access to safe water. Appearing before the Standing Committee on Social Affairs on the Public Health Amendment Bill (Bill No.4 of 2026), WAF raised concerns over provisions in the Public Health Amendment Bill that would allow authorities to close contaminated water sources. Chief Executive Seru Soderberg said any decision to restrict or shut down a water supply should involve consultation with WAF and the Ministry of Public Works. He said closing a water source can affect hundreds or even thousands…
Palau President Surangel S Whipps Jr expressed strong support for Taiwan during Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) visit to the Pacific ally, saying yesterday that failure to recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty would call into question the sovereignty of small countries.”If Taiwan’s sovereignty is not recognized, then who are we to say that we’re sovereign? Might as well eliminate all small countries,” Whipps said at a welcome dinner for Hsiao in Koror, Palau’s largest city. Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office “We have to stand up for freedom. We have to stand up for democracy and we have to stand up for…
[Source: Reuters] Peru’s conservative presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori had an early narrow lead over her leftist rival in a runoff election. According to an exit poll, as voting drew to a close after a campaign focused on crime and the country’s socio-economic divide. Peruvians are choosing between Fujimori, the daughter of hardline former President Alberto Fujimori, and leftist congressman Roberto Sanchez, who often campaigns wearing a cowboy hat and, like imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo, has strong support in rural areas. An Ipsos exit poll showed Fujimori with 50.7% of the vote compared to 49.3% for Sanchez. Polls leading up…
Micronesian Games 2024. (file image) Photo: Hilary Hosia Kiribati will host the 2030 Micronesian Games, the first time the country will do that since the Games began in 1969. This followed the Micronesian Games Council’s (MCG) decision to accept Kiribati’s bid, ahead of those from Chuuk, Kiribati, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau. The Kiribati National Olympic Committee said the MGC Executive Board conducted a comprehensive evaluation of each bid, including Games concepts, facilities, accommodations, transportation plans, financial capacity, and alignment with long-term development goals. “Kiribati’s proposal earned the Council’s confidence and was endorsed by majority vote during the General…
Photo: USGS / Screenshot The US Tsunami Warning Centre has issued advisories for parts of the Pacific following a massive earthquake off Mindanao in the Philippines. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck at a depth of 63km at Mindanao. The warning centre has tsunami waves forecast to be less than 0.3 meters above the tide level for the coasts of: American Samoa Chuuk FSM Fiji French Polynesia Guam Hawai’i Kiribati Kosrae (FSM) Marshall islands Nauru New Caledonia CNMI Palau Papua New Guinea Pohnpei (FSM) Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Wallis Futuna Yap The US Tsunami Warning Centre says government agencies…