Author: TMC Palau

Follow our live coverage here.AUCKLAND – 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 April 13.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, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said 70 per cent of his…

A security company is being investigated following a viral video circulating on social media alleging unsafe treatment of a worker. In the video, a man walking in the rain with his belongings alleges he was dropped off in different locations on different days and forced to walk home after working past midnight for a security company. Permanent Secretary for Employment, Jone Maritino Nemani, confirmed that the Ministry’s Labour Inspectors have been directed to urgently assess the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident and determine whether any provisions of Fiji’s workplace laws may have been breached. Nemani said the Ministry takes any…

The President of Palau says a deal to take deportees from the United States is a win-win situation for the two countries.Under the deal Palau will eventually take 75 deportees, or third country nationals as the two governments are calling them.President Surangel Whipps Junior acknowledges there is some local opposition but says none of the deportees have criminal records. Source link

Moana Pasifika’s Miracle Faiilagi on attack against the Blues in their Round 12 match at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland. 2 May 2026. Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz The Fijian Drua defeated the Highlanders for the very first time in the history of the Super Rugby Pacific competition last Saturday. A tough battle in Ba but they managed to get there in the end, showing some promise in that they were consistent for around 60 minutes of the game. While they went too loose in the last 15 minutes, they had done the job before then. Co-captain Temo Mayanavanua pointed to…

Kava in global markets Efforts are underway to open up the United Kingdom market for Fiji’s kava exports, although challenges remain around regulatory requirements and supply capacity. Minister for Foreign Affairs Sakiasi Ditoka says access to the UK market is being guided by strict international standards, including food safety and scientific assessment frameworks that importing countries must comply with. “Market access for kava is governed by regulatory systems in importing countries. The systems are based on scientific assessment, food safety standards, and legal classification frameworks.” Ditoka also says work is also being done to address outdated perceptions of kava in…

When the United States launched its historic military gambit against Iran’s nuclear program, the world’s gaze was trained thousands of kilometres away on a Pacific island.Officials made a decoy of the US territory of Guam when, before the strike on Iran in June, they announced stealth bombers had arrived at the island’s air base.But it was a group of seven other B-2 bombers dispatched from Missouri that dropped the payload on Iranian nuclear facilities.B-2 stealth bombers flew to Guam as a decoy during “Operation Midnight Hammer”, which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. (AP: Mark Almond)For Micronesians, the military feint confirmed some…

Former Opposition MP Niko Nawaikula with Constitutional Review Commission members. A sharp divide over group rights and indigenous protections has emerged at the Constitutional Review Commission. Former Opposition MP Niko Nawaikula argues the 2013 Constitution stripped away key safeguards that existed in the 1997 framework. Nawaikula told commissioners that the 1997 Constitution contained a dedicated chapter on group rights including provisions on affirmative action and recognition of customary rules. He said those protections are missing in the current Constitution, leaving a gap in how collective rights, particularly for the iTaukei, are recognised in law.Article continues after advertisement “So just enabling…

The Smoking Stones are much more than a Rolling Stones tribute band. They were pioneers in paying homage to other bands, and their 30th anniversary as an active band deserves the best possible celebration, and there’s nothing better than a concert at Palau de la Música to enjoy such a significant date with their fans.  No one knows how to convey the essence of the greatest rock’n’roll band in history better than they do. 30 years on stage, playing the Rolling Stones, have made them the most authentic alternative to the Stones themselves.  The Smoking Stones know how to be…

[Photo Supplied] Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific fans are in for a thrilling afternoon with a blockbuster double header set to light up HFC Bank Stadium next Saturday. With just 12 days to go, anticipation is building as the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua prepare to host the NSW Waratahs in both the women’s and men’s fixtures. The action will get underway at 1pm with the Fijian Drua Women taking on the Waratahs in a trial match, giving fans an early glimpse of the squad’s form and combinations ahead of the Super W season. Attention will then turn to a…

The gold bars were found in three separate suitcases of passengers bound for Hong Kong last week. Photo: National Airports Corporation – Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea’s airports authority has seized 20 gold bars in the latest alleged smuggling attempt. The National Airports Corporation (NAC) said the gold bars “worth millions” highlights the growing issue of gold smuggling nationwide. The gold bars were found in three separate suitcases of passengers bound for Hong Kong last week, the latest in a series of gold smuggling cases since last year. They were detected by the NAC’s Aviation Security (AVSEC) screeners at…