Author: TMC Palau

[Photo: FILE] An active trough of low pressure west of Fiji is moving eastwards. It is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and coastal inundation. The Fiji Meteorological Service says rain is already affecting the country. Conditions are expected to worsen from later today into tomorrow. Rain will become frequent and heavy. Squally thunderstorms are also expected over most areas. Conditions will ease from the west by midday tomorrow.Article continues after advertisement Authorities warn of flash flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Informal settlements, businesses, and Irish crossings may be affected. Traffic disruptions are likely. Urban areas with poor…

Term Three will run from September 7 to December 4 as planned. [Photo: FILE] The Ministry of Education has rejected misinformation circulating online. It says schools will continue normal operations and Term Three will run from September 7 to December 4 as planned. Permanent Secretary for Education Navin Raj states there are no changes to the academic calendar, national examinations, or classroom learning. He said syllabus coverage during Term Two was standard practice.Article continues after advertisement Term Three will focus on trial examinations, remedial classes, revision, and preparation for the Year 8, 12, and 13 external exams Raj says all…

US President Donald Trump displays a proclamation on “returning American commercial fishing in the Pacific” in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 11 June 2026. Photo: AFP / Kent Nishimnura A conservation group has condemned Donald Trump’s decision to allow commercial fishing in parts of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. President Trump signed an executive order 11 June opening protected waters around Hawai’i, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas. It totals nearly half a million square miles of protected Pacific waters for commercial fishing. Trump claims appropriately managed fishing will not put these areas…

[Photo: REUTERS] Scotland has secured their first World Cup victory in 36 years, edging Haiti 1-0 in a scrappy but crucial Group C clash yesterday. John McGinn struck in the 28th minute after Che Adams’ close-range effort was saved and fell kindly for the midfielder, whose deflected shot found the net. Scotland had earlier come close through Scott McTominay, who hit the post, while Haiti threatened in bursts but failed to seriously trouble goalkeeper Angus Gunn. The result puts Scotland top of Group C ahead of Brazil and Morocco, who drew 1-1 in the earlier match.Article continues after advertisement Despite…

[Photo: FILE] Extra Supermarket Labasa FC has named a 22-member squad for the 2026 BiC Fiji FACT as the Babasiga Lions prepare to challenge for one of Fiji football’s most prestigious trophies. Head coach Alvin Chand has selected a squad featuring experienced campaigners and young talent, including Simione Tamanisau, Iliesa Lino, Christopher Wasasala, Ashnil Raju and Dan Steiner. Labasa will begin its campaign against Suva FC on June 19 before taking on Nadroga FC the following day. The Babasiga Lions will then face defending champions Rewa FC in their final pool match on June 21.Article continues after advertisement With the…

[Photo: FILE] McDonald’s Fijian Drua Women’s captain Bitila Tawake believes her side’s ability to stay composed under pressure was the defining factor in their 29-24 Super W victory over the Western Force at Churchill Park in Lautoka over the weekend. The Drua were made to work hard for the win, with the visitors applying plenty of pressure throughout the contest. However, the home side refused to panic and instead found a way to respond when it mattered most. For Tawake, the performance highlighted one of the team’s key values this season.Article continues after advertisement “Honestly, resilience. That’s one of our…

A recent Senate Estimates discussion between Labor Senator Penny Wong, Greens Senator David Shoebridge and several Australian Government officials (from ~19:42 here) has revived a simple question: when Pacific and Timorese workers earn money in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, where does it go? The Australia Institute’s answer to this question is that “between 65% and 78%” of PALM workers’ post-tax income is “spent in the Australian economy”. This is stated in a recent Australia Institute submission to a parliamentary inquiry. The claim has been repeated in another piece ironically billed as a fact-check. The Australia…

[Photo: FILE] Fiji is seeking to secure its fuel supply chain against global market volatility and geopolitical tensions. Foreign Affairs Minister Sakiasi Ditoka met with Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt in Australia to discuss emergency contingency planning and diversified supply lines. As a small island developing state heavily reliant on imported fuel, Fiji is highly vulnerable to global disruptions. Ditoka adds that price spikes directly impact the country’s cost of living, tourism, aviation, shipping, and electricity generation.Article continues after advertisement While Fiji is pursuing renewable energy goals, the discussions highlighted that conventional fuels will remain critical to maintaining Pacific economic…

The manager of the tanker Settebello has accused the U.S. Navy of causing the deaths of three Indian seafarers and challenged key elements of the U.S. military’s justification for the strike, setting up a direct dispute over whether warnings were issued and whether the vessel was involved in transporting Iranian oil. In a public statement released Thursday, Dubai-based IOS Marine FZE, manager of the Palau-flagged tanker, called for a full international investigation into the June 9 incident in the Gulf of Oman that resulted in the first confirmed seafarer fatalities linked to enforcement of Washington’s blockade of Iran. “Three innocent lives have…

The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has called on ASEAN Member States to support the Republic of Palau, which this week made history by submitting the world’s first formal notification to the United Nations (UN) requesting that nicotine – the toxic and highly addictive drug found in cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches – be placed under  international drug control (see www.nicotinereview.org). Nicotine is also known to cause cardiovascular disease, promote cancer, and harm the developing adolescent brain with long-term cognitive and behavioral consequences. “We may be a small nation, but the scale of a problem has…