Author: TMC Palau

The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is urging people to prepare for a prolonged drought linked to El Niño.In a statement, the ABG said there was an 80 to 90 percent chance of below-normal rainfall across Bougainville until the end of the year.It said the Nissan Atolls and other vulnerable outer-island communities in Northern Bougainville would be prioritised for drought monitoring.El Niño typically brings hotter and drier conditions to Papua New Guinea, increasing the risk of drought, water shortages, crop losses and food insecurity, particularly in the Highlands and remote island communities.The PNG National Weather Service said a strong El Niño…

The Fiji government’s new five percent Tourism Services Tax (TST) has been criticised by international travel associations.The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) and the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) say the tax will penalise visitors who have already booked their travels to Fiji.ATIA and TAANZ have called on the Fijian government to withhold implementing the new tax, scheduled to be effective to take effect from 1 September.ATIA chief executive Dean Long said the tax would mean a Fiji holiday could become more expensive for Aussie travellers.The new tax will be in place for large-scale tourism operators and travel…

A whale-watching boat carrying several New Zealand Anglican Church delegates capsized and sank in Tonga on Saturday.RNZ Pacific understands several passengers were briefly hospitalised, but there were no serious injuries.Paramedics from New South Wales, who were in the country for a Rotary International training event, led the rescue.”Before leaving, the Bishops, Chaplains and leaders of the group led a prayer, thanking and blessing the team for the help and support they had provided,” a Rotary statement read.”It was a very special and humbling moment for our team, and certainly not something we expected when we started the day.”The Diocese of…

Fiji’s lawmakers have repealed a 2010 law that opened all surfing breaks to public access, despite opposition criticism that the replacement legislation is “flawed”.The move comes after the Fijian parliament passed the Commercial Use of Marine Areas (CUMA) Bill 2025 last Thursday. The legislation received 27 votes in favour, seven abstentions, and 21 MPs did not vote.The legislation grants customary owners greater rights over the commercial use of marine areas.Fiji’s coalition government has long signalled it would repeal the Bainimarama-era Regulation of Surfing Areas Act, arguing that customary owners should be compensated for the commercial use of their marine areas.Deputy…

The term Global Syndemic was first coined in a 2019 Lancet Commission report by Swinburn et al., which described “obesity, undernutrition and climate change” as “three of the gravest threats to human health and survival”. Few regions illustrate this convergence more starkly than the Pacific. Pacific leaders echo this: climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of Pacific people. Much of the region is already experiencing the impacts of climate change on child nutrition, as it disrupts the health, food and water systems on which Pacific children and communities depend. As the Pacific Heads…

The exercise demonstrated expeditionary sustainment capabilities and revalidated a secondary landing zone by landing a C-130 on Angaur Island, enhancing regional readiness, interoperability and operational agility. During the exercise, Soldiers and Airmen set up an expeditionary communications suite and a medical aid station to further bolster these sustainment capabilities. Conducted under the umbrella of Exercise Valiant Shield – a multinational, biennial field training exercise focused on interoperability in a multi-domain environment – Alupang ACE highlighted the strength and versatility of the joint and combined force. The operation also supported the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, concept, which disperses…

Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona is a modernist concert hall of glass, mosaic and ironwork. Built between 1905 and 1908, it was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the Orfeó Català, and it entered UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997.World Heritage List in 1997Lluís Domènech i MontanerA modernist hall of glass and ironThe building takes its character from a dense surface of colour and ornament. Brick, sculpture, stained glass and wrought iron appear together in a composition that belongs firmly to Catalan Modernism.Catalan ModernismIts broad concert-hall interior is framed by elaborate surfaces rather than severe stone mass.…

South of Koror in the Pacific nation of Palau, the Rock Islands rise from a turquoise lagoon as steep-sided limestone islets draped in dense green forest. Recognised in 2012 as the mixed natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage site Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, they combine an intricate seascape with traces of long human presence.Limestone islands scattered across a protected lagoonThe Rock Islands sit in the Southern Lagoon of Palau, between the larger islands of Koror and Peleliu in Koror State. The World Heritage property covers a predominantly marine area of around 100,200 hectares, which includes coral reefs, shallow marine habitats…

BarcelonaMore than a year after his appointment as bishop of Lleida, Daniel Palau, who is also the head of the media secretariat of the Tarraconense Episcopal Conference, speaks to ARA. Read it all What has been the impact of the Pope’s visit? — It has been very encouraging to reconsider the entire dimension of dialogue with the contemporary world. We have been able to see how, after a year of pontification, a new world leadership is being shaped, and that what it proposes is down-to-earth and helps us all to keep moving forward. What is the main message it leaves?…

By: L.N. Reklai KOROR, Palau (August 20, 2026) — President Surangel Whipps Jr. has authorized law enforcement officers from other Pacific jurisdictions to serve as police officers in Palau during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, as the country prepares for heightened security demands during the regional summit. Minister of Justice Jennifer Olegeriil previously […]The post President Whipps Authorizes Pacific Police Officers to Serve in Palau During 55th PIF Leaders Meeting appeared first on Island Times News. Source link