Author: TMC Palau

In early July, China fired a test missile from a nuclear submarine into the South Pacific for the first time, a weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Washington and Canberra were livid. The Pacific has long been the exclusive testing ground for such long-range missiles from the United States. How dare China!The reaction from Pacific island states was more measured. While leaders from Tuvalu, Palau and the Solomon Islands strongly criticised the test, the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) failed to draft a united statement. Last month, foreign ministers again failed to agree on criticising Beijing, with Kiribati and Nauru…

Fiji’s Constitution Review Commission wants a new governance systej for the country and the coup immunity provisions of the 2013 Constitution repealed.It’s also recommending giving the Great Council of Chiefs constitutional recognition, scrapping the current electoral system, replacing the current parliamentary system, and pushing the military to focus on external defence.These are among the recommendations contained in a review report which was tabled in the Fijian parliament and made public today.The Constitution Review Commission’s 236-page report, which includes a new draft constitution, was endorsed by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s cabinet last week.The report rolls back many of the defining features…

The Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority (VMSA) has confirmed the end of search efforts for those still missing from the recent MV Matui tragedy.The cargo vessel, which was used for inter-island ferrying, capsized and sank in rough seas between Santo and Ambae nine days ago, with dozens of people feared dead.The VMSA’s deputy commissioner for international and legal affairs Lloyd Fikiasi said there are two confirmed deaths, 14 survivors and 38 people reported as missing.He said, with the search concluded, the government would appoint an independent investigation into the sinking and safety system and civil claims by family members.VMSA commissioner Less…

The chair of Fiji’s National HIV outbreak and cluster response taskforce says group injecting of drugs in Fiji has significant potential to impact families.Dr Jason Mitchell highlighted risky behaviour around injecting drugs, inconsistent condom use, and sharing equipment, known as Bluetoothing.He told RNZ Morning Report that Bluetoothing is not as common as it has been made out to be, but it’s still a concern.”What is unique about our injecting practices here in Fiji is the fact that we inject in groups,” he said.”And oftentimes you might have various family members in that same group, so the potential for it to…

One of Fiji’s most prominent traditional and political figures is warning the country’s lawmakers “not to approve” two major bilateral agreements with Australia.In early July, the Fijian and Australian prime ministers signed the Vuvale Union and the Ocean of Peace Alliance (Veitacini Treaty), marking a major upgrade to relations between the two nations.The Vuvale Union is a broad political and economic framework, while the Veitacini Treaty is the specific defence and security pillar within that wider strategic partnership. Both governments have hailed the agreements as “significant” for future Fiji-Australia relations.Australian PM Anthony Albanese said that signing the agreements was “one…

Australia introduced the second-year backpacker visa extension in 2005, enabling backpackers to extend their stay for a second year in return for 88 days of specified regional work in the first year. Farmers were complaining about workforce shortages and the Howard government was unwilling to agree to a Pacific seasonal worker program. The Morrison government announced the third-year backpacker visa extension, to be given in return for six months of regional work in the second year, in 2018. At the time, farmers were complaining that the Pacific seasonal worker program introduced in 2008 wasn’t good enough, and were agitating for…

Four people remain missing after a boat carrying 14 passengers capsized in rough seas in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain province on Saturday afternoon. It is the second maritime accident in the province in two months.One person has died and nine people have been rescued following the incident.East New Britain Provincial Police Commander Amanda Kates told Pacific Waves the boat left Kokopo Beach and was heading to the Duke of York Island on Saturday when huge swells overturned the vessel.The boat was licensed to carry eight people but had 14 passengers on board. Not only was the boat overloaded,…

Pacific leaders will put a “strong, unified regional voice” at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, the Pacific Islands Forum says.The UNGA’s 81st session will take place from 21 to 28 September, with several Pacific leaders set to be in attendance.In a statement over the weekend, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) said Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr together with other Forum leaders would lead the PIFs high-level engagements in New York. They will advance shared Pacific priorities agreed by Forum leaders at its 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau earlier this month.The…

Concern is mounting among Fiji civil society over signs the government may extend the length of parliament in order to push through constitutional changes.Cabinet has endorsed the Constitution Review Commission’s report to be presented in parliament and has supported a request for a special sitting this week.In a joint statement, leading civil society groups warn that a rushed constitutional process could amount to a “self-coup” if it delays the next general election.Election are due to be held by February 2027, but the Rabuka-led government has not announced a date yet.They have called on MPs across party lines, to reject any…

Food is both sustenance and celebration. It isn’t just lunch at our desk or weekday meal prep – it is memory encased in flavour. It’s something that expresses human milestones, holidays, and all those special happenings that leave marks in our hearts. In a world that is increasingly focused on food’s functionality, I like to remember that food itself is a language. A lot of communal recipes designed to be made for large groups of people involve two primary ingredients: rice and meat. This central dish is then surrounded by varying accompaniments, from sauces and chutneys to chopped salads, but the hero is always…