Author: TMC Palau

“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the United States Navy for assisting with the removal of vessels from our harbor,” said Hon. Jennifer Anson, Palau’s National Security Coordinator. “Abandoned and derelict vessels in our harbor pose a threat to our pristine ocean environment and can cause unnecessary damage to our marine resources. They negatively affect tourism, which is an important part of our economy. Visitors come to Palau expecting to experience clean, pristine oceans and beautiful marine environments, and protecting these resources helps support our local businesses, communities, and economy. We applaud the dedication of the United…

UAE Ambassador Meets with Minister of State of Palau His Excellency Mohammed Obaid Al Qattam , UAE Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, met with His Excellency Gustav Aitaro Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Palau, During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. View Details Source link

A new research in the Pacific is looking at how sleep can address youth mental health challenges.New Pacific study explores bedtime habitsPacific researcher Li’amanaia Dr Roannie Ng Shiu is co-leading a study into how sleep and circadian rhythms may address anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among Pacific youth.Li’amanaia, who has been studying sleep for four years, told Pacific Waves, this latest research stemmed from a request from Samoa’s Ministry of Health.”It came from the work that we had done previously on mental health prevalence in Pacific countries, and specifically in Samoa,” she said.”We are aware of the high…

Fiji and Samoa are set to fly the Pacific flag at the 2026 WXV Global Series Challenger in Hong Kong, with both teams aiming to build momentum towards their future Rugby World Cup campaigns.WXV Global Series Challenger is part of the WXV Global Series calendar, as a new two-tier format means more competitive matches for fans to enjoy at the grounds and on television in the lead-up to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029, World Rugby said.Matches will kick off this weekend featuring Fiji, Samoa, Hong Kong China, the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil.The Challenger tournament will be played across three rounds,…

Nearly five months after the alleged murder of a man while in military custody, the Fiji Police says it has questioned five “likely suspects”.In a statement on Thursday, police said it would forward the investigation file on Jone Vakarisi’s death to the public prosecutions office after questioning the remaining three suspects.”Once all eight suspects have been questioned, the investigation file will be compiled and forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) for independent legal review,” it said.Vakarisi, 37, was widely known for being on the wrong side of the law and reportedly linked to criminal networks.He…

PNG’s capital top cop gearing up for busy year aheadPapua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby is routinely ranked high on international lists of the most dangerous cities.But despite its law and order challenges, Moresby is also a place of growth which has a lot going on – from cultural and sporting events to business activity.RNZ Pacific caught up with the capital’s Metropolitan Superintendent Warrick Simatab, a senior officer who believes in the potential of the national capital but has his hands full.With several major events on the horizon, including the general election next year and the Moresby-based PNG Chiefs joining…

Taiwan President William Lai accepted the credentials of Palau’s new ambassador, Gaafar Uherbelau, in Taipei and thanked the Pacific state for supporting Taiwan’s international participation. This was reported by the Taipei Times.Palau is one of the 12 diplomatic allies of the Republic of China — Taiwan’s official name — and one of three such allies in the Pacific. According to Lai, Palau has consistently supported Taiwan at international forums, including the Pacific Islands Forum, the UN General Assembly and the World Health Assembly.Support for TaiwanLai said that Palau had steadfastly supported Taiwan’s international participation despite changes in the regional and…

Naoero, formerly known as Nauru, has opened its embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third Pacific Island nation to do so.Naoero’s Vice-President Lionel Aingimea said it sends a message to the world about where the island nation stands.Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel has committed to sending Naoero medical equipment and water purification systems.Aingimea said opening an embassy in Jerusalem was a “major political decision”.”We see opening an embassy here in Jerusalem not only as a strengthening of our ties with Israel, but also as a message to the world of where we stand,” he was quoted as saying in…

Almost everyone involved in humanitarian aid agrees that more “localisation of aid” is a good thing. From staff in small NGOs to leaders in multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, few would admit to being against localisation. But this does not mean there is agreement on what localisation entails in the context of humanitarian aid. The word leaves a lot of room to move. On the one hand, there are minimalists who want localisation to mean small shifts in funding flows and more local participation in program design and implementation. On the other, there are maximalists who want localisation to entail…

Analysis – On the second day of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Palau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about the potential participation of Torres Strait Islanders in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) – one of the forum’s three sub-regional groups.Albanese, alongside his ministers Chris Bowen and Pat Conroy, was holding a press conference at the leaders’ meeting venue in Koror. Bowen holds the climate portfolio while Conroy is Australia’s minister for Pacific Island affairs.Conroy responded on behalf of his prime minister.”I was honoured to be the first Australian minister to attend a Melanesian Spearhead Group as…