Author: TMC Palau

Netball Samoa has replaced its winning coach who led Tifaimoana Samoa to qualify for the 2027 Netball World Cup.Tia Winikerei, a career policewoman and Northern Mystics head coach during the 2023 ANZ Premiership season, takes over from Natalie Mathews.Mathews term had expired at the end of the Oceania Netball Championship in Nuku’alofa last month.Winikerei spent 16 years in the New Zealand Police.Netball Samoa said with the Netball World Cup as their primary international objective, Winikerei will lead the team’s technical preparation and contribute to player identification, squad development and performance planning as Samoa builds towards the tournament.”We welcome Tia to…

Fiji is on course to hold its first national referendum. On 2 October, Parliament passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 at its second reading and, earlier that day, passed the law that will govern the vote. If the Bill clears its third reading in early November, Fijians could be asked on 9 December whether they support a new Constitution. None of Fiji’s four constitutions has been put to its people: the 1970 Constitution came by order of the British Crown, the 1990 and 2013 Constitutions were promulgated after coups, and the 1997 Constitution was passed by Parliament. Earlier this year…

Fiji’s anti-corruption agency chief Lavi Rokoika has rejected speculation that she is the high-profile suspect in the case of missing cocaine that was held at the Suva High Court evidence room valued at more than FJ$50 million.Fiji Police have identified several persons of interest and so far one judiciary employee – Jiuta Naivalarua Raibevu, 51 – has been charged with one count of interfering with evidence and one count of unlawful possession of illicit drugs.”It is alleged that [Raibevu] together with another, unlawfully interfered, seized and possessed 39.5 kilograms of cocaine from the Suva High Court registry. The alleged offences…

The Pacific Elders’ Voice (PEV) has called for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to review and reverse its partnership agreement with Israel.In a statement, the group said the Forum’s decision raised questions about the consistency of the region’s positions on colonialism, human rights and self-determination.It cited the conflict in Gaza, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and what it described as violations of international law, while also noting unresolved issues of political status and self-determination in the Pacific.The PEV said the agreement to partner with Israel should be reversed to ensure the Forum’s external partnerships remain consistent with the…

Authorities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) have issued a typhoon warning for the territory’s Northern Islands, as Typhoon In-fa approaches with destructive winds.CNMI governor David Apatang has declared Typhoon Condition III for Agrihan, Pagan and Alamagan.The warning means destructive winds of at least 74 miles per hour are possible within the next 48 hours.In-fa was a category 4 typhoon at 1pm Wednesday local time, with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour.The storm was located about 905 miles east of Saipan, moving west-northwest at 10 miles per hour.Forecasters say In-fa could strengthen into a super…

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week and participated in a high-level meeting about the existential threat posed by rising sea levels.A report from UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the global sea level rose by 6 millimetres in 2024 — the highest annual increase ever recorded. Whipps, speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States, said for nations that are literally defined by the ocean around them, the impact of sea level rise will be life-altering.“The climate crisis is not of our making,” Whipps said. Yet it “threatens our culture,…

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has been transported to Australia for quote “urgent medical treatment.”In a statement, the PM’s office said he was admitted to the National Referral Hospital over the weekend, and referred by doctors for further treatment in Australia today.It is unclear what Mr Wale’s condition is. Source link

Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) has deployed an anti-fraud system from Oculeus to detect and block fraudulent traffic on its voice network as the operator upgrades the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.In common with other Pacific Island nations, PNCC faces unique challenges to its network and is fully committed to protecting its infrastructure against global scam activities and unauthorized international routing schemes that target local consumers.The system, Oculeus Anti-Fraud System (AFS), uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and anomaly detection to analyze telecoms traffic and identify suspicious activity in near real time. It targets threats including scam activity and unauthorized international routing…

Palau deploys fraud prevention system to protect voice networks Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) has deployed a telecoms fraud prevention system from German software provider Oculeus to detect and block fraudulent traffic targeting its voice networks. The Oculeus Anti-Fraud System uses AI, machine learning and anomaly detection to analyse telecommunications activity and identify potentially fraudulent or abusive traffic in near-real time. PNCC is using the system’s automation capabilities to strengthen protection while relying on its existing team. Source link

It’s a significant week for the Tokelauan community in Aotearoa New Zealand as they celebrate Te Vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau – Tokelau Language Week.This year’s language week coincides with the centenary of Tokelau’s relationship with New Zealand.There are 9822 tagata Tokelau living in New Zealand based on the 2023 Census, with a majority of those living in the greater Wellington region.Gagana Tokelau is classified as severely endangered by UNESCO.Tokelau Aotearoa advisory group chairman Reverend Tui Sopoaga admits the Tokelauan language is on the decline.”Even though our language is on the decline but we are still trying our best because…