Author: TMC Palau

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…

This week our powerful Pacific team is in Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. This is a major moment in our campaigns for Pacific climate justice and to stop deep sea mining. So what’s it all about, what can we expect over the coming days, and why is this year’s meeting in particular so important? Read on to find out! *Pawa is Melanesian word meaning collective power. Meet Moemoana Schwenke, our Pacific Climate Campaigner “When you love something deeply, you do everything you can to protect it.” @greenpeaceap For us in the Pacific, protecting our home is an…

China accused Palau of “stoking tensions” over a ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean. Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. expressed hope that a reference to the launch would be included in the joint statement of the 18 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum.As Daily Maverick reports, Whipps said it was important for countries in the region to speak with one voice so that Beijing would respect sovereignty, maintain transparency and be a responsible partner. According to him, Pacific states do not want their homes and region to be threatened or disrespected.Beijing’s reactionIn July, China conducted a ballistic missile…

Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona is a concert hall where music and architecture merge in an exuberant display of Catalan Modernisme, with a vast stained glass ceiling flooding the auditorium with coloured light. Built in the early twentieth century for the choral society Orfeó Català under architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it remains a landmark of Catalan cultural life and a showcase of applied arts worked directly into the structure.A Modernisme palace for music and craftThe core identity of Palau de la Musica Catalana lies in its role as a purpose-built concert hall in the Catalan Modernisme style,…

Three Pacific women celebrate major beauty pageant winsBeauty pageants remain an important part of cultural and social life in many Pacific Island countries, although their significance vary across the region.Pageants such as Miss Pacific Islands, Miss Samoa, Miss Heilala (Tonga), Miss Hibiscus (Fiji) and Miss Cook Islands, provide young Pacific women with a platform to advocate on issues they are passionate about.Three Pacific women are celebrating major beauty pageant victories – domestically and internationally – after being crowned over the weekend.Miss World Cook Islands: Tiare Henry-AngunaTiare Henry-Anguna, who represented the Cook Islands, was crowned Miss World Oceania 2026 after reaching…