Author: TMC Palau

Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona is a concert hall where Catalan modernisme turns music into architecture, wrapping performances in mosaics, sculpture and coloured glass. Completed in 1908 under architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it brings together structure and decoration so completely that the building itself feels part of every concert.A concert hall shaped by Catalan modernismePalau de la Musica Catalana stands in the historic centre of Barcelona as a concert hall designed in the Catalan modernisme style by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and built between 1905 and 1908.Designed in the Catalan modernisme style The building was commissioned by…

The Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL) is spearheading discussions for new regional tournaments aimed at creating playing opportunities for local players in the region.FNRL chairman Rajesh Singh has confirmed that discussions are being held with New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) and Asia Pacific Rugby League (APRL) to establish a Nines (9s) tournament series in the Pacific.At the same time, there are also plans to have a 13-a-side tournament similar to rugby union’s Pacific Nations Cup (PNC).Singh told local media in Suva last week the new 9s tournament would feature Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.”It…

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) — For certain countries like Palau, having Taiwan as a “diplomatic ally” is not about delivering for the country and the people, but to line the pockets of the very few people who profit from it, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on Monday.Mao made the remarks in response to a query on the recent reports that Taiwan increased its annual aid to Palau from 18 million U.S. dollars last year to 25 million U.S. dollars this year, and it also allocated nearly 281,000 U.S. dollars in direct cash gifts…

A new discussion paper examines how Facebook can blur the line between feelings and conversations around sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV), or locally known as sanguma, in communities in Papua New Guinea.The study, conducted by the Australian think tank Development Policy Centre (Devpolicy), analyses how Facebook influences the debate around SARV in PNG through the people involved, the messages they share, and the broader role the platform plays.An estimated 200 people are killed due to SARV in PNG every year, with thousands more severely injured, tortured, mutilated and exiled. Sanguma violence in the era of social media has spread the belief…

The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting closed in Koror last week with a raft of bilateral meetings, side events and financial commitments from donor partners including New Zealand, the United States and Australia.The week culminated in the Leaders’ Retreat and a communiquē setting out what was agreed by our Pacific Leaders. However, the story most likely to outlast the communiquē is the one of empty chairs.Five of the Forum’s 18 members, Fiji, Vanuatu, Sāmoa, Kiribati and New Caledonia, were represented in Palau without their head of government. A sixth, Solomon Islands, sent its Prime Minister, then watched him fly…

A tropical storm warning has been issued for Oahu, Hawai’i, as category 3 hurricane Lowell bears down on the state.An advisory from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued at 8am Monday Hawai’i time (6am Tuesday NZT) said conditions are expected to deteriorate in the afternoon.A hurricane warning is in effect for Kauai County, including the islands of Kauai and Niihau and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals.The NOAA said on the forecast track, the core of Lowell is expected to pass near or just west of Niihau on Monday night and early Tuesday.”Gradual…

Vanuatu held a National Education and Training Forum from 3 to 6 August 2026. It had a fiery start. Prime Minister Jotham Napat told a room filled with policymakers and educators from across the archipelago that he was “not satisfied” with the national education system, despite the sector receiving one of the government’s biggest annual investments, accounting for over 22% of the national budget. Napat illustrated his concerns, saying “70% of children cannot read or write”, sparking a social media storm of outrage. One month on, as the world marks International Literacy Day on 8 September, the questions raised at…

Tourism the target of China’s ongoing tensions with PalauPublished 7 September 2026, 7:45 amPalau’s president has accused China of ‘weaponising tourism’, after geopolitical tensions between the countries reignited. The Chinese government warned its residents not to travel to the Pacific Island, a tactic historically believed to punish Palau for its recognition of Taiwan. Now, Australia is trying to support tourism in the region, including doubling peak-season flights to help Palau attract more visitors and boost resilience. SBS Political correspondent Rayane Tamer reports from Palau’s Rock Islands Southern Lagoon. Source link

At a key leaders’ summit in Palau, Pacific island nations burdened by worsening climate change impacts and costly fossil fuel imports called for November’s COP31 climate summit to deliver finance to help the region transition to renewable energy and build more resilient communities.Heads of government from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) – which includes COP31 co-president Australia – met in Palau’s capital Koror for a week-long summit, where they demanded access to climate finance, ocean action and a regional boost for renewables at COP31.Palau’s president Surangel Whipps Jr. said during a plenary session that the Pacific must focus on…

  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao NingA Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday criticized the Taiwan regional authorities over reported increases in aid and cash grants to Palau, condemning the Lai Ching-te authorities for using “dollar diplomacy” to pursue “Taiwan independence” and serve the interests of a small number of political beneficiaries.The so-called “relations” maintained by a handful of countries, including Palau, with the Taiwan region are not aimed at serving the fundamental interests of their countries and peoples, but rather at allowing a small number of vested-interest actors to line their own pockets, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning…