Palau, Japan Discuss Clean Energy and Tourism Cooperation

Palau and Japan are strengthening ties in sustainable development and tourism innovation. During a recent working visit to Japan, Minister Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl and Bureau of Tourism Director Elangel Yanni Mesubed met with key partners to explore...

Palau’s Wage Hike May Spur Short-Term Price Rises, Economic Advisory Report Warns

Palau’s wage hikes aim to ease inflation pressures, but economists warn the measures could raise living costs in the short term. The Economic Advisory Group’s May 2025 report highlights how Palau’s small, cartelized market may undermine wage gains...

Palauans in Guam Celebrate Independence Day, Strengthening Cultural and Community Bonds

By Laurel Marewibuel | Island Times HAGÅTÑA, Guam — Palauans living in Guam marked Palau’s 31st Independence Day on October 11 with a vibrant celebration that highlighted cultural pride and strengthened ties with the island’s local community. The...

Partners sought for Pacific Ocean exploration

Palau Pacific Energy (PPE) is seeking partners to farm into the North Block concession in the northern waters of Palau, in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. A wholly owned subsidiary of Texas, US-based PPE operates the 360-square...

Pacific Engagement Visa numbers climb

IN August, we published a progress report on how the successful Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) 2024 ballot applicants had fared, but at that time we only had data up to April. Now, we have more recent data from the Department of Home Affairs, up to...

Palau calls for Stronger Global Action on Ocean and Climate Protection in Abu Dhabi

By Laurel Marewibuel Abu Dhabi, UAE — October 2025- Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. highlighted Palau’s leadership in ocean conservation and climate action during the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World...

Palau Weightlifters Ramp Up Training Ahead of Guam Invitational

By Faith Chen PALAU — Palau’s weightlifting team is intensifying preparations for the 2025 GWF Invitational Open Championships, set for Dec. 20 in Guam, where athletes from across the region will compete in multiple weight categories. After a...

The U.S sees Pacific Islands as ‘tip of the spear’, but locals fear becoming China’s ‘bullseye’

KOROR (ABC PACIFIC) — When the United States launched its historic military gambit against Iran’s nuclear programme, the world’s gaze was trained thousands of kilometres away on a Pacific Island. Officials made a decoy of the U.S territory of Guam...

PICRC hosts Ocean Explorers Program for Eighth Grade students

The Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) hosted the Ocean Explorers Program, a hands-on intersession program for eighth-grade students, during the week of September 29. The program engaged 16 students from Koror Elementary School, Airai...

As coral reefs pass tipping point, ocean protection rises up political agenda

Warm-water coral reefs have crossed a tipping point due to global heating and are dying at an accelerated rate due to repeated mass bleaching events, impacting hundreds of millions of people who rely on them for fishing, tourism and protection...

UN resolution on Climate Change rapporteur a boost for Pacific-SG Puna

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has welcomed the latest UN Human Rights Council vote for a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. The 48th session of the Council was held in hybrid mode, combining virtual...

Palau President visits Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of the Republic of Palau, visited Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi alongside his accompanying delegation. During the visit, the President of Palau and the accompanying delegation toured through the mosque’s...

US, UK launch biggest crackdown on Southeast Asian cybercrime networks tied to human trafficking

The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), has announced sweeping sanctions against the Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organisation (TCO), a...

Vanuatu leads Pacific ocean protection as expedition sets sail

The National Geographic Pristine Seas (NGPS) team is leading a month-long expedition across Vanuatu’s waters, which aims to combine deep sea science with community knowledge to update the nation’s marine spatial plan. The project follows an...

CITES Parties in the Pacific take part in training on implementation through fisheries legal frameworks

The waters of the Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are home to numerous aquatic species that are listed in the CITES Appendices, and which support livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities in over a dozen Parties to the Convention....

Palau President Whipps to Advocate Pacific Leadership and Global Conservation at 2025 IUCN World Congress

Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. will represent the Pacific at the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress in the UAE, advocating for small island leadership, global conservation, and stronger partnerships to protect the world’s oceans and...

Palau Customs to Begin Charging Storage Fees for Unclaimed Goods November 3

Palau Customs to Charge Storage Fees for Unclaimed Goods Starting November 3 Koror, Palau — The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP) announced that starting November 3, 2025, unclaimed or uncleared goods at Customs-controlled facilities...

Palauans Divided As Japan Lobbies For More Fishing Ground

Economic Gains or Environmental Loss? Palau Debates Marine Sanctuary Cuts KOROR, Palau — Japan’s fishing industry is urging Palau to cut its protected ocean area from 80% to 50%, sparking intense debate over the future of the Palau National Marine...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – October 3 – 9, 2025

Editor’s Note: We are undergoing a web host migration process and may need to make necessary modifications to our format and frequency over the next several weeks. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Political Leadership and Regionalism,...

Palau Senate still opposed to US proposal on people seeking protection

Palau Senate Photo: SPREP Palau's Senate is standing firm on its position against a US proposal on people seeking protection. Senate President Hokkons Baules has advised against proceeding further, saying there are practical issues around...