By: Laurel Marewibuel Koror, Palau (Jan. 5, 2026) Capital improvement projects funded through Taiwan’s Economic Stimulus Grant to Palau are reshaping everyday life in communities across Echang, Ngeruluobel, Ngchesar and Ngarchelong, delivering safer infrastructure, expanded recreational access and improved public spaces designed to serve residents year-round. Though the projects vary in scope — from road […]
Author Archives: Island Times
Posted inPacific News
Walking with Moai: Unlocking the mysteries of Easter Island stone statues
By Luke Cooper Friday 2 January (ABC-Australia) The extent of Te Tokanga’s monolithic dimensions and the social organisation of the people who created it have been revealed for the first time, researchers say. Landmark three-dimensional mapping of an Easter Island quarry has also shed more light on how researchers believe hundreds of other similar statues […]
Posted inWorld News
The Venezuela strike sets a new low for the world order — even by Donald Trump’s standards
By global affairs editor Laura Tingle Sun 4 JanSunday The Venezuelan regime was by no means popular but Donald Trump’s seizure of its leader sets a dangerous precedent. (ABC News: Lindsay Dunbar) The United States’ military operation to kidnap Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro from his home in Caracas was stunningly successful in achieving its ambition, and generated […]
Posted inWorld News
Death toll rises in Iran as anti-government protests spread
Jan 4, 2026 In short: (ABC-Australia) Various groups say at least 16 people have died and hundreds have been arrested in a week of demonstrations in Iran. The protests are fuelled by surging inflation and have prompted a crackdown from the country’s government. Iran is vulnerable amid a struggling economy and international pressure. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-05/iran-protests-spread-death-toll-rises/106198320 At […]
Posted inTop Stories
After Decades of Abandonment, Beluu er a Ngchesechang Reclaims Its Place in Palau’s Cultural Landscape
By: Summer Kennard AIRAI, Palau (December 29, 2025) — “People may have left the village physically, but their hearts and minds remained there,” Airai State Governor Norman H. Ngiratecheboet said as the historic village of Beluu er a Ngchesechang undergoes renewed life following decades of abandonment through a community-led cultural restoration effort. Community-led restoration of […]
Posted inTop Stories
PALAU REACTS TO WHIPPS’ DEPORTEE DEAL AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER PROCESS, COSTS AND TRANSPARENCY
By: L.N. Reklai & Summer Kennard KOROR, Palau (Dec. 29, 2025) — Shock, anger and unease have dominated public reaction in Palau following President Surangel Whipps Jr.’s decision to sign a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 24 agreeing to accept up to 75 deportees from the United States in exchange for $7.5 million in U.S. […]