6 d. ago Tuvalu marks ‘momentous occasion’ with unveiling of its first ATMs

All banking in the Pacific nation used to be done in cash but that is about to change on the main island of FunafutiTuvalu, one of the world’s most remote nations, has unveiled its first ever ATMs, at the headquarters of the National Bank of Tuvalu in the village of Vaiaku on Funafuti, the country’s main island.Tuesday’s ceremony marked a historic shift for the island nation of 12,000 people, which has never before had access to electronic banking. Attended by prime minister Feleti Teo, the governor general, traditional leaders, members of parliament and representatives from the diplomatic and business sectors, the event celebrated a long-anticipated move toward financial modernisation. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Train rides through the clouds and Bawa's tropical modernism: Sri Lanka's best cultural experiences

Planning a trip to the tropical island country of the moment? Beverley Watts has your guide to the unmissable historic sites, iconic architecture and wonderful wildlife to add to your itinerary

Politics

9 d. ago UK weather today: Saturday SCORCHER as Britain forecast to be hotter than Ibiza in April heat blast

Millions of Brits will experience scorching temperatures today with parts of the country being even hotter than the Spanish party island of Ibiza, according to forecasters

Society

1 week ago 'Breathtaking' remote Scots island beach previously dubbed 'best in country'

If you are looking for a quick getaway during the Easter holidays, why not visit this beautiful Scottish beach with views you won't believe.

Politics

1 week ago Palau president delivers barb at Peter Dutton over ‘water lapping your door’ hot mic joke

Surangel Whipps Jr also strongly backs Australia’s bid to host a UN climate conferenceElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastThe president of Palau has delivered a pointed barb at Peter Dutton while strongly backing an Australian bid to host a UN climate conference on behalf of the Pacific, arguing that it would boost regional solidarity and he would be “deeply disappointed” if the attempt was abandoned under the Coalition.Speaking at a renewable energy conference in Sydney on Wednesday, Surangel Whipps Jr described seeing two-thirds of an island in his archipelago country disappear under water in his lifetime. “For those of us in the Pacific who have lived through storm surges, rising ocean levels and increasingly high tides, the phrase ‘water lapping at our door’ is not a metaphor or a punchline. It’s our fear and reality,” he said.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newslette...

Politics

1 week ago Rio Ferdinand leaves host stunned with Kevin De Bruyne vs Steven Gerrard point

Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Steven Gerrard is one of the three best midfielders in Premier League history, overlooking Kevin De Bruyne in the process, in an astonishing outburst that left his co-host visibly stunned

Politics

1 week ago Rio Ferdinand stuns host as Man United legend names three best Premier League midfielders

Rio Ferdinand has named his three greatest Premier League midfielders, with the Manchester United hero snubbing Kevin De Bruyne.

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Fundamentally wrong, brutal and paranoid’: how will the world respond to Donald Trump’s tariffs?

The US president’s sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on countries around the world are threatening to reshape the global economy – so, what exactly happens next?On Thursday evening, towards the end of a long week at a textiles factory on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thi Dieu and her husband were watching the news. More than 8,700 miles away, US president Donald Trump was announcing sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on every country around the world. Nowhere was safe, even the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands off the western coast of Australia that, for some unexplained reason, were hit with a 10% tariff.His announcement launched a fierce global trade war and triggered a global market meltdown, including on Trump’s own cherished Wall Street, where hundreds of billions of dollars of stock values evaporated. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Elton John and Brandi Carlile: Who Believes in Angels? review – a true meeting of minds

(Island EMI)The British star and the US country artist spur each other on in this tuneful, swinging set with poignant momentsIn the twilight years of his career, Elton John has been anointing the next generation with a keener ear than most, championing new stars from Chappell Roan to Wet Leg via his Rocket Hour radio show and collaborating with artists as genre-diverse as Britney Spears, Gorillaz and Young Thug. Who Believes in Angels?, however, feels like a genuine meeting of minds. Created alongside American country rock royalty Brandi Carlile, an 11-times Grammy winner, there is the audible sense of two artists pushing each other and raising the other’s game; on the rollicking rock’n’roll romp of Little Richard’s Bible, or the full-blooded country duet Swing for the Fences, 78-year-old John sounds like a man half his age.Where many of his recent collaborations have seen him enter the sonic palettes of modern pop, Someone to Belong To’s interweaving harmonies, or the rousing piano...

Politics

2 w. ago 10 dead as landslide hits passing cars on Indonesia's Java island

Indonesian rescuers have recovered 10 bodies after a landslide struck vehicles on a hilly road on the country’s main island of Java

Events

3 w. ago Carnival in beautiful island country 'just as good as Rio' plus stunning beaches

Trinidad and Tobago's carnival is known as the 'mother of all carnivals' and takes place every year over two whole days on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Politics