Author: ngewakl

A bonus point win is the main focus for the Fijian Drua as they prepare for their crucial clash against the Highlanders in Ba, with a finals spot still within reach in the Shop and Save Super Rugby Pacific season. Drua captain Frank Lomani said the side is excited for the challenge and understands what is at stake. He said they are going into the match with a clear target, needing a win and bonus point to stay in the race. Lomani said returning to Ba brings extra motivation, with strong family support and fans backing the team across Fiji.Article…

Surangel S. Whipps Jr.KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — A dispute over the value of Malakal Port in Palau is threatening to derail a major national project tied to U.S. military expansion.With a $45 million gap between appraisals, can Palau’s national government and Koror State find common ground — or is a forced takeover looming?“The $60 million appraisal is bogus,” President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. said, as negotiations between the national government and the Koror State Government over the proposed purchase of Malakal Port stalled over sharply differing valuations.The dispute centers on the national government’s push to acquire the port for $15…

[Source: CNN] The artist formerly known as Kanye West may be enjoying a triumphant return to the stage, but not everyone is clapping. Ye, as he is now known, was recently banned from traveling to the United Kingdom amid continued concern over his past antisemitic remarks and the festival he was due to headline there was canceled because of the ban. That decision came days after two sold out shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in support of his new album “Bully,” which just debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Clips of those concerts — showing other…

Elia Canakaivata of the Drua is tackled by Charlie Cale of the Brumbies during the Super Rugby Pacific Round 5 match between the Brumbies and the Fijian Drua at GIO Stadium in Canberra. 14 March 2025. Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch / Photosport Super Rugby Pacific’s round 12 matches will be special for both the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika. The Drua face the Highlanders in Ba on Saturday afternoon, with looseman Elia Canakaivata back in the starting lineup for his 50th Super Rugby game. Moana Pasifika host the Blues at home in North Harbour on Saturday evening, and young winger…

A controversial Trump administration deal to relocate deportees from the US to the small Pacific nation of Palau faces an uncertain future, after the senate voted to block the deal as concern about the agreement grows.The deal, which allows up to 75 third-country migrants facing removal from the US to live and work in Palau, was signed by president Surangel Whipps Jr in December. Palau’s lower house now has to consider the deal, and the final decision rests with Whipps Jr.The arrangement is part of a broader assistance package to Palau, including $2m for security initiatives and $7.5m tied to…

Coalition Government Ministers are setting the example in the fight against drugs, with Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya among those who undertook a drug test at Parliament today. In a Facebook post on her page, she thanked Fiji Police Force nurse practitioner Sajneel Prasad and his team from the Police Medical Centre “for attending to this important commitment from the Fiji Government to take the lead in setting the example.” Source link

The lead choreographers for the new Michael Jackson biopic say it’s an honour to represent the Pacific as the film smashes box office records worldwide. The film traces the rise of Michael Jackson, from child star to becoming one of the most influential artist in the world. Despite receiving negative reviews for its ommission of child molestation charges against the late superstar,’Michael’ moonwalked its way to a record-breaking US$217 million in its opening weekend world-wide; a record for a music biopic. Michael choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega played an essential role training the lead actor Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael…

Development policy depends on data. But collecting data is only the first step. Its real value comes from careful analysis that shows where problems are most severe, who is being left behind and which policy responses are most likely to work. On 4 December 2025, a panel at the Australasian AID Conference demonstrated how data analytics can provide policymakers across Southeast Asia and the Pacific with much-needed evidence. Chaired by Professor Beth Webster, Director of the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne, the session brought together three researchers from the Institute working on…

Peleliu, Palau —  The island is lush, myriad shades of green made deeper by the effects of the morning’s rainfall. Just offshore, snorkelers float over beds of unbleached corals. Walking off the small wooden boat dock, visitors pass clumps of ficus trees and ankle-deep ferns, while cairns of gray stones mark hiking trails. And then, in the middle of an empty field, stands an amphibious Japanese military tank with garlands of green plants sprouting between its rusted wheels. The juxtaposition is jarring. But that’s why tourists have come from as far away as the United States, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea and…

[Photo: FILE] Questions over governance at the Fiji National University were raised in Parliament yesterday, with the Opposition MP Premila Kumar highlighting delays in the university’s council functioning and calling for stronger accountability measures. Opposition MP Premila Kumar questioned the effectiveness of existing oversight processes, saying delays in council action raised concerns about transparency and governance. She questioned Education Minister Aseri Radrodro on what procedures were in place to ensure the timely investigation and resolution of issues within the institution. “In the last parliament session, FNU has been moved to the PM’s office, and until today, there is no FNU…