Author: TMC Palau

A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman [Source: Reuters] Iran and the United States exchanged intensifying fire on Thursday in a week-long escalation that has largely ‌unraveled last month’s truce, while Tehran disputed President Donald Trump’s claim that a U.S. citizen had been released. For the first time since a memorandum of understanding paused fighting last month, the United States launched two big waves of air strikes in a single day on Wednesday, mostly on targets near Iran’s southern coast, and kept firing on Thursday. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces began…

[Photo: File] The government is introducing tougher penalties to strengthen tax compliance and improve the accuracy of information submitted to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service. Speaking in Parliament, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says the proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act and Tax Administration Act will require taxpayers to notify FRCS when a property transaction does not proceed after a capital gains tax certificate has been issued. He says penalties will apply to those who fail to notify FRCS or provide complete details in their tax reporting. Immanuel says that the amendments will also require businesses submitting monthly…

Contradicting reports are coming out of the Flying Fijians camp about player dissatisfaction as the team prepares to face Scotland in Murrayfield in their final Nations Championship match.The Fijians, who are one of two invitational sides in the new 12-team competition, have found the going tough after losing against Wales (39-24) and England (73-8) in the first two rounds of the chanpionship.Reports of player discontent started to emerge on social media this week, with claims they have been not been treated well by the new head coach Senirusi Seruvakula. However, the team management have stated they are working with players…

[Photo: Supplied] Despite legislative progress, children with disabilities in Fiji still face major barriers to education, healthcare, and essential services, according to a new report by the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission. Launched in Labasa, the Summary Report of the Baseline Study on the Rights of Children with Disabilities in Fiji details the daily struggles of these children across the country. HRADC Commissioner highlighted the disparities many children still face. “The baseline study report shows that children with disabilities in Fiji face various challenges in accessing education, health care and other essential services because of factors such as physical inaccessibility,…

[Source: File] The McDonald’s Fiji Drua Women have been forced into a late change ahead of Saturday’s Super Rugby Women’s semi-final against the Queensland Reds at Churchill Park. Repeka Tove has been drafted into the match-day 23 after utility back Ana Nabura was ruled out through injury. Tove takes her place on the bench in jersey number 22 and is expected to provide cover in the outside backs as the Drua chase a place in the Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final. The change is the only alteration to the squad named earlier this week by head coach Mike Legge.Article continues…

The government says it had no influence over $200,000 in funding for a documentary ahead of Fiji’s election about a Fijian Cabinet Minister facing down a scandal.The Ministry of Pacific Peoples funded the film Algorithm of Shame: In the Village, Everybody Knows was released in May, and tackles the impacts of social media in closely connected communities.Marketing describes it as a “powerful Pacific-led documentary set in Fiji that exposes the devastating impact of online shaming in the age of social media, where algorithms reward outrage, humiliation, and exposure without care or accountability”.The film focuses on two people: trans woman Rhonda…

[Photo: FILE] The case involving former Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad will proceed to trial from August 10 after both the prosecution and defence confirmed they were ready to proceed. The matter was called in the Suva Magistrates Court today, where the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption counsel informed the court that it had filed all required disclosures and provided the defence with all material relevant to the proceedings. Defence counsel raised no issues with the disclosures and informed the court that they were satisfied with the material served by the prosecution. The court also…

[Photo:FILE] Opposition parliamentarian Faiyaz Koya says the 2026-2027 Budget explains how Government intends to spend money, but it does not adequately explain how Fiji intends to create wealth. During debate on the Budget in the House, he said the International Monetary Fund has identified labour shortages and outward migration as a significant constraint on Fiji’s future economic growth and productivity. Koya says this should concern every single member of Parliament because when skilled people leave, businesses struggle to find qualified workers, productivity declines and economic growth slows.Article continues after advertisement He says when revenues come under pressure, government is increasingly…

[Photo: FILE] The Government plans to begin the relocation of residents from three informal settlements during the next financial year, with land already secured to accommodate hundreds of families. This, according tp Housing Minister Maciu Nalumisa. During debate on the 2026-2027 Appropriation Bill Independent MP Faiyaz Koya asked whether the $1.3 million allocated for the relocation and resettlement of informal settlements would be sufficient to relocate residents from Veidogo, Nabua Muslim and Kilikali this year. Nalumisa said the government’s plan is to resettle the three communities during the next financial year.Article continues after advertisement “So far, we have acquired one…

After a disastrous first couple of decades following independence in 1968, Nauru turned its economic fortunes around in the 2010s, with average annual per-person growth in national income of 4.9% between 2009 and 2024. In 2020, it was once again reclassified as a high-income country. Nauru’s boom has been caused by a surge in foreign income. Its ratio of foreign income to GDP grew from around 30% in the late 2000s to more than 60% now. The major sources of foreign income have been Australia’s Regional Processing Centre (RPC), other aid and fishing licence revenue. This influx of foreign income…