Author: TMC Palau
[Photo: File] The Health Ministry has allayed speculation that stated that the Full Blood Count and other essential laboratory services will cease at the CWM Hospital from Monday. Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa confirms that these services will continue as normal. There were concerns regarding a possible suspension of these services due to an alleged shortage of laboratory reagents. Concerns were also raised that the Ministry was left with an outstanding payment to Roche Diagnostics for the reagent suppliesArticle continues after advertisement Ravunawa says the Ministry is managing internal administrative and procurement processes to ensure that laboratory reagents remain available.…
A pair of rare conjoined twins in Fiji – who were born ten months ago as part of a set of triplets – are about to have separation surgery in Saudi Arabia.Twins Di Cecea and Jesipeli Kikau were born eight weeks premature with their sister, Hossana, at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in the capital, Suva.”The doctors said this is the first case of conjoined twins in Fiji in 20 years,” their mother Akenata said in a video shared by Fiji’s Health Ministry.”When they were born the doctors said they might only survive for a few days. We are…
Launch of the Citizens’ Guide to the 2026–2027 National Budget The Government is aiming to make the national budget easier for every Fijian to understand, with the launch of the Citizens’ Guide to the 2026–2027 National Budget in three languages. Launching the guide today, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says the initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and people-centred financial management. He says the guide allows citizens from all communities to better understand how public funds are collected, allocated and spent. Immanuel says consultations shaped the budget, which focuses on responsible spending, with $3.82 billion in revenue, $4.87…
[Photo: FILE] The fight to stay in the Extra Premier League next season is interesting with three points separating the bottom two sides and three rounds remaining. Tailevu Naitasiri has injected fresh life into its League survival campaign after recording consecutive victories for the first time this season. They defeated Nadi 1-0 before beating Global Care Suva 3-2 to collect six valuable points and remain in contention to avoid relegation. Tailevu Naitasiri now has 10 points and trails ninth placed side Nadroga by just three points.Article continues after advertisement A win this weekend afainst Navua would move Tailevu Naitasiri to…
[Photo: File] The decision to recruit guest players for the Vodafone Deans competition knockout rounds will ultimately rest with individual schools. Under the new Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union regulations, schools are permitted to include up to six guest players from eliminated teams within their respective zones. However, teams are under no obligation to use the provision and may instead choose to continue with the squads that qualified for the knockout stages. The flexibility means some schools could strengthen their line-ups with additional talent, while others may opt to maintain continuity by sticking with their original players.Article continues after advertisement…
Two Torres Strait community leaders have returned to Australia’s federal court this week to appeal the decision of their landmark climate case against the Australian government.Torres Strait elders challenge climate ruling decisionPacific WavesThe two elders, known as Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai, claim the government has failed to protect them from the impacts brought on by the climate crisis.In 2021, the pair filed the first-ever negligence case in Australia, which was heard last year by a federal judge who found the government “does not owe” Torres Strait Islanders the duty of care to protect them from climate harm…
Varanisese Qoro at the Mc’Donalds Fijian Drua women awards night The rise of McDonald’s Fiji Drua Women Rookie of the Year Varanisese Qoro has come as no surprise to her father, Josaia Qoro, who says his daughter made a life-changing decision at the start of the year. Josaia revealed that he sat down with Varanisese and asked her to choose between pursuing employment and committing fully to rugby. “At the beginning of this year, I sat her down and asked her whether she wanted to work or play rugby. She replied saying she wanted to play rugby.” That decision has…
[Source: Reuters] Globally, people currently use roughly 7,500 languages, with English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic and French the most common, counting native and nonnative speakers. That is a lot of languages. But it is a far cry from the peak number historically. Researchers used mathematical modeling and insights from anthropology, linguistics and demography to estimate the number of languages used globally dating back about 12,000 years to around the end of the last Ice Age, covering a chapter in time called the Holocene epoch.Article continues after advertisement They identified a period spanning the first millennium BC and first millennium…
[Source: Reuters] Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president, becoming the latest in a string of conservative leaders elected across Latin America by voters frustrated by crime, weak economic growth and political instability. The 51-year-old daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori is Peru’s first-ever elected female head of state. Her victory in June’s presidential runoff marked the return of one of Peru’s most influential and polarizing political dynasties and capped a political comeback after years of failed bids. “I assume office with the firmness needed to govern, but also with the sensitivity required to listen to and heal the…
For decades, parliamentary politics across the Pacific region has largely been shaped by men. This week, women parliamentarians from across the region gathered in Wellington with a focus on changing that.The women changing Pacific politics The House Thirty-one women MPs from 14 Pacific jurisdictions are taking part in a wānanga hosted by the New Zealand Parliament, with a focus on “decision-making and influencing change across the Pacific.”The gathering comes as Pacific nations continue to grapple with the barriers preventing more women from entering politics. Ignoring New Zealand and Australia, women make up just 7.7 percent of MPs across Oceania, compared…