Author: TMC Palau

Barcelona”The sound of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra is unique in itself, and we must add to it the sonority of the theatre’s pit where it usually plays,” comments Katharina Wagner (Bayreuth, 1978), great-granddaughter of the composer of the tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung and controversial stage director, who has found a gap in her extremely tight schedule – the 150th edition of the Bayreuth Festival, which she currently directs, kicked off on July 24 – to visit the Palau de la Música Catalana, where she has presented the “exceptional” tour that will begin in Barcelona on August 29. This…

[Photo: FILE] The Government has admitted Fiji’s correctional facilities are operating below United Nations minimum standards for the treatment of inmates. The admission comes as the Justice Ministry receives increased funding in the new national budget, with authorities now promising reforms to improve prison conditions. The Minister, Siromi Turaga, says Fiji’s correctional facilities have struggled to meet international expectations on inmate treatment, with more investment needed to improve infrastructure, services and overall conditions. “We actually have an increase. We have to manage with what we are given, but we’ll continue to negotiate with our partners. For inmates, they’ve been tried,…

Consider a small island developing state (SIDS) such as Tonga. In 2023, remittance inflows reached approximately 43% of GDP, making Tonga one of the most remittance-dependent economies in the world. For decades, remittances have provided a critical economic lifeline, financing household consumption, education, healthcare, housing and debt recovery. Similar patterns can be observed across many Pacific small states, where remittances sent by migrants abroad to their families back home have become embedded in national development trajectories. The migration systems that generate these remittance inflows appear to simultaneously weaken domestic productive and service delivery capacity. Fiji’s health sector illustrates this problem…

Overview: Vanuatu’s National Council of Chiefs is urging the country to prioritize feeding its own people before expanding taro exports, as it prepares to launch the ambitious 50,000 Taro Project. The initiative aims to strengthen food security by supplying schools, hospitals, correctional facilities and security forces while promoting community-led agricultural development. PORT VILA, 24 JULY 2026 (VBTC) — The President of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs says Vanuatu must feed its own people before looking at exporting taro overseas.  Chief Paul Robert Ravun made the remarks ahead of the launch of the 50,000 Taro Project, saying the initiative is…

[Photo: BOSE VAVATAGA] Josivini Naihamu was the biggest winner at the 2026 McDonald’s Fijian Drua Women’s Awards, taking home three of the night’s highest honours following an outstanding Super Rugby Women’s season. The rising star was named the 2026 McDonald’s Fiji Player of the Year, received the Encore Players’ Player of the Year Award, and won the Fiji Airways Try of the Year Award for her spectacular try, finishing ahead of fellow nominees Aqela Raitubu and Kolora Lomani. Speaking after the awards, an emotional Naihamu said she was both nervous and excited, admitting she never imagined she would be recognised…

[Photo: FILE] Discarded plastic bottles and aluminium cans are being turned into income opportunities for communities through the Return & Earn Fiji recycling program. The initiative is creating new green income streams for schools, youth groups, faith-based organisations and individuals by rewarding people for collecting and returning recyclable materials. Return & Earn Fiji Representative and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Head of Public Affairs Dwain Qalovaki points out that the program’s impact extends beyond waste reduction, with recycling now creating opportunities for communities to earn. The program, he states, is attracting participation from a wide range of groups, including schools, youth organisations…

Former All Blacks assistant coach Brad Mooar is the new Fijian Drua men’s head coach, the Nadi-basd franchise announced the on Monday.Mooar has signed for two years, replacing former coach Glen Jackson.Drua CEO Jeff Miller said Mooar stood out during during the competitive recruitment process.”This is one of the most important appointments in the short history of the Fijian Drua and we were determined to conduct a genuinely exhaustive process,” Miller said.”We received applications from an outstanding group of coaches and were extremely impressed by the quality, experience and different perspectives presented throughout the process.”Brad stood out through his technical…

Overview: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation aimed at expanding America’s diplomatic presence across the Pacific Islands by leveraging existing U.S. Coast Guard and Navy missions. The proposed CORE Pacific Act would study ways to improve consular services, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance U.S. engagement in the strategically important Pacific. HONOLULU/WASHIGTON, 24 JULY 2026 (MAUI NOW) — U.S Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat, joined Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi this week to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding the United States’ diplomatic footprint across the Pacific Islands, a region Schatz has made a recurring focus of…

Archaal Devi at the Suva High Court today. A woman charged under the Online Safety Act for allegedly making derogatory Facebook posts will be sentenced next month. Archaal Devi appeared before Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad at the Suva Magistrates Court this morning. Devi is charged with one count of causing harm by posting electronic communication. She is the first person to be charged under the Online Safety Act after allegedly making multiple derogatory posts about another woman on a public Facebook forum.Article continues after advertisement The Online Safety Commission is assisting the State in the case. The Commission had previously…

The Pacific Islands contingent at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have added two more medals to their tally.Samoa has a silver and Nauru a bronze in the men’s 71 kilogram weightlifting competition.Samoa’s John Lautafi Tafi lifted 142 kg in the snatch, and smashed the Games record of 172kg in the clean-and jerk to finish second.Nauru’s Ezekial Moses lifted 140kg in the snatch, and 170kg in the clean and jerk, for third place.The gold went to Nigeria’s Edidiong Joseph Umoafia with a Games record total of 319 kg.In other weightlifting results, Solomon Islands’ Jenly Tegu Wini came fifth in the women’s…