Author: TMC Palau

Atelaite Buna and Verenaisi Ditavutu. The Fijian Drua Women will welcome back exciting winger Atelaite Buna for their Round 3 Super Rugby Women’s clash against the Brumbies in Ba this Saturday. Head coach Mike Legge has named the former Jasper Williams High School student on the right wing for the side’s first outing at Four R Stadium in Govind Park. Buna, who returns from Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s duties, will be looking to build on an impressive record of six tries for the club. The match could also mark a milestone moment for Fijiana 7s captain Verenaisi Ditavutu, who has…

[Source: Reuters] As guests milled around a cavernous sound-stage that houses one of the ​sets from the Amazon Prime Video series “Fallout,” writer and producer Jonathan Nolan hailed the role tax incentives played in bringing ‌the production to California. The first season of the series, which is a big-budget adaptation of a videogame set in a post-nuclear wasteland, was shot in New York. California was able to lure the production west in its second season, with $25 million in tax rebates. “If the tax credit wasn’t here, it would be a non-starter and ​we wouldn’t be able to be here,”…

Waisake and Iliana Sabutu, long time residents of the Wairarapa. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Johnny Blades Pacific Communities in New Zealand’s regions are feeling the pinch from cost of living pressures and government cuts to social support services in the past couple of years. That’s the message from people working in the area of social services – who are themselves often Pacific people, feeling their own strains too. RNZ Pacific visited Masterton to talk to workers from two Pacific households in the Wairarapa. The last census shows Pacific peoples make up just 3.7 percent of the Wairarapa population, or almost…

Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube. [Photo: FILE] Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube has cautioned the government against what he describes as irresponsible spending and politically motivated handouts in the upcoming national budget. Narube says the government must avoid using budget announcements as a tool to win public support, stressing that funds should be directed towards priority sectors. He argues that providing handouts without proper justification amounts to politics rather than sound economic management. The former Reserve Bank Governor is calling on the line minister to take a closer look at spending priorities and ensure allocations deliver long-term benefits…

[Photo: FILE] Passenger risk checks are still being carried out manually, with no automated system in place to process incoming traveller data. This was raised during the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence review of immigration annual reports from 2019 to 2023. Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma raised concerns over delays in passenger clearance at arrival points. He asked how long travellers are taking to be processed on arrival. He also questioned whether current systems are able to manage rising risks linked to transnational crime.Article continues after advertisement Sharma further sought clarity on officer training. He asked how often officers…

[Photo: NIKHIL AIYUSH KUMAR] The Suva Magistrate’s Court has found Imran Khan, also known as King Khan, guilty of possession of illicit drugs. He appeared before Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad this morning. Khan is charged with one count of possession of illicit drugs with 4.1 grams of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment at the base of a water bottle. The Magistrate told the court that the state has proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.Article continues after advertisement Magistrate Prasad also rejected the claims that police planted the drugs in his car, stating that he found all eight witnesses’ evidence…

The Breast Cancer Foundation wants women with symptoms to be referred directly for diagnostic imaging. Photo: BSIP via AFP A New Zealand oncologist and researcher says the country’s health system needs to be easily accessible and culturally safe to help narrow inequities in breast cancer care. Dr Olivia Perelini is leading a study looking at timely detection and treatment and closing the breast cancer gap for Pasifika women in Aotearoa. She told Pacific Waves many Pacific women are affected by breast cancer, and despite advances being made, the gap is not closing as fast as they would like. “Pacific women…

[Source: FIFA World Cup/ Facebook] France have opened their Group I campaign with a 3–1 victory over Senegal in their FIFA World Cup match, sealing the win with two late goals. Kylian Mbappé scored twice for France, finding the net in the 66th minute before adding another deep into stoppage time at 90+6. Bradley Barcola also got on the scoresheet in the 82nd minute to put France firmly in control. Senegal threatened a late comeback when Mbaye struck in stoppage time at 90+5, but France held on to secure all three points.Article continues after advertisement France edged possession with 54…

[Photo: FILE] The Permanent Secretary for Policing says concerns surrounding a proposed provision in the Police Bill allowing access to mobile phones have been misunderstood. Questions have been raised over whether the bill would permit police to conduct warrantless searches of personal devices, with some critics arguing it could infringe on privacy and human rights. However, PS for Policing Berenado Daveta says the provision only applies in specific circumstances and under legal authority. “I’m not sure whether it’s an unwarranted search. I think it’s a search under warrant to be able to access information which could be evidence against somebody…

Last year, 2024–25, Australia issued 321,000 backpacker visas — 97,000 more than the previous year, and in fact significantly above the previous record of 258,000 set in 2012–13. Backpacker visas include the 417 Working Holiday Visa, for rich countries and uncapped, and the 462 Work and Holiday Visa, mainly for poorer countries and mainly capped. The first boom in backpacker numbers came in the late 2000s. It was the result of both the Global Financial Crisis — which pushed up unemployment in many European countries — and the incentives which the Coalition put in place in 2005 to get backpackers…