Author: TMC Palau

[Photo: MOLLYN NAKABEA] The Fiji Museum, in collaboration with UNESCO, celebrated International Museum Day under the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World.” Chief Executive Armando Lowe says the day serves as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to protect cultural heritage and traditions. He says museums are key to strengthening cultural understanding in diverse societies like Fiji. “As a multicultural nation rich in tradition, language and shared history, museums serve as important spaces where communities can connect together, gather and learn from one another, celebrate diversity and strengthen understanding.”Article continues after advertisement UNESCO Regional Director Sara Garcia de Ugarte…

A Pacific Detector Dog programme dog in Tonga. Photo: Giles Dexter / RNZ The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has given figures for drugs seized in the Pacific so far this year – more than three times the total amount seized in 2025. A statement from Commissioner Krissy Barrett said 17 tonnes of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, have been seized by local and international law enforcement in the Pacific since January. It said the total seizure in the Pacific region last year was about 4.6 tonnes. Barrett said most of the illicit drugs being trafficked to and through the Pacific are…

Palau’s National Police Week proclamation shines a spotlight on law enforcement efforts and recent drug convictions. Palau Ministry of Justice photo via Island TimesKOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — Law enforcement authorities seized 333.33 grams of methamphetamine in two separate incidents involving packages sent through the post office and DHL, in Palau Minister of Justice Jennifer Olegeriil confirmed during a press conference last Wednesday marking the launch of National Police Week.The confiscations were credited to coordinated police intelligence efforts, profiling operations and collaboration with Border and Customs K-9 units working to intercept illegal drugs entering Palau.“The confiscation of the illegal drug from…

[Photo: PECELI NAVITICOKO] Cane farmers in Macuata have been recognised for their major contribution to Fiji’s economy, with the North producing more than 30 percent of the country’s total sugar output. Minister for Sugar Tomasi Tunabuna, while officiating at the Prime Minister’s Sugarcane Farmers Mill Awards in Labasa, says the resilience and hard work shown by Northern farmers continue to keep one of Fiji’s key industries alive. At a time when the sugar industry continues to face labour shortages, rising operational costs, and climate-related challenges, farmers in Vanua Levu are still being hailed as the backbone of Fiji’s sugar sector.…

[Photo: FILE] The Ministry of Education has clarified that a school closure notice relating to Hantavirus circulating on social media is fake and was not issued by the Ministry. In a statement, the Ministry is urging parents, students and the public to ignore the false notice and avoid sharing unverified information that may cause unnecessary fear and confusion. The Ministry says all official announcements will only be made through verified government platforms and official media channels. The fake notice, dated yesterday, claimed that schools would close from today until Friday due to Hantavirus concerns and would reopen on May 25…

The Arnold Belkin Room at the Museo Universitario del Chopo is transformed into a suspended forest of textile memories and artistic experimentation. Twenty-five banners hang from varying heights as part of an exhibition that recovers the history and impact of the International Banner Biennial, a project spearheaded between 1996 and 2014 by artist and cultural manager Marta Palau. The exhibition primarily features the acquisition prizes from that biennial held at the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT), a space that for nearly two decades became a meeting point for emerging artists and established figures in international contemporary art. Throughout its existence, 305…

Former Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party leader Biman Chand Prasad[Photo: FILE] The High Court has dismissed an application by former Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party leader Biman Chand Prasad seeking a permanent stay of criminal proceedings brought against him by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. Prasad faces charges under the Political Parties Act 2013 relating to the alleged failure to declare his directorship in Platinum Hotels & Resorts PTE Limited in his 2015 statutory declaration submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties. The charges include one count of failure to comply with statutory disclosure requirements…

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A multinational police investigation implicating 11 Fijian police officers in collusion with drug traffickers has been handed over to prosecutors. The Fiji Police Force announced that the investigation, lasting nearly six months, now awaits advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on how to proceed. On 1 December last year, a social media activist posted more than 100 screenshots of Viber messages between the officers and a member of an Auckland-based organized crime group. Police personnel depicted in the screenshots ranged from beat cops to Criminal Intelligence Division (CID) officers to the head of…

Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu. [Photo: FILE] Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has admitted that drug traffickers are continuing to exploit weaknesses within Fiji’s law enforcement system, as authorities intensify efforts to contain what leaders now describe as a deeply rooted national crisis. Speaking on the growing drug threat, Tudravu says Police are fighting a battle on multiple fronts, adding that despite the scale of the challenge, recent anti-drug operations carried out under his leadership have shown major improvements in police capability, particularly through upgraded surveillance technology, intelligence gathering and operational resources now being deployed. The Commissioner says authorities are aggressively strengthening…

source: ABC Classical music isn’t dead, but who’s listening, and how, is changing. One of the clearest signs of that change is the rise of live orchestral concerts paired with blockbuster film screenings. These concerts are significantly driving the growth in live performance of classical music in Australia. According to the latest Live Performance Australia data, the most popular classical music performances in 2024 included Star Wars, How to Train Your Dragon, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Man from Snowy River in Concert.Article continues after advertisement According to Screen Sounds presenter Dan Golding, watching a film with a live…