Author: TMC Palau

A member of New Caledonia’s Eveil Océanien kingmaker’s party, Milakulo Tukumuli, has been elected as the new president of the territory’s ‘collegial’ government.He was elected by New Caledonia’s 54-member Congress during a special sitting on Friday where the 11 members of the French Pacific territory’s “collegial” government were elected.The Congress sitting directly stems from the recent provincial elections held on 28 June.Based on the principle of proportional representation, the new executive is a reflection of the recent provincial elections, as well as the “governance pact” sealed between the pro-France bloc and the small Eveil Océanien party, often dubbed the “kingmaker’s…

[Source: File] Team Fiji boxer Jasmine Daunakamakama insists the color of the medal has never been her motivation, but early tomorrow morning in Glasgow, the 21-year-old will step into the ring just one victory away from a historic Commonwealth Games gold medal bout. The women’s 57kg semifinal presents the biggest fight of Daunakamakama’s career, but rather than focusing on the podium, Fiji’s lone female boxer says her greatest goal has always been to stay true to herself each time she enters the ring. “Everyone’s been asking me, ‘Do you see yourself standing on the podium?’.My answer was always that I…

[Source: File] Ra Rugby capped off a historic week by defeating Northland 17-10 in the Vodafone Vanua Cup final, securing the championship and earning the right to challenge for the coveted Farebrother Sullivan Trophy later this year. The victory comes just days after Ra booked promotion to next year’s Skipper Cup for the first time in the union’s history following its semi-final win. Having already achieved a major milestone by earning a place among Fiji Rugby’s elite provincial teams, Ra added another chapter to its fairytale season by lifting the Vanua Cup title. The championship win also means Ra will…

The program also supports Shangri-La’s Environment, Sustainability and Governance Strategy.[PICTURE:SUPPLIED] More than 100 students from two Coral Coast schools have taken part in a cultural exchange program. The initiative is aimed at broadening their understanding of Chinese arts and traditions. Students from Nadroumai Primary School and Cuvu District School joined the program at Shangri-La Yanuca Island, Fiji, in partnership with the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific as part of the resort’s global Arts and Culture Month. The students took part in practical sessions on traditional Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting and other cultural activities designed to encourage…

World Rugby has denied reports that it gave Samoa an ultimatum to sort out problems over which body governs the sport in the country, or face a ban from international competition.This follows reports that the Samoan government was given 24 hours – until Friday – to accept a review of its decision to withdraw its support of Lakapi Samoa.Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt announced earlier this year that he was establishing a rival union to take over the role of Lakapi Samoa (the Samoa Rugby Union).But World Rugby denies reports that it had told Samoa that failure to accept the…

Shoppers across the nation looking to upgrade their living spaces can now take advantage of special offers following the launch of Courts annual National Bedding and Furniture Month promotion this morning. Centred around the theme ‘Sleep well, live well and furnish better’, the nationwide campaign was launched across three main outlets in the Central, Western and Northern divisions-Suva, Ba and Labasa. The event at the Rodwell Road branch in Suva was officiated by Courts Marketing General Manager Anil Senewiratne. Senewiratne says there are heaps of products on offer across all outlets and urges customers to take advantage of the special…

As demonstrated in the previous article in this two-part series, Pacific publishers have seen sharp, unexplained falls in their Facebook reach, at a time when much of the region depends on the platform for news, official information and emergency alerts. The question is why the Pacific is so exposed, and what can be done about it. Commercial estimates based on Meta’s advertising data put Papua New Guinea’s Facebook audience at about 1.5 million in late 2025, according to DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report. That is not an independently verified count of active users, but it indicates the platform’s scale. The cost…

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment for the manslaughter of Zain Kaiyum in Nasinu. Daniel O’Brien Lal pleaded guilty to manslaughter by recklessness over the fatal assault in May 2023. He was charged alongside three other men. The remaining accused have pleaded not guilty and will face trial. The High Court heard Lal and others assaulted the victim after a packet of crystals was allegedly stolen.Article continues after advertisement The court heard the victim was taken from his home and assaulted at several locations in Makoi and Nasinu. Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu said Lal…

Facebook is strangling Pacific journalism, with some news organisations losing up to 70% of their audience almost overnight. The sudden falls have hit The Pacific Newsroom, the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) and the Solomon Islands-based Melanesian News Network, raising fears that changes to Meta’s algorithms are pushing verified news out of Facebook feeds. The Pacific Newsroom recorded a 70% fall in Facebook views. Melanesian News Network founder and editor Dorothy Wickham says her outlet’s reach dropped by about 45% over four months. In Vanuatu, the has also reported a significant decline in reach and views across its main…

Samoa’s opposition leader Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi says the country faces suspension by World Rugby today because of “a dirty political move” by the government.Tuilaepa’s spoke to RNZ Pacific after the government announced that it was pulling its support of Lakapi Samoa due to “unresolved internal issues and division” at the national rugby union.”The government does not provide the Samoa Rugby Union with any financial assistance, there are no internal issues, it’s political madness on the part of the prime minister, ” Tuilaepa, who is a former Samoan PM and the leader of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), said.RNZ Pacific…