Author: TMC Palau
[Source: Bollywood Hungama] K-pop powerhouse BTS said they will not submit their music for consideration at the forthcoming 2027 Grammy Awards. All seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — shared the same note Wednesday. “We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” the coordinated message read. “We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.” Wednesday’s announcement came just over a month after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which include best Asian pop music performance,…
Two former scholars from a prominent all-boys school in Fiji who have received their All Blacks recall for the South Africa tour say they are grateful that they can represent their families and villages in the black jersey.Chiefs utility Emoni Narawa and Otago co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai, both former pupils of Queen Victoria School (QVS) located in Tailevu (about 75 minutes drive from the capital suva), have been named in Dave Rennie’s 44-member squad for the tour.The All Blacks will play eight matches, including three Test matches against world champions the Springboks – their first tour to South Africa in thirty…
Launch of the Baseline Study on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Children with Disabilities. In an effort to address the present gaps in the protection of the rights of Children with disabilities, the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission launched anational baseline study highlighting progress and challenges. Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, Selina Kuruleca says the findings are a reminder that many of the barriers are created by societyitself. “The study reminds us that children with disabilities face barriers not because of their disability alone, but because we, as a society,…
The Next Gen Alliance Party says it was formed because Fiji needs a new way of governing, not simply another political party. Launching the party at Rewasau Village today, party leader Apisai Moce said successive governments have come and gone, but many ordinary families continue to face the same challenges. Moce says parents are struggling to put food on the table, young people are leaving the country in search of opportunities, farmers are working hard for little return, and communities continue to battle issues such as drugs, poor infrastructure and limited services. He says the party was created to focus…
Samoa is on the brink of being suspended by rugby’s world governing body, local media is reporting.It comes after the Samoan government announced on Wednesday it was withdrawing support of Lakapi Samoa due to “unresolved internal issues and division” at the union.According to Samoa Observer, World Rugby has given the Samoan government until Friday “to accept a proposed review of its decision to withdraw recognition and financial support from Lakapi Samoa”.”Failure to accept the review or respond by the deadline could result in Samoa being suspended from international rugby for four years,” the news outlet reported.It added the development follows…
[Source: Reuters] Three Greek firefighters died battling blazes during high winds on the island of Crete and the mainland as wildfires spread across Europe on Wednesday after days of devastating fires in Spain and France. Two firefighters became trapped in the Crete blaze near the village of Krya Vrysi while they were driving between fire fronts. Another died in a separate fire in the Peloponnese region, a fire department spokesperson told Reuters. Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi and other nearby villages, locals told Reuters by phone, as high winds pushed the fire out of control near popular…
26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. The Ministry of Health is calling for urgent international support as Fiji responds to a rapidly growing HIV outbreak, driven largely by methamphetamine use among young people. Speaking at a media roundtable during the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Chair of Fiji’s National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce, Dr. Jason Mitchell, stated that the country faces an unprecedented public health challenge requiring national and global action. Since declaring a national HIV outbreak in January 2025, the Ministry has recorded a 14-fold increase in new diagnoses over five years.…
[Source: Reuters] Rescuers frantically searched for survivors on Wednesday, a day after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook southern Japan, killing at least 13 people, knocking out power to thousands of homes and rupturing roads across the region. Eight people were pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed shopping mall near the city of Kumamoto that was torn apart by an explosion just over an hour after Tuesday’s earthquake. Of them, three died. Rescuers frantically searched for survivors on Wednesday, a day after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook southern Japan, killing at least 13 people, knocking out power to thousands of homes…
The rift between the Samoan prime minister and Lakapi Samoa took a turn for the worse on Wednesday, after the Samoan government announced it was withdrawing its support of the national rugby union.A statement released in Apia on Wednesday night said the government will announce its plans on how it will support rugby in the country moving forward soon.Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt had revealed earlier this year that he was unhappy with how Lakapi Samoa was managing the game and wanted change, threatening to establish a rival body.He had accused the union of mismanaging funds, alleging that rugby in…
Dulux Chief Executive Officer Roshan Singh. [Photo: SUPPLIED] Dulux is celebrating 40 years in Fiji, marking four decades of innovation, local manufacturing and growth, while unveiling plans for further expansion and two new environmentally friendly products. The milestone will be celebrated at corporate events in Suva, bringing together customers, business partners, employees and industry stakeholders. Although the Dulux brand was introduced to Fiji in 1986, the company’s history dates back to 1968 when British Paints established the country’s first paint manufacturing facility. A major milestone came in 2006 when Pacific Coatings Pte Limited, led by local shareholders Viliame Leqa, Greg…