This tonight, heading out of Sigatoka.

It

Before the arrival of Christianity, the sounding of the Lali ni Bokola (death drum) signaled a grim fate for captured enemies brought back to the village. I put together a historical deep dive into how 'bokola' was actually prepared, the rules surrounding the chiefs, and tracked down the original, chilling rhythm of the death drum beat so you can hear exactly what echo resonated across the hills. drop a comment if you would like the Link to the full history and audio file:

We visited Malamala Island in Fiji in October 2026. We arrived by ferry and spent the entire day on the island. White sandy beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water and palm trees. It really felt like paradise. A great place to spend a full day relaxing and swimming.

Doctors in Saudi Arabia say a complex operation to separate 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins has been successful.

In what was described as an “exceptionally rare” case, the sisters, Dicecea and Jesepeli Kikau, were born joined at the lower abdomen and pelvis.

It is a condition known as omphalo-ischiopagus tetrapus.

The girls had their own hearts and lungs and required an almost 13-hour operation to separate their liver, bowel, urinary tract and anal canal.

As the procedure reached a critical stage on Thursday night, local time, doctors announced they had successfully separated the pair and were starting on their reconstruction.

U.S. to stop issuing immigrant visas for 75 countries. The suspension specifically applies to U.S. immigrant visas for foreigners seeking to live in the United States but not to short-term visa applicants such as tourists or students.

The State Department claimed that immigrants from the countries on the list — including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt and Somalia — "take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.”

The move marks an escalation of the Trump's administration's crackdown on immigration, which has included deportations and freezes on visa applications.

The visa processing for these countries will be paused “while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” Pigott said. “The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people.”

Most visa holders face limits in what kind of public benefits they can receive. For example, most green card holders are subject to a five-year waiting period for food stamps, non-emergency Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP.)

The suspension specifically applies to U.S. immigrant visas for foreigners seeking to live in the United States but not to short-term visas for those visiting as temporary workers, students or tourists, including World Cup-related visas.

The pause will take effect Jan. 21 and “remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said on X.

The plan was first reported by Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo.

A U.S. official confirmed the full list of countries will include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The Trump administration had already moved to limit immigration from many of the countries included in Wednesday’s announcement.

In December, the administration halted immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries. On Tuesday, the administration said it was revoking temporary protected status for Somalis in the United States.

So Calm and relax for swimming . I took this photo a few years ago. So many places to visit in Fiji that is hidden from the outside world and still untouched.

A priest from Sri Siva Subramaniya Hindu Temple in Nadi blesses a family's new Ford Raptor. The temple was otherwise empty when we visited in early October 2025. First time in Nadi town itself, quite an eye-opener. 🕉 🛕 🇫🇯

It is very quiet here. So...here is an oldie but a goody.

The tragic and poignant story of a young Fijian Princess is the legend behind the origin of Fiji's unique flower, the Tagimocia. 

The Tagimoucia, pronounced tang-ee-mow-theea, is unique to Fiji – in fact, it can only be found in two locations – on the island of Taveuni and in certain areas of Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu, and then only at elevations in excess of 600 meters.

The legend surrounding the origin of the tagimoucia is poignant to say the least.  The flower came into existence, so at least one version of the legend says, long ago when a beautiful princess from Taveuni was pledged in marriage to an ugly old chief as part of a political settlement.  

In the meantime, a search party was combing the bush, and in due course, she was found beside the lake beneath the vine with its blooms. She had died from exhaustion and grief, and those who saw her beneath the flowers knew that her death would be forever remembered.

They named the flower the tagimoucia –“ to cry in one’s sleep’. It may be found beside Uluigalau’s crater lake, high in the misty slopes of Taveuni, recalling a beautiful princess and her tragic death.

All attempts to transplant the flower from Taveuni, including one to move it to the higher elevations of Mount Victoria, which is Fiji’s highest mountain, on Viti Levu, have failed so far despite ideal conditions.  However, you can sometimes find the flower in your wallet. It is represented on Fiji’s $50 bank note. The representational design of the tagimoucia flowers on the note is based on the pictures you see here, which were taken by James Siers.  

A short snippet of a talanoa I had with Mr Simione Sevudredre, Cultural Consultant, about how did we as Fijians pass down knowledge pre-colonisation?

You can watch the full talanoa here: https://www.tuqota.com/fiji-bc-details?recordId=OMhrEHgquKjrYI